United Held as Elite Progress in Champions League
A finalist in three of the last four years, Manchester United is struggling to even get out of its group in this season's Champions League.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan were joined on Tuesday by two more of Europe's footballing elite, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, in the knockout stage of the game's biggest club competition.
There is still one glaring omission from this list of the world's biggest clubs however — the English champions.
United was held to a 2-2 home draw by Benfica on Tuesday, leaving its hopes of qualifying from arguably the easiest of the competition's eight groups hanging in the balance.
"The chips are down," said United manager Alex Ferguson, "but I have every confidence in the team."
At least a draw is needed at Swiss champion Basel next month if United is to avoid becoming the biggest casualty of the group stage.
Benfica's point at Old Trafford ensured the Portuguese side, two-time European champion in the 1960s, also qualified for the competition's last 16, increasing the misery for United at Old Trafford.
It was a bad night, too, for United's archrival Manchester City.
Blazing a trail at the top of the Premier League, the destiny of Roberto Mancini's side is out of its hands in its first season in the Champions League after losing 2-1 at Napoli.
A brace of goals by Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani left Napoli a point ahead of City in Group A, knowing a victory at already-eliminated Villarreal will ensure the Italian side finishes second behind Bayern.
United, which without England striker Wayne Rooney (hip) had only itself to blame for the goals conceded against Benfica.
England defender Phil Jones turned the ball into his own net to gift the visitors a third-minute lead and goalkeeper David de Gea failed to clear his lines properly in the 60th, allowing Pablo Aimar to make it 2-2 barely 60 seconds after Darren Fletcher had put United ahead for the first time.
Dimitar Berbatov — with his first goal in Europe in three years — had earlier equalized in the 30th.
"The goals were a bit freakish — an own goal and then bad kick out by David de Gea," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "It's a cruel game at times.
"It will be a hard game in Basel."
Cavani scored goals either side of Italy striker Mario Balotelli's equalizer to extend Napoli's unbeaten run at home to 11 matches since returning to continental competition in 2008 after 13 years out.
"Let's enjoy this beautiful moment. We knew we could do it from the very first day," said Cavani.
City now has to beat Bayern in two weeks' time and hope for the best.
Source: Associated Press
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