MANCHESTER United successfully shot the rapids at Old Trafford last night and for the moment things are going swimmingly for Alex Ferguson's team in the Champions League.

An impressive first half performance by Manchester United went some way towards re establishing their European credentials on the eve of their 40th anniversary in Continental competitions.

While United needed an emphatic victory last night to purge their memories of finishing a poor second to Juventus in Turin a fortnight earlier, the reality of the situation was that any win would do. Champions League points were the whole point of the exercise.

The threat presented by Rapid was not so much that they would end Manchester United's 40 year old unbeaten home record in Europe but that they would join the lengthening list of foreign teams - seven in 13 matches - who had forced draws at Old Trafford in recent seasons. United had to beware of exposing themselves to the sort of sucker punch which had led to their defeat in the Stadio Delle Alpi.

Not that the Austrian champions had time to think of anything but self defence as wave upon wave of Manchester United attacks swept over them from the outset.

With Poborsky rather surprisingly retained from Turin, and Cruyff on the bench, United moved forward with pace and verve and quickly found gaps in the Viennese defence.

United had five near misses in the opening 12 minutes. Solskjaer, set up first by Giggs and then by Cantona, sent one shot wide and another, weaker attempt went straight to Konsel, the Rapid goalkeeper.

Giggs's corners were soon posing problems. From one of them Johnsen had a header saved by Konsel and from another, Cantona glanced the ball past the goalkeeper only to see Prosenik clear it off the line.

In between times a mistake by Lesiak had allowed Solskjaer a free run at Konsel but the young Norwegian rather wasted the opportunity, allowing the Rapid goalkeeper to block his shot. Yet a goal for United, and Solskjaer, was not far away.

After 20 minutes Beckham's pass to Keane exposed Rapid on the right. The midfielder drove the ball low across the goalmouth and after Poborsky had lunged at thin air Solskjaer came in at the far post to score.

With May on for Johnsen, who had limped out of the match with a damaged ankle shortly before the first goal, United needed to keep their wits about them. They had, after all, lost European leads 4 Old Trafford before now.

Last night, however, the rapid disintegration of the Austrian defence did not suggest that this was going to be another of those occasions. In the 26th minute an astute piece of anticipation by Beckham increased United's lead.

Spotting a slack piece of passing by, Stoger, Beckham raced in to gain possession and score at the second attempt, Konsel having blocked his first shot. Old Trafford roared its gratitude. This was more like a European night.

With Cantona drifting into space at will, Beckham now an even stronger influence than Keane, and Rapid still bewildered by sharp changes of pace and position, complacency was United's only real enemy.

They should have scored a third goal early in the second half, when Cantona and Poborsky combined to send in Solskjaer, but he was starting to miss the target again and wafted the ball over the bar. Later he headed wide when it would have been easier to score.

By now United were less inclined to pursue goals with the ferocity of the first half. They reduced the tempo but still kept possession and were always likely to create chances at their leisure.

For Rapid the evening, had become a damage limitation exercise. Wagner, their lone striker, eventually gave way to Stumpf. Mozart would have been a better bet.