MANCHESTER UNITED came in from the cold of a bitter Viennese evening in the Ernst Happel Stadium to celebrate a long awaited appearance in the quarter finals of the European Champions Cup, and the first by an English club in the Champions Cup for 11 years.

United's 2-0 victory over Rapid Vienna, coupled with Fenerbahce's defeat by Juventus in the Stadio delle Alpi, means that Alex Ferguson's team will now play Porto in March for a place in the last four.

Rapid had performed feebly in losing 2-0 at Old Trafford but they appeared to be different animals in Vienna, where they had not lost at home in Europe for 15 matches.

A lot depended on United being able to recapture the shape, rhythm and spirit of their 2-0 victory over Fenerbahce in Istanbul, where they had briefly appeared to be in control of their own destiny.

Last night they had Gary Pallister's experience in defence and Ryan Giggs's pace in attack. If they failed it would not be for want of their better players.

Encouragingly for United, Rapid's defence soon betrayed signs of an early disorganisation reminiscent of the earlier game. United forced two corners in the opening minute and from the second of these, swung in sharply towards, the near post by David Beckham, Andreas Heraf headed the ball dangerously across his own goalmouth, utterly confusing Michael Konsel.

Fortunately, for Rapid, their goalkeeper had his wits about him in the ninth minute when Gary Neville tried a pot shot from 25 yards and Konsel flung himself up and back to tip the ball over the bar. By then United should have been ahead, Giggs's volley clearing the bar four minutes earlier, after Beckham's dipping centre, from the right, had found the Welshman haring through a large gap to meet it.

United early ascendancy was marked by their willingness to get men forward quickly and exploit space behind defenders. It took Rapid a quarter of an hour to produce any sort of attacking response, but when they did only an inspired save from Peter Schmeichel denied them a goal.

The United goalkeeper had already raced from his penalty area to intercept Rene Wagner after the Rapid striker had broken clear. Now, in a moment that recalled Gordon Banks's save from Pele in the 1970 World Cup, Schmeichel kept out Wagner's close range downward header with one hand, Krzysztof Ratajczyk having turned the defence on the left before crossing.

Then Ratajczyk almost set up a goal for Dide Kuhbauer, who shot wide of the near post, but United were soon gnawing at the nerves of the Rapid defence once more, and after Peter Schottel had met Eric Cantona's centre with a weak header Ole Solskjaer, with the goal at his mercy, somehow missed the target from five yards.

No matter Cantona was now a growing influence and midway through the first half he gathered the ball from Giggs, turned a defender and threaded a return pass through a square defence to leave Giggs with a chance that this time he did not miss, driving a low shot past Konsel.

Giggs could and should have given United an unbreakable grip on the match less than a minute after half time. Solskjaer bobbed and weaved his way through the Rapid defence in the inside left position before carefully setting up the simplest of opportunities. Giggs took careful aim but then, with equal care, placed his shot wide.

Roy Keane, however, remained the master of the midfield. The Irishman has seldom played better for United in Europe. His was a controlled performance and for once he was unlucky to get a yellow card for a challenge on Kuhbauer which was mild by Keane's standards.

Even so, it was something of a wonder that the game had still only seen the one goal after just over an hour's play. Konsel made a brave double save from Nicky Butt, blocking one shot then smothering Butt's attempt to score from the rebound. Peter Stoger's shot was deflected wide with the United defence in disarray, and then Cantona rose imperiously to meet Solskjaer's centre, only to see his firm header rebound from the outside of the near post.

When Beckham, sprinting through as Denis Irwin crossed low from the left, glanced the ball wide after meeting it first time, United might have suspected they would have to settle for the narrowest of victories. But by now Rapid were casting caution to the bitter night air and in the next minute, the 71st, Beckham turned provider as United scored again.

With no cover left to speak of Rapid were completely exposed as Beckham's low centre from the right found Cantona sliding in at the far post to score the simplest of goals. Shortly after this Keane left on a stretcher, a leg badly gashed in a tackle with Kuhbauer.