United salvage draw in thriller

  Hosts blow two-goal lead before Ashley Young rescues a point


"Young: Rescued a point in an entertaining game at Old Trafford"

Ashley Young salvaged a point for Manchester United in a pulsating 3-3 draw with Basel in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Danny Welbeck had handed clinical United a two-goal cushion by the break, but Basel were wasteful in an open first period.
The Swiss side managed to find their finishing touch after the restart, though, with Fabian Frei pulling one back before a brace from his namesake Alexander put the visitors in front.
United probed frantically for the equaliser and it came in the 90th minute courtesy of a close-range Young header from substitute Nani's cross.
The result leaves United third in Group C with two points from two games.
Sir Alex Ferguson sprung a surprise by failing to name either Dimitar Berbatov or Michael Owen in his starting line-up, as Welbeck was preferred in attack with Young playing a supporting role.
The first opening of the game fell in Basel's favour as Marco Streller put Fabian Frei through on goal, but Rio Ferdinand did enough to put the midfielder off balance as he pulled the trigger with the goal at his mercy.
On nine minutes, Young, making his Champions League debut, whipped in a right-foot cross towards the back post but Antonio Valencia somehow directed his header back across the face of goal and wide.
The hosts were encouraged by the opportunity, though, and a through ball from Ryan Giggs was latched onto by Welbeck, who could only flash his effort wide across the face of goal on the turn.
United had begun to find their rhythm and on 14 minutes the roles were reversed as Young forced Yann Sommer into his first save after connecting well with a half-volley from Valencia's cross.

Opening goal

The breakthrough was coming and it arrived on 16 minutes as Giggs delicately teed up Welbeck from a Fabio cross, with the striker scuffing a shot in off the post from around 12 yards.
And Welbeck doubled his and United's tally a minute later as he escaped his man in the penalty area and produced a first-time finish from a diagonal, defence-splitting pass from Giggs once more.
To their credit, Basel continued to worry United's defence with frequent attacks, and Alexander Frei should have done better when teed up by Strellar on 24 mins, but the Swiss side were wasteful in the final third.
Alexander Frei turned provider soon after but Jacques Zoua could only fire into the side netting before, once again, roles were reversed with Frei heading over a Zoua cross when unmarked inside United's penalty area.
Despite a suspiciously open defence which Basel failed to exploit, United continued to threaten with ease, with Welbeck coming close to completing his hat-trick on two occasions before the interval.
The second-half began in the same manner as the first, with Basel creating the first opportunity, but they were once again wasteful as Streller forced De Gea into a brave save from point-blank range with United exposed at the back.
As ever, United responded positively and Young spotted the diagonal run of Giggs, who opted to shoot from a difficult angle with Welbeck crying out for his hat-trick in the centre. Sommer made a comfortable stop from the Welshman's tame effort.
Streller continued to beat the offside trap but decision-making in the final third was again poor and it was somewhat a surprise when the visitors finally breached United's defence from a rare set-piece.
From an Alexander Frei corner, his namesake Fabian rifled in off the post after De Gea had failed to deal with the delivery, handing Basel a lifeline on 58 minutes.
Basel streamed forward in search of a second and they didn't have long to wait as Fabian Frei turned provider, whipping in an exquisite cross for Alexander Frei to plant a header beyond De Gea.

Stunned

Old Trafford was stunned by the turnaround, so much so that the Swiss support could be heard over the United faithful as the tension swayed in Basel's favour.
Ferguson responded by hauling off Giggs in place of the energetic Ji-Sung Park while Nani replaced Fabio soon after.
Little changed in the immediate aftermath and, remarkably, Basel were handed a glorious chance to take the lead for the first time on the night from the penalty spot.
Phil Jones failed to clear convincingly and put Valencia in a difficult position, with the Ecuadorian, caught by surprise, hauled down Streller when trying to recover possession inside the penalty area.
Experienced former Switzerland international Alexander Frei tucked away the penalty on 76 minutes, finding the top corner with a clean strike with De Gea sent the wrong way.
Ferguson soon turned to Berbatov, who replaced Anderson on 82 minutes, but it was Welbeck who was presented the first chance to equalise. However, the former Sunderland loanee couldn't make any meaningful connection from Nani's inviting cross.
On 88 minutes, Berbatov showed what he was capable of as he flicked a diving header on target from Jones' floated pass, but Sommer was well-positioned to make the save.
But in the end it was the introduction of Nani which proved the difference and it was the Portuguese's inch-perfect cross which set up Young with the simple task of nodding in when unmarked at the back post in the final minute of normal time.
United sensed a trademark late victory and Welbeck glanced a header agonisingly wide from another pinpoint Nani delivery.
There was still time for Basel to fire a reminder of their threat, and De Gea was almost caught napping from an ambitious 60-yard effort from Taulant Xhaka, which narrowly missed the target.
It would have been a fitting end to an incredible night in Manchester, and Basel survived one last United attack with Berbatov collected from Welbeck before drilling into the side netting.



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