SOCCER / Manchester Utd 3 Rangers 0: Manchester United's ascent has far to go, but they stood far above a willing if limited Rangers team last night.

With nine points in Group E, their advance to the knockout phase of the Champions League is all but certain. United are nearly as gratified by the resurgence of Ruud van Nistelrooy, scorer of two of the goals that put Rangers' survival in grave doubt.

A meeting between the champions of England and Scotland has a ring of heritage about it and the occasion brought out traditional traits in United.

Here they were reverting to the 4-4-2 formation and, with two wingers, this could have been any match day from the last 30-odd years if you ignored the sponsored jerseys.

Alex Ferguson has not succumbed to nostalgia. The United manager sought the sustained attacking that had not been produced in the muted 1-0 win at Ibrox a fortnight ago. He sensed vulnerability about his old club, whose form has been wavering.

Even if they could never hope to emulate United's technique, a match of this stature was sure to rally Rangers, who had a reasonably brisk attitude in the first half.

That did not spare them the scourge of the current predator whose scoring is as reliable as it is implausible at present.

Defences still cannot quite accept the emergence of a sure-shot Diego Forlan. His early opener meant that he had scored in four consecutive matches. The precision with which it was struck suggested that he had somehow siphoned off the gifts of van Nistelrooy.

Even when the Dutchman did eventually score, it was Forlan who made the goal possible.

The Uruguayan's most intoxicating moment came in the sixth minute when United moved in front. Roy Keane crossed from the right and the clearing header from Michael Ball was glanced on to Forlan, who met a ball that seemed to be dropping behind him with a low volley that zipped into the far corner of the net.

Ball was unlucky to be the stooge of that incident. After years lost to knee operations, he is playing well enough for it to be imagined that he could yet get on to a standby list and earn another cap for England should Ashley Cole or Wayne Bridge be injured.

The left-back had a conviction to the tackles that he made on Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs in the opening stages.

There was enough delicacy, too, for him to drop a long ball behind the United back four, even if Michael Mols could only stub it behind as his ball control failed him.

For the most part, failings in a midfield weakened by injuries and lacking physique or artifice prevented Alex McLeish's team from achieving stability.

Keane, the Celtic-supporter who is the bête noire of Rangers' followers, excelled, releasing Giggs for a low shot in the 25th minute that was knocked off the goalline by Craig Moore. Four minutes from the interval, he lashed a 30-yarder fractionally over.

Rangers, though, could not expect to avoid grave damage for long. Two minutes from the interval, Ronaldo's over-hit cross was played back into the goalmouth and Forlan, wheeling as he held off a marker, shot against the crossbar. The ball then rebounded from van Nistelrooy to find the net.

The restorative powers of a goal were shown soon after the interval when, with all his celebrated tenacity, the Dutchman broke through from the right and put his angled finish just past the far post.

Rangers had the will to compete, but not the means, even if Tim Howard did encourage them with a weak parry of a Ball shot.

The songs of the 3,000 Rangers fans owed their commendable volume more to defiance than expectation and they ought to have been steeling themselves for the next van Nistelrooy goal, delivered after an hour.

It was the first sign that Rangers were beginning to be overwhelmed, so inadequate was their reaction to the deep Giggs free-kick that the Dutchman headed into the net.

It is a relief to Scots that van Nistelrooy will probably not start for Holland in the Euro 2004 play-off, but it may be a while before Rangers supporters extract comfort from that.

The main encouragement here came with indications that United might be winding down their operations as substitutions, including that of van Nistelrooy, began.

The game confirmed the status United have acquired in Europe. A failure to advance deep into the Champions League is virtually unthinkable and their progress from the group is all but achieved.

Rangers' situation is far more troubled, but at least their dealings with Ferguson's side are behind them. Guardian Service

MANCHESTER UNITED: Howard, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Fortune, Ronaldo, Phil Neville, Keane, Giggs (Bellion 67), Forlan (Kleberson 67), van Nistelrooy (Fletcher 77). Subs Not Used: Carroll, Butt, Djemba-Djemba, O'Shea. Goals: Forlan 6, van Nistelrooy 44, 60.

RANGERS: Klos, Khizanishvili, Moore (Ross 68), Berg, Ball, Arteta, Hughes, Arveladze, Vanoli (Burke 83), Mols (Capucho 56), Lovenkrands. Subs Not Used: McGregor, Emerson, Ostenstad, Dowie.

Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy).