Nicky Butt was sent off last night as Manchester United twice lost the lead to a Barcelona team that had gone in at half-time 2-0 down. A penalty helped the Catalan side to get back to 2-2 and although David Beckham's superb free-kick put United ahead once more, a second penalty, given after Butt had handled a shot from Luis Vigo and been shown the red card, enabled Luis Enrique to bring the scores level at 3-3.

Murdoch or no Murdoch, last night would always have found United again reaching for the sky. The chore of qualifying for the Champions League proper as Premiership runners-up had not been a problem, but now they had to win to gain an early grip on what promised to be the tightest of the six groups.

There was something else. Barcelona's 4-0 rout of United at the Nou Camp four years earlier was still a bitter memory. Now there was a chance for United to respond in kind.

From the start their movements were swift and wide. There was no question of keeping the game on ice while a pattern emerged.

In the opening seconds a mistake by Sergi let in Beckham on the right for a shot over the bar. Barcelona played with three at the back and Phillip Cocu patrolling the area just in front of the defenders. Nevertheless they struggled at the outset.

A goal so nearly arrived in the 10th minute after Beckham's searching cross from the right had found Ryan Giggs in space beyond the last defender. Giggs cut the ball back from the byline and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would surely have scored had not Michael Reiziger just managed to get a touch on it. Solskjaer's shot glanced off the bar from five yards.

Dwight Yorke then nodded the ball over the top after Giggs had thoroughly outwitted Luis Figo on the left and after 16 minutes the Welshman headed United in front.

Another sublime build-up of passes left Beckham in space on the right and his carefully-flighted centre found Giggs out-jumping Luis Enrique to direct the ball past Ruud Hesp into the opposite corner of the net.

Midway through the first half Hesp fumbled a low cross from Gary Neville as Solskjaer moved in, but just as the Norwegian seemed certain to score he was penalised for a foul on the goalkeeper - a harsh decision.

Within two minutes, however, United increased their lead. Again Beckham was the instigator with another measured centre. This time the cross was met by Yorke's well-aimed bicycle shot which Hesp did remarkably well to parry. However the ball bounced off Luis Enrique and the predatory instincts of Paul Scholes enabled him to score from the rebound.

But just past the half-hour an unforced error from Gary Neville nearly cost United a goal. Boudewijn Zenden was given a free cross from the left and amid the ensuing confusion Rivadlo beat Peter Schmeichel with a shot which took a deflection off Scholes. However, Barcelona's celebrations were cut short by an offside flag against Sonny Anderson, who was nothing of the sort.

As half-time approached only a sharp save by Schmeichel denied Anderson a goal and Old Trafford needed little reminding of Barcelona's recovery at St James' Park a year earlier, when they had come from 3-0 down to lose 3-2.

In case anyone had forgotten Anderson wasted no time in the second half providing a pertinent reminder. As United's defenders dithered on their 18-yard line Rivaldo pushed the ball through to his fellow Brazilian, whose shot brooked no argument.

Now Barcelona began to find their true rhythm and threatened to control the second half. Midfield reinforcements were called for and Solskjaer gave way to Butt six minutes before the hour. But in the 58th minute Rivaldo went down under Jaap Stam's tackle, a penalty was given and Giovanni brought the scores level.

Five minutes more and Giovanni's foul on Yorke offered United an early chance to regain the lead. Hesp pranced about on his line as Beckham lined up the free-kick, but the crowd knew where the ball was likely to go and Beckham did not disappoint.

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin (P. Neville 79), Stam, Beckham, Giggs (Blomqvist 84), Keane, Scholes, Yorke, Solskjaer (Butt 55), Berg. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, May, Cole, Sheringham. Sent Off: Butt (70). Goals: Giggs 17, Scholes 24, Beckham 64.

Barcelona: Hesp, Reiziger, Abelardo, Figo, Anderson, Giovanni (Xavi 68), Rivaldo, Sergi, Cocu, Luis Enrique, Zenden. Subs Not Used: Baia, Oscar, Ciric, Okunowo, Roger. Goals: Anderson 47, Giovanni 60 pen, Luis Enrique 71 pen. Att: 53,601.

Referee: S Brasci (Italy).