Sergio stuns Man Utd

Ruud van Nistelrooy volleys United into the lead

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Bayern Munich 1-1 Manchester United

Manchester United came within four minutes of giving their Champions League hopes a massive boost by beating reigning champions Bayern Munich in the Olympic Stadium.

United looked like reaping the benefits of a disciplined performance when they took the lead through Ruud van Nistelrooy after 73 minutes.

But, with four minutes of regulation time remaining, Mikael Silvestre failed to deal with a through ball and Paulo Sergio pounced to hand Bayern a share of the points.

It was hard luck for United, who were on the verge of only their second win over the German side in the Champions League - the other coming during United's stunning final win in 1999.

For the first two-thirds of the game, the visitors were happy to contain Bayern.

Laurent Blanc battles with Bayern striker Elber

But, as the match wore on, United grew in confidence and once ahead, they looked like going on to win.

The home crowd was getting desperate before Sergio pounced, and it took a fine Barthez save in the 92nd minute from Ciriaco Sforza to keep a point for the English champions.

United briefly held the upper hand at the start of the match but the hosts soon settled into possession football.

Bayern's Brazilian striker Elber produced the first effort, turning and shooting straight at Fabien Barthez after 12 minutes.

The French keeper held the shot comfortably, but he needed Denis Irwin's help 10 minutes later as the Irishman headed Hasan Salihamidzic's header off the line from an Effenberg corner.

United, with only Van Nistelrooy providing a target up front, were struggling to retain possession.

Barthez decided to take matters into his own hands, and when he hung on to the ball for more than the permitted six seconds, referee Anders Frisk penalised him.

Bayern's Willy Sagnol out-jumps Quinton Fortune

Paul Scholes reacted quickly to block Effernberg's free-kick.

Ten minutes before the break, United created their only real chance of the half.

David Beckham's free-kick was well-flighted but Quinton Fortune's header dropped just wide, with Oliver Kahn static in the Bayern goal.

With half-time looming, Laurent Blanc was booked for handball, and Salihamidzic just failed to get a touch to Effenberg's curling free-kick.

United, who brought on Silvestre for the injured Irwin, had both Veron and Scholes playing disciplined roles in the centre of midfield as they sought to frustrate Bayern.

Shortly after Bayern made a double substitution, Beckham headed just wide from Fortune's cross.

Ten minutes later, United took the lead with a classic counter-attack.

Ferocious drive

Slick interpassing in midfield ended with Scholes feeding the overlapping Silvestre and the Frenchman's cross was volleyed home by Van Nistelrooy from inside the six-yard box.

United nearly wrapped things up through Roy Keane with four minutes to go.

But the flying Kahn touched his ferocious drive onto the crossbar and Scholes drove the rebound just wide.

Bayern came back at the visitors and grabbed an equaliser when Silvestre could only poke the ball into Sergio's path and he drilled a low shot past Barthez.

It could have been worse for United, but Barthez pulled off a fine save from Sforza in injury time to deny Bayern an unlikely victory.

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Bayern Munich: Kahn; Sagnol, Kuffour, Kovac, Lizarazu; Salihamidzic, Sergio, Effenberg, Hargreaves; Elber, Pizarro. Subs: Dreher, Sforza, Fink, Tarnat, Jancker, Zickler, Linke.

Manchester United: Barthez; G Neville, Brown, Blanc, Irwin; Beckham, Veron, Keane, Fortune; Scholes; Van Nistelrooy. Subs: Carroll, Butt, P Neville, Chadwick, Yorke, Solskjaer, Silvestre.

Referee: Anders Frisk