United cruise in fifth gear

Manchester United again used Brondby as a punch-bag last night as they maintained the prolific run of scoring form which they will hope to take to Barcelona in three weeks' time. Three goals in nine minutes at the start of the match reduced the Danish team to a familiar state of disarray and from then on it was merely a case of United helping themselves.

The overwhelming nature of Manchester United's 6-2 victory in Copenhagen two weeks earlier, and that on top of a 6-0 win there in a pre-season friendly, should have been sufficient to put United on their guard last night. Football is an illogical business at the best of times and Brondby had not come simply to admire their opponents' attacking style, although they soon found themselves reduced to this.

Three points rather than another performance of swash and buckle were United's priority. They wanted to make sure of staying ahead of Barcelona before setting off for Spain later this month, but Bayern Munich's 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp means United now only need to beat the Germans here on December 9th to win the group.

In the event the points were secured last night with another display of awesome swordsmanship. Nevertheless, memories of the way Barcelona had come from 2-0 down to force a 3-3 draw with United in their opening Champions League game were a reminder of how easily the surest of things can change.

United's initially studious approach was, therefore, understandable if brief. In fact Alex Ferguson's team were merely gathering themselves for another onslaught.

To begin with, Andy Cole was fouled beyond the penalty area on the left and the right foot of David Beckham, who had missed the previous game through suspension, did the rest. Emeka Andersen, a late replacement for the injured Mogens Krogh in the Brondby goal, was beaten by a 30-yard shot curling inside the near post.

Per Nielsen very nearly increased United's lead three minutes later, heading Roy Keane's centre against his own post.

In the 13th minute Jesper Blomqvist, now enjoying a run of matches on the left wing in place of the injured Ryan Giggs, produced a centre which Cole allowed to run to Dwight Yorke. Yorke promptly fed the ball back to Cole, who coolly made space for himself before beating Andersen from a narrow angle.

Two minutes later it was the turn of Phil Neville, who with the return of a fit Denis Irwin had switched from left-back to right, replacing Wes Brown. A brisk exchange of passes with Yorke and Neville was through Brondby's stunned defence to score United's third.

Already the match had become what was now a routine rout. Once more Brondby were bewildered by United's pace and the width of their movements. Their fourth goal, two minutes before the half-hour, was waiting to happen. Blomqvist found Beckham with a cross-field pass and from the moment the centre left Beckham's foot you knew Yorke would score, which he did with a firm header.

So again Brondby were reduced to an evening of damage limitation. Their attack flickered fitfully and occasionally opened up gaps in the United cover, but their collapsible defence had made any such moments academic.

At least it kept Peter Schmeichel active on a chilly evening. Shortly after Phil Neville had given way to Brown on the United right, Ebbe Sand gathered a return pass from Ruben Bagger before producing a shot which Schmeichel, who had started to go the wrong way, blocked with a trailing leg. The second half began with Bagger sliding a shot wide of the far post following a corner.

By now Manchester United were out to graze. With Blomqvist giving way to Jordi Cruyff at half-time and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replacing Cole soon after, they were again saving their legs, much as they had done in Copenhagen.

Yet they had not given up the pursuit of further goals. Beckham curled a shot just wide of a post, having drifting through the middle past two Brondby players, and in the 63rd minute Paul Scholes jinked and swerved his way through the defence on the right to score United's fifth.

Ferguson saluted United's "magnificent" performance afterwards. "We knew we had the game won at half-time (when the score was 40). We made a couple of changes and sometimes that's when the flow goes out of game," said Ferguson. "We did what was necessary and we produced some magnificent football in the first-half - I am very pleased.

"It was a good result for Bayern (2-1 winners in Barcelona) and now when they come here it is going to be some night."

Manchester Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Stam, Beckham, Cole (Solskjaer 53), P. Neville (Brown 31), Blomqvist (Cruyff 45), Keane, Scholes, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Butt, Johnsen, Curtis. Goals: Beckham 7, Cole 13, P. Neville 15, Yorke 27, Scholes 63.

Brondby: Andersen, Bjur (Krogh 74), Nielsen, Ravn, J. Jensen, Daugaard, Sand (Hansen 77), Colding, Bagger (Thygesen 68), Skarballius, Rasmussen. Subs Not Used: Drejs, Bjerregaard, Vragel, M. Jensen. Att: 53,250.

Referee: M Lubos (Slovakia).