Fellaini United’s
● Ajax return to last 16 stage after 12-year wait ● Man City qualify but fail to beat Lyon ● Bayern hit five past Benfica ● Real beat Roma at the Olimpico but both qualify ● Juventus advance with Mandzukic goal
We were into injury time when Marouane Fellaini swivelled to shoot and score. Down on the touchline, Jose Mourinho picked up a crate of juice bottles and sent them crashing to the floor in wild celebration.
Manchester United are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League but their fans had to endure another night of frustration before Fellaini sealed their progress from Group H.
The Belgian controlled a long diagonal ball from Luke Shaw in the first minute of injury-time and held off Loris Benito before turning to score. This meant United avoided a second goalless draw here in the space of four days, and the embarrassment of failing to score in three home European games in a row for the first time in their history.
You couldn't fault Mourinho's bravery. Following a desperately poor showing against Crystal Palace here on Saturday, he dropped Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku to the bench, and Alexis Sanchez from the squad completely. The outcome looked like being the same. A slightly less lethargic United labouring to another draw in front of their own fans.
It might have been different had Marcus Rashford converted a glaring chance early on, but he didn't and United were grateful to David De Gea for an incredible save in the second half.
United had gone backwards since a stirring win over Juventus in Turin three weeks ago. A comprehensive defeat in the Manchester derby had been followed by a torpid goalless draw here with Palace, dragging Mourinho back to the dark days of September and