FOOTBALL Live

Sunday August 16, 2009 Finished Old Trafford

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Manchester United

  • Rooney 33’

Birmingham City

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  1. Rooney gives United win

    Rooney gives United win

    A first-half goal from Wayne Rooney gave Manchester United a 1-0 Premier League win over Birmingham at Old Trafford. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Manchester United
    • Birmingham City
    • 90+3 There is barely time to take the corner as Lee Mason blows the whistle, 1-0 to United but Birmingham did not look bad at all and could have nicked an equaliser. United start their title defence with a bang.
    • 90+2 Rooney flicks the ball from halfway and Owen races clear of the Blues defence, he still has some pace it seems and is clean through and is this it but no, Hart flies out to block the finish which flies agonisingly wide for a corner! Almost a magical introduction for Owen
    • 90' Giggs to Valencia on halfway, he slides it through to Owen who is clean through, rounds Hart and slides it in but the flag was up, he was half a yard offside.
    • 89' Benitez into O'Connor who knocks it wide to O'Shea but his near-post cross is straight into the chest of Foster.
    • 88' The hosts bomb forward again, Valencia and Owen combine and Rooney has it but his pass into Owen is cleared.
    • 87' United still bossing possession but they seem unable to fashion too many clear-cut opportunities.
    • 85' O'Shea on the right for Birmingham, inside to O'Connor who flicks it wide to Carr but his cross is poor, straight down the throat of Foster.
    • 84' Ferguson drills it low to Fahey who looks wide right to O'Shea who is muscled off it by Evra.
    • 83' Giggs on the left in lots of space, he eyes the line of the six-yard box and places it for ROONEY FLYING IN WITH A FLICKED HEADER BUT IT BOUNCES INCHES WIDE OF THE FAR POST!
    • 81' BIRMINGHAM SUB: James O'Shea is on for Larsson. He's a 21-year-old Irish attacking midfielder signed from Galway in the summer.
    • 80' Birmingham break now, Benitez combines with McFadden but O'Shea powers the header clear.
    • 79' United attack now, Giggs surges forward, Rooney now, one-touch to Owen who slides it wide to Valencia, he puts it to SCHOLES WITH THE DRIVE FORM THE EDGE OF THE BOX but diverted wide for a corner!
    • 78' Carr bombs down the right but there is no support really and United clear. Wide left to Owen who knocks it in for Rooney, he lofts it wide to Benitez who is in but a heavy first touch is blocked and Blues clear! It's a dangerous counter too, Benitez is in on the left, the flag stays down and he knocks it inside past Brown AND HE MUST SCORE BUT A BRILLIANT STOP BY FOSTER!
    • 77' Fletcher turns 30 yards out, he turns again looking for the pass, Scholes now but he sells Fletcher short and Birmingham break.
    • 76' Fletcher is booked for clobbering Fahey.
    • 75' MAN UNITED SUBS: Michael Owen gets his Premier League debut for United, on for Berbatov. Wes Brown comes on for Evans, who was nursing an ankle knock.
    • 74' BIRMINGHAM SUB: Benitez comes on for his debut, Carsley the man sacrificed.
    • 73' Carsley loses the ball and it's played to Scholes, it opens up for the little man but he under-hits his lob into Hart's arms.
    • 72' Blues come forward now and Larsson swings a dangerous cross in that Foster can only parry but United half-clear! Ferguson now but he over-hits his pass wide.
    • 71' Taken short to Fabio, one-two with Giggs, Fabio lofts it far post AND BERBATOV RISES WITH THE HEADER BUT OFF THE LINE BY CARSLEY! That was headed top right. The ball is still with Berbatov though but he is swarmed by blue shirts and Birmingham clear. He thinks he was fouled as Carr trod on his foot but Mason waves it away.
    • 70' Berbatov gets it wide right and, confronted by Vignal, hustles to the byline and wins a corner.
    • - John O'Shea tussles with Birmingham's Jerome Thomas in the first half of the match at Old Trafford - click here for photo.
    • - Click here to see Wayne Rooney, scorer of United's goal, chasing the loose ball after Dimitar Berbatov is denied by Joe Hart in the 11th minute.
    • 68' Blues hoof it clear, O'Connor is strong in holding it up but isolated and United gang up on him to bring the ball clear. It is back with Hart now though, but his clearance goes straight down the other end to Foster.
    • 67' Good flat delivery from McFadden but Foster parries and United clear, a quick break, Valencia on the left, headed away but Berbatov has it, now Scholes wide to Fabio but his cross is too deep for Rooney.
    • 66' Carr into Fahey who slips it wide to Carr again, Giggs takes him out and a free-kick on the right, just five yards from the box.
    • 65' BIRMINGHAM SUB: Big Garry O'Connor is on for Jerome. Blues to look for the higher ball then.
    • 64' McFadden comes through the middle, wide right to Larsson who cleverly plays it quickly back into McFadden who is in lots of space, cuts on to his left and drills it in low but well-seen by Foster who follows it all the way down and holds it to his chest
    • 63' Giggs with the corner but headed clear, the second ball comes in deep from Fabio but Berbatov is pushing in the box and Blues have a free-kick.
    • 62' Giggs to take the corner. He bypasses the area and it lands for SCHOLES WITH THE VOLLEY but into the ground and hacked clear. United still have it though, Valencia on the right with a good cross but blocked for a corner.
    • 61' Giggs to take it left-footed and he swings it over the wall to the top left but Jerome in the wall gets a touch to send it just over!
    • 60' United break, the ball comes into Rooney 25 yards out, he looks wide for Berbatov but as he prepares to play it Vignal flies in two-footed to take him out, advantage says Mason but the ball spins too wide for Berbatov to shoot so he pulls play back, free-kick on the edge of the D and a yellow for Vignal.
    • 58' A rare attack by Birmingham, Larsson on the right plays it low to Fahey on the edge of the D, he has a crack and it zips low towards the bottom left but just wide! Great effort from the Irishman.
    • 57' United have had 80 per cent of the ball in the first 10 minutes of this second half.
    • 56' Evra has it on the left but an aimless ball is headed clear by Johnson.
    • 55' Composed defending by Evans after United give the ball away, playing it back to Foster who calmly passes to O'Shea who brings it forward. Birmingham are not getting a sniff at the moment.
    • 54' This second half is even more United-dominated than the first. Nani blasts one over and, from the goal kick, United bounce forward again although to no effect this time.
    • 53' Rooney now has it on the left, he spots a diagonal run from Berbatov and floats over a delightful cross AND BERBATOV MUST SCORE BUT JUST AS HE PREPARES TO HEAD IT IN QUEDRUE APPEARS FROM NOWHERE TO FLICK THE BALL BEHIND! Great defending by the Frenchman.
    • 52' Scholes wide to Valencia who beats Vignal and digs out a hanging cross that Rooney flies in for but headed away by Johnson!
    • 51' Lovely ball wide by Scholes and a good first touch from Giggs to let him take it on the move but the through-ball to Berbatov is poor and Queudrue clears. United get it back though, high to Giggs on the left, loads of space to fizz in a low cross which Berbatov takes on the turn but his touch is slightly heavy and sends it wide instead of into his languid path.
    • 50' Birmingham come forward, high in for Jerome but Evans and Evra combine to clear.
    • 49' Rooney cuts inside and clips a clever lofted pass wide for Valencia but just a touch too long for him and all he can do is knock it weakly back for Johnson to clear.
    • 48' Fletcher to Scholes, Valencia on the right cuts inside and finds Evra who is in midfield, knocked around via Giggs, Scholes, back to Valencia, a one-two with Fabio but Valencia is tackled by McFadden.
    • 47' United immediately on the attack as it drops to Rooney who takes it on his chest, lets it bounce and hammers a wicked half-volley towards the top left which Hart flies across to palm away for a corner!
    • 46' Second half underway!
    • - MANCHESTER UNITED SUB: Nani is taken off after feeling pain in his shoulder, which he popped out last weekend. Veteran winger Ryan Giggs comes on in his place.
    • - Birmingham, meanwhile, are sturdy enough and have had a few good chances, particularly from set pieces with Evans and O'Shea not entirely working together. James McFadden has looked bright, as has Cameron Jerome, while Barry Ferguson has mixed elegance with discipline and looks every inch a Premier League player. Let's see how his legs shape up later, though. Roger Johnson, meanwhile, has been powerful at the back.
    • - That was a very interesting first half. United do not seem any weaker for the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, although under pressure we will have to see if they miss his impudence. Indeed, they look like more of a 'team' without him, as Valencia is a willing runner and they are less likely to channel things through that one man. At the back, though, they can definitely be hurt without Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic: Evans and O'Shea look shaky, although Fabio is offering a 'twin' service to that of brother Rafael.
    • 45+2 Lee Mason blows the half-time whistle, 1-0 to a free-flowing United, Birmingham have had their chances though.
    • 45+1 Evans wide to Nani who turns and slips a wonderful reverse pass in for Evra overlapping and he's in to cut it back TO FLETCHER WHO MUST SCORE BUT HE SOMEHOW PUTS IT WIDE!! Oh what a miss, after some brilliant play from United.
    • 45' Lunacy from Vignal trying to backheel past Valencia and it breaks to Fabio who, like a greyhound laps it up and gallops forward, he puts it wide to Valencia on the overlap but a heavy first touch and Queudrue clears.
    • 44' Carsley leaves it for Larsson to take and the Swede swings in a wicked delivery that could go anywhere but Berbatov back defending gets a good head on it for United to clear.
    • 43' Valencia commits a foul on the Birmingham left, Carsley waits for Johnson and co to come up for that.
    • 42' The ball is swung wide right and Valencia kills it with a brilliant touch that sends him inside but Johnson flies out to slide tackle and Birmingham clear.
    • 41' The ball is sent to Berbatov on the edge of the box who spins Vignal with a quite outrageous flick but shockingly Mason decides it is a foul for high boot! Ridiculous, the ball was played in at ankle height and Vignal hurled his head at his feet! The touch sent him through too, it would have been a brilliant goal. What on earth was Mason thinking.
    • 40' More good stuff by United as Scholes and Fletcher interchange passes, Valencia now into Fletcher cutting into the box but he canÂ’t get a shot away and the chance goes.
    • 39' Evra gets down the left again, United playing very wide, but his cross is cleared by Johnson.
    • 38' Corner to Birmingham on the left then. Great delivery from Larsson AND QUEUDRUE FLIES IN UNMARKED AND HE HEADS PAST FOSTER BUT OFF THE LINE BY THE HEAD OF EVRA! Evra and Fabio were guarding the posts with there lives and, in that case, to good effect. Poor marking from United though, again Evans and O'Shea not 100 per cent at the races.
    • 37' A rare foray forward by Birmingham, Jerome on the left cuts inside and has a crack and it fizzes just wide with Foster stranded! Scholes stuck out a boot to deflect it wide.
    • 34' Birmingham fail to clear the corner and Nani gets it on the edge of the box but he spanks it well over. Poor finish. United come forward again, a long ball nodded down casually by Berbatov to Nani on the left, he puts in a brilliant, dipping cross AND ROONEY WITH THE GLANCING HEADER IT BEATS HART BUT OFF THE INSIDE OF THE POST AND STRAIGHT BACK TO ROONEY WHO TAPS IT IN FOR 1-0! His 99th goal for United and Birmingham finally crack.
    • 33' Birmingham are on the rack here, Nani cuts inside and plays a one-two with Fletcher, now Rooney and it squirms in for Berbatov but Johnson sticks out a leg and puts it behind for a corner.
    • 32' Fabio latches on to the ball on the right, he skins Vignal and zips into the box and drills a wicked cross-shot that Hart can only tip away and Johnson hacks behind for a corner! Great wingplay from young Fabio, who is identical to his twin, unsurprisingly.
    • 31' Carr into the back of Nani, the ref blows but in the melee Scholes has a typically mis-timed swipe at Ferguson leading Lee Mason to pull him over and have a word.
    • 30' Birmingham clear the corner but Fletcher has it and knocks the ball high to the far post where Evans is still lurking so Johnson heads behind for another corner. This one is poor though, misunderstanding between Nani and Fletcher on the short routine and Birmingham clear.
    • 29' Wide to Valencia who knocks it around Vignal but the Frenchman with a superb slide tackle, Fabio's right on top of him though and it's with Valencia again but Vignal slides in to put it out for a corner.
    • 28' Good United pressure as Nani gets it on the left, he has a bit of space so cuts inside and has a crack but it curls into the arms of Hart.
    • 27' Still United come forward and Evra crosses, Hart flaps and only gets half a palm on it but Valencia is crowded out and Blues clear. United still have it and Nani wins a throw on the left.
    • 26' Good delivery from the corner with Evans and O'Shea attacking it but half-cleared and Berbatov has a pop, blocked, United think handball but play on!
    • 25' Fabio on the right does well to win a corner although an early cross would have been nice.
    • 24' Valencia knocks it in from the left to Berbatov but he is a yard or two offside.
    • 23' Valencia cuts in from the right and has a pop but straight at Hart. He is a different kind of player to Ronaldo, more inclined to hit a cross early than try step-overs and ambitious shots.
    • 22' United with a swift counter, Valencia finds Rooney on the left and he can set up Berbatov but he goes it alone and sends a weak, low shot straight at Hart.
    • 21' Birmingham with a decent spell of possession, McFadden to Fahey who lofts it in high but too much on it for Ferguson on the left in the box but he somehow gets to it but the cross-shot is into the chest of Foster.
    • 20' Evra on the left, inside to Nani who lays it up for Rooney, he moves away from goal and sets up Scholes but he mis-hits the shot and Berbatov sticks out a leg to try and divert it past Hart but the deflection takes the sting off it and sends it well wide anyway.
    • 19' Nani now jogs down the left but his cross is a tad casual and straight into Hart's arms.
    • 18' Ferguson strolls forward and puts it wide to Vignal getting forward but his cross is too close to Foster.
    • 17' Fahey wide to McFadden who has some space with Fabio behind the play, decent cross low towards the edge of the six-yard box with Jerome flying in but Foster dives down to claim well. O'Shea and Evans were hesitant with the ball sent between and across them.
    • 16' Scholes tries a crossfield pass looking for Valencia but, even though he rises on the line to head it on, it was out of play.
    • 15' Some nice one-touch play from Birmingham to use their whole midfield to take it right to left but it's out for a throw, United win it back and Berbatov has it on the left, Scholes on the ball but Fletcher gives it away.
    • 14' Evra on the left to Nani who finds Valencia, who is now playing on the left as Nani switches right. Pretty fluid from United both on and off the ball. Carr clears from Rooney though.
    • 12' United bombing forward now, a passing triangle with Fletcher knocking it to Rooney 25 yards out, he sends a dipping curling shot towards the top right and Hart flies across to tip it over one-handed for a corner! Great shot, great save!
    • 11' United break now, this is an end-to-end start, long ball knocked on by Rooney and Berbatov is in but Hart flies out to block the finish, it drops to Rooney but Johnson hurls himself at the England striker, it pops up for Nani on the right but Johnson again blocks and Birmingham survive!
    • 10' Birmingham counter and McFadden has it on the left of the D, he cuts inside to surprise Fabio and curls in a low shot but wide with Foster flying across!
    • 9' Poor kick by Hart, low and straight to Valencia who quickly threads it in for Berbatov but Carr stuck with him and, as Berbatov falls to the ground the ref waves play on and Hart breathes again! That looked a last-man foul by Carr but Lee Mason thought not!
    • 8' Fletcher in the centre circle, he lofts it wide left to Evra on the overlap with Carr stuck marking Nani, he's in space and drills a low shot on goal but well-held by Hart.
    • 7' Good ball wide to Valencia from Berbatov, the Ecuador winger knocks it to the edge of the box where Fletcher has a pop but he scuffs the shot and Blues can clear.
    • 6' Birmingham counter down, Fahey down the left crosses but only Jerome is there and he watches is sail over his head. United can hit on the break now but Larsson is back covering to clear. Nani now gets it on the left, good cross searching for Rooney but Queudrue sticks out a leg to clear. Still United come forward and Evra swings it in high but Rooney and Valencia get in each other's way and the header spins easily into Hart's arms.
    • 5' Still United, Fletcher combines with Rooney who lays it off to Valencia on the edge of the D but he can't work a shot so looks wide but there are few options and Blues clear.
    • 4' Fabio gets forward again, Valencia on the overlap beats Vignal and hits the byline, he swings over an inviting cross but despite the red shirts lining up no-one can get a head on it and Blues clear.
    • 3' Fabio gets forward down the right, back to Fletcher who feeds Scholes, Rooney gets it back to goal but Ferguson closes him down. Some hesitant defending from United but Evans gets it clear and the hosts build patiently.
    • 2' Berbatov is back on as United knock it around the midfield but, after a good turn and pass by Scholes, Evra over-runs it out for a throw to Birmingham.
    • 1' The first half is underway at Old Trafford! United kicking left to right, in red and white as ever. Vignal clobbers Berbatov nice and early.
    • - Birmingham's bench is no less compelling - Kevin Phillips has been there and done it all while exciting Ecuadorean Cristian Benitez could be a potent weapon with his pace late on. Garry McSheffrey is a Scotland international, keeper Maik Taylor has played in the Premier League with Birmingham and Fulham and new signing James O'Shea is highly rated.
    • - Interesting bench for United - Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs have bags of experience and quality while Belgian Richie de Laet is only there because all their other defenders are crocked.
    • - Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has no doubts that his former Rangers and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson will quickly settle in the Premier League. More here!
    • - Sir Alex Ferguson reckons that Manchester City will not provide a threat to the established top four this season. Read all about it here!
    • - Birmingham have injury issues of their own, also defensive. Liam Ridgewell is out with a broken leg while Martin Taylor and David Murphy are long-term injury absentees. Scott Dann was expected to make his debut alongside fellow new signing back Gregory Vignal also debuting. Veteran right-back Steven Carr starts after being coaxed out of retirement in January while Jerome Thomas is given the nod over Kevin Roger Johnson but he is also ruled out meaning Franck Queudrue plays at centre-half with former Liverpool full-Phillips and Cristian Benitez, who is not 100 per cent and is on the bench.
    • - United then have Ben Foster return between the sticks after he missed England's 2-2 draw with Holland with a "minor injury". Fabio, normally a left-back, fills in for brother Rafael on the right and an all-Irish centre-half duo of Johns sees O'Shea skipper United alongside Evans, who missed Northern Ireland's draw with Israel with an ankle knock that Sir Alex is hoping has fully cleared up. It's not all doom and gloom for United - Wes Brown is deemed fit enough for a place on the bench.
    • - Referee Lee Mason is from Bolton, Lancashire, and handed out five red cards in 16 Premier League games last season. He is also prone to dishing out the yellows - only one game, Fulham's 1-0 defeat at Everton, saw him keep his cards in his pocket. He made a whopping eight bookings in Aston Villa's 2-2 draw with Arsenal and showed seven cards in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with the Gunners. He did not officiate any United games last season but showed six yellow cards in Birmingham's 2-1 Championship defeat at Sheffield United.
    • - BIRMINGHAM TEAM: Hart; Carr, Johnson, Queudrue, Vignal; Larsson, Fergsuon, Carsley, Fahey; Jerome, McFadden; Subs: Maik Taylor, O'Connor, Phillips, Benitez, McSheffrey, Parnaby, O'Shea
    • - MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM: Foster; Fabio, Evra, Evans, O'Shea; Valencia, Scholes, Fletcher, Nani; Rooney, Berbatov; Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Owen, Anderson, Giggs, Gibson, De Laet
    • - FERDINAND OUT FOR UNITED! A shocker for Sir Alex Ferguson, who will go into the opening game of the season with John O'Shea as his captain, partnering Jonny Evans at centre-half. Ferdinand picked up a calf injury in training to add to his alread-sore back. Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Rafael da Silva are all injured too meaning the latter's twin brother Fabio da Silva will play at right-back.
    • - HEAD TO HEAD STATS: Manchester United and Birmingham City have met 90 times in the league. Manchester United have won 41, Birmingham City 24 and there have been 25 draws.
    • - Manchester Utd are unbeaten in their last 20 league matches against Birmingham, since losing 5-1 at St Andrew's in old Division One in Nov 1978.
    • - Birmingham have not scored in their last three PL matches against Manchester Utd. It is 282 minutes of PL football (four hours and 42 minutes) since Walter Pandiani scored in their 2-2 home draw, Dec 2005.
    • - Manchester Utd are unbeaten in their last 11 home league matches against Birmingham, winning the last eight without conceding a goal, since a 2-1 defeat in old Division One in Jan 1978.
    • - MANCHESTER UNITED FACTS: Sir Alex Ferguson has never lost a home league match on the opening day of the season in charge of Manchester United. His sides have won nine and drawn four of their 13 opening matches of the season at Old Trafford under Ferguson.
    • - This will be Sir Alex Ferguson's 57th PL match in charge against one of his former players. He has previously won 43 of 56 PL meetings against them, losing only five times, and won 1-0 at home against Alex McLeish's Birmingham in his only previous meeting with him on New Year's Day 2008.
    • - Michael Owen has not scored in his last 11 PL matches - his longest ever run with a goal in the division. In total he has not scored in 742 minutes of PL football (12 hours and 22 minutes) since he netted in Newcastle's 2-2 home draw against West Ham Utd on Jan 10.
    • - Owen has scored a total of five goals in 14 appearances at Old Trafford for club and country. His only club goal there came in Liverpool's 1-1 PL draw in April 1998. He has scored four goals in seven international matches for England at the ground - his last coming in a 6-0 friendly win against Jamaica in June 2006.
    • - Wayne Rooney has scored three goals in his last four PL matches against Birmingham.
    • - Rio Ferdinand is set to make his 400th English league appearance.
    • - BIRMINGHAM FACTS: The last two PL teams to face Manchester United on the opening day of the season have both avoided defeat at Old Trafford, and eventually been relegated. Reading drew 0-0 in 2007 and Newcastle United drew 1-1 in 2008 before both failed to avoid the drop at the end of the season.
    • - It is 20 years since the defending top flight champions lost on the opening day of the season - Arsenal losing 4-1 against Manchester Utd at Old Trafford in Aug 1989.
    • - The club are two short of scoring their 200th Premier League goal.
    • - Striker Kevin Phillips is looking to score his first PL goal for two-and-a-half years. He last scored in the top flight in Aston Villa's 4-0 win at Middlesbrough in Feb 2006.
    • - Phillips has scored on the opening day of the season in four of his last six seasons, and has netted on the opening day of a PL season for Sunderland (2001-02), Southampton (2003-04) and Aston Villa (2005-06). He has previously scored three PL goals at Old Trafford - in Sunderland's 4-1 defeat (Feb 2002) and two in Southampton's 3-2 defeat (Jan 2004).
    • - Martin Taylor is set to make his 100th league appearance for Birmingham

  • Summary

    • 90+2 Rooney flicks the ball from halfway and Owen races clear of the Blues defence, he still has some pace it seems and is clean through and is this it but no, Hart flies out to block the finish which flies agonisingly wide for a corner! Almost a magical introduction for Owen
    • 83' Giggs on the left in lots of space, he eyes the line of the six-yard box and places it for ROONEY FLYING IN WITH A FLICKED HEADER BUT IT BOUNCES INCHES WIDE OF THE FAR POST!
    • 79' United attack now, Giggs surges forward, Rooney now, one-touch to Owen who slides it wide to Valencia, he puts it to SCHOLES WITH THE DRIVE FORM THE EDGE OF THE BOX but diverted wide for a corner!
    • 78' Carr bombs down the right but there is no support really and United clear. Wide left to Owen who knocks it in for Rooney, he lofts it wide to Benitez who is in but a heavy first touch is blocked and Blues clear! It's a dangerous counter too, Benitez is in on the left, the flag stays down and he knocks it inside past Brown AND HE MUST SCORE BUT A BRILLIANT STOP BY FOSTER!
    • 71' Taken short to Fabio, one-two with Giggs, Fabio lofts it far post AND BERBATOV RISES WITH THE HEADER BUT OFF THE LINE BY CARSLEY! That was headed top right. The ball is still with Berbatov though but he is swarmed by blue shirts and Birmingham clear. He thinks he was fouled as Carr trod on his foot but Mason waves it away.
    • 61' Giggs to take it left-footed and he swings it over the wall to the top left but Jerome in the wall gets a touch to send it just over!
    • 58' A rare attack by Birmingham, Larsson on the right plays it low to Fahey on the edge of the D, he has a crack and it zips low towards the bottom left but just wide! Great effort from the Irishman.
    • 53' Rooney now has it on the left, he spots a diagonal run from Berbatov and floats over a delightful cross AND BERBATOV MUST SCORE BUT JUST AS HE PREPARES TO HEAD IT IN QUEDRUE APPEARS FROM NOWHERE TO FLICK THE BALL BEHIND! Great defending by the Frenchman.
    • 47' United immediately on the attack as it drops to Rooney who takes it on his chest, lets it bounce and hammers a wicked half-volley towards the top left which Hart flies across to palm away for a corner!
    • 45+1 Evans wide to Nani who turns and slips a wonderful reverse pass in for Evra overlapping and he's in to cut it back TO FLETCHER WHO MUST SCORE BUT HE SOMEHOW PUTS IT WIDE!! Oh what a miss, after some brilliant play from United.
    • 38' Corner to Birmingham on the left then. Great delivery from Larsson AND QUEUDRUE FLIES IN UNMARKED AND HE HEADS PAST FOSTER BUT OFF THE LINE BY THE HEAD OF EVRA! Evra and Fabio were guarding the posts with there lives and, in that case, to good effect. Poor marking from United though, again Evans and O'Shea not 100 per cent at the races.
    • 37' A rare foray forward by Birmingham, Jerome on the left cuts inside and has a crack and it fizzes just wide with Foster stranded! Scholes stuck out a boot to deflect it wide.
    • 34' Birmingham fail to clear the corner and Nani gets it on the edge of the box but he spanks it well over. Poor finish. United come forward again, a long ball nodded down casually by Berbatov to Nani on the left, he puts in a brilliant, dipping cross AND ROONEY WITH THE GLANCING HEADER IT BEATS HART BUT OFF THE INSIDE OF THE POST AND STRAIGHT BACK TO ROONEY WHO TAPS IT IN FOR 1-0! His 99th goal for United and Birmingham finally crack.
    • 32' Fabio latches on to the ball on the right, he skins Vignal and zips into the box and drills a wicked cross-shot that Hart can only tip away and Johnson hacks behind for a corner! Great wingplay from young Fabio, who is identical to his twin, unsurprisingly.
    • 12' United bombing forward now, a passing triangle with Fletcher knocking it to Rooney 25 yards out, he sends a dipping curling shot towards the top right and Hart flies across to tip it over one-handed for a corner! Great shot, great save!
    • 11' United break now, this is an end-to-end start, long ball knocked on by Rooney and Berbatov is in but Hart flies out to block the finish, it drops to Rooney but Johnson hurls himself at the England striker, it pops up for Nani on the right but Johnson again blocks and Birmingham survive!
    • 10' Birmingham counter and McFadden has it on the left of the D, he cuts inside to surprise Fabio and curls in a low shot but wide with Foster flying across!
    • 9' Poor kick by Hart, low and straight to Valencia who quickly threads it in for Berbatov but Carr stuck with him and, as Berbatov falls to the ground the ref waves play on and Hart breathes again! That looked a last-man foul by Carr but Lee Mason thought not!
    • - FERDINAND OUT FOR UNITED! A shocker for Sir Alex Ferguson, who will go into the opening game of the season with John O'Shea as his captain, partnering Jonny Evans at centre-half. Ferdinand picked up a calf injury in training to add to his alread-sore back. Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Rafael da Silva are all injured too meaning the latter's twin brother Fabio da Silva will play at right-back.
    • - HEAD TO HEAD STATS: Manchester United and Birmingham City have met 90 times in the league. Manchester United have won 41, Birmingham City 24 and there have been 25 draws.
    • - MANCHESTER UNITED FACTS: Sir Alex Ferguson has never lost a home league match on the opening day of the season in charge of Manchester United. His sides have won nine and drawn four of their 13 opening matches of the season at Old Trafford under Ferguson.
    • - BIRMINGHAM FACTS: The last two PL teams to face Manchester United on the opening day of the season have both avoided defeat at Old Trafford, and eventually been relegated. Reading drew 0-0 in 2007 and Newcastle United drew 1-1 in 2008 before both failed to avoid the drop at the end of the season.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Manchester United

    Manager: Alex Ferguson

    Starting line-up

    • B. Foster
    • Fábio
    • J. O'Shea
    • J. Evans Substitution Out (74′)
    • P. Evra
    • D. Fletcher Yellow Card
    • P. Scholes
    • A. Valencia
    • Nani Substitution Out (45′)
    • D. Berbatov Substitution Out (74′)
    • W. Rooney Goal

    Subs

    • M. Owen Substitution In74′
    • W. Brown Substitution In74′
    • R. Giggs Substitution In45′
    • T. Kuszczak
    • R. De Laet
    • Anderson
    • D. Gibson

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • Birmingham City

    Manager: Alex McLeish

    Captain: Barry Ferguson

    Starting line-up

    • J. Hart
    • S. Carr
    • R. Johnson
    • F. Queudrue
    • G. Vignal Yellow Card
    • L. Carsley Substitution Out (73′)
    • B. Ferguson
    • K. Fahey
    • S. Larsson Substitution Out (81′)
    • J. McFadden
    • C. Jerome Substitution Out (64′)

    Subs

    • K. Phillips
    • M. Taylor
    • S. Parnaby
    • G. McSheffrey
    • G. O'Connor Substitution In64′
    • C. Benítez Substitution In73′
    • J. O'Shea Substitution In81′

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

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