Man Utd win in Basle

Van Nistelrooy celebrates scoring for Man Utd

Basle 1-3 Manchester United

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Two goals in two minutes from Ruud van Nistelrooy ensured Manchester United succeeded where Celtic and Liverpool had failed - by winning in Basle.

Christian Gimenez had got Christian Gross' team off to a superb start with a goal after just 31 seconds.

And the Swiss team had numerous opportunities to extend their lead.

  Key moments

31 secs: Gimenez gets Basle off to a spectacular start

36 mins: Brown shoots wide from 10 yards

47 mins: Barthez denies Gimenez with a point-blank save

62 mins: Van Nistelrooy heads home Solskjaer's cross

63 mins: Van Nistelrooy puts United in the lead

68 mins: Solskjaer extends United's lead

But United held on and after Van Nistelrooy's double, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored a third as the visitors completed a superb comeback to get their Group D campaign off to a winning start.

Basle had scored in the opening 10 minutes of all their Champions League games this season and Giminez's goal once again gave the home team early impetus.

It was a terrible start and an uphill battle for a young team

Sir Alex Ferguson

Quinton Fortune headed Julio Hernan Rossi's header off the line but the ball broke to Scott Chipperfield, who lashed the ball goalwards.

Gimenez deflected Chipperfield's shot past Fabian Barthez as Sir Alex Ferguson looked on in disgust from the sidelines.

Photo Gallery: Basle 1-3 Man Utd

The United manager had stressed to his players the importance of not conceding in the opening phase of the match.

Rossi then almost lobbed Barthez with eight minutes gone and Murat Yakin went close with a thunderous free-kick.

United's first-half chances were few and far between but Mickael Silvestre headed narrowly wide and Wes Brown just missed after an intelligent knock-back from Van Nistelrooy.

Basle continued to exploit United's under-strength midfield, and Chipperfield nearly extended his team's lead with half-time looming.

The ball broke to the midfielder after he made a late run into the United area, but he stabbed the ball wide from seven yards under pressure from Brown.

Gimenez celebrates his first-minute goal

Basle had three opportunities to double their lead in the opening minutes of the second half.

Barthez made a point-blank save from Gimenez and then another to deny Ergic before Hakan Yakin's goal-bound shot was crucially deflected wide by Brown.

Both teams then had strong penalty appeals - United for a handball and Basle for a tackle on Hakan Yakin - but referee Valentin Ivanov declined both appeals.

Ferguson hails hero Ruud

Basle's failure to extend their lead was punished in the most extreme fashion when Van Nistelrooy scored twice in two minutes.

The Dutch striker headed home Solskjaer's cross for the first and shot home from an extremely acute angle for his second after dancing through the Basle defence.

And Solskjaer put the match beyond doubt with United's third goal in seven minutes, clinically finishing with a shot across Pascal Zuberbuehler.

The only note of concern for United was an injury to Van Nistelrooy that forced his premature substitution.

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Basle: Zuberbuhler, Zwyssig, Hakan Yakin, Gimenez, Murat Yakin, Cantaluppi, Haas, Ergic (Barberis 84), Atouba, Chipperfield (Tum 73), Juilio Rossi (Duruz 84).
Subs Not Used: Rapo, Quennoz, Huggel, Varela.

Booked: Zwyssig, Atouba.

Man Utd: Barthez, O'Shea, Silvestre, Brown (May 90), Phil Neville, Fortune, Scholes, Veron, Giggs, van Nistelrooy (Forlan 73), Solskjaer (Chadwick 90).
Subs Not Used: Ricardo, Stewart, Pugh, Richardson.

Booked: Scholes, Fortune, Veron.

Attendance: 35,000

Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia).