UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Group C: Bursaspor 0 Manchester Utd 3:MANCHESTER UNITED are on the cusp of qualifying for the knock-out phase after a second-half performance of calm authority and clinical finishing.
The night was not entirely without concerns for Alex Ferguson, with Nani and Darren Fletcher both injured, but United are now unbeaten for 23 games and there was a clear imbalance of talent once they had worked out a side that will almost certainly collect the wooden spoon in Group C.
This will be remembered as the night Gabriel Obertan finally started to show he has the ability to be a United player, scoring the second goal with a sumptuous finish. Fletcher had scored the opening goal and there was also another encouraging cameo from Bebe, credited with the third goal even though it appeared defender Ali Tandogan inadvertently applied the decisive final touch.
The Ataturk stadium was a noisy, whistling, seething pit of bias but United have grown accustomed to the demands of playing in these challenging environments.
In front of a raucous home crowd, Buraspor did demonstrate more ambition inside the opening half hour than they had managed throughout the tame 0-1 loss at Old Trafford.
The best chance of that period fell to Sercan Yildirim and United were indebted to Edwin van der Sar for coming off his goalline to thwart the striker after he had evaded Patrice Evra to run clear on goal.
Earlier, there had reasonable claims for a penalty when Paul Scholes hacked at Yildirim’s ankles and, in reply, there were only fleeting moments when Ferguson’s men threatened to get behind the home defence.
Bursaspor, however, are not a particularly good side. United, to give them their due, were missing several key players and the importance of Nani’s early departure should not be underestimated given his emergence as a player who can trouble the most accomplished defences.
United place great emphasis on playing with width but without Nani, their options are increasingly stretched, with Antonio Valencia recovering from a broken leg and Ryan Giggs only just back into light training after a hamstring injury.
Obertan started on the wing here but had a tendency to hang on the edges of games before this match. Park Ji-sung, who replaced Nani, has been erratic this season and, after that, there is really only the raw and largely untested Bebe.
With 10 players left in Manchester, it was probably inevitable United were not at their most exhilarating. Even so, Scholes and Michael Carrick controlled the tempo for long spells. Scholes was outstanding, spraying passes all over the pitch, long and short.
He also thought he had given United the lead seven minutes before the interval only for the goal to be disallowed, because he had controlled the ball with an arm.
But it was a sign the home defence was anything but impenetrable and three minutes after the restart Fletcher emphasised the point again.
Obertan led the initial attack, running right to left into the opposition half. Berbatov and Park tried to work a way into the penalty area and when the ball was half cleared to Carrick his shrewd, first-time pass picked out Fletcher, running in from the right. The midfielder took a touch to steady himself before scoring with a low, diagonal shot.
Suddenly United were in total command. Obertan’s goal was a beauty, collecting the ball from Park and then unleashing a 20-yard shot that was still gathering pace as it hit the net.
Four minutes later Scholes played a clever little pass into the penalty area. Bebe and Tandogan went for the same ball and even though the home player’s outstretched boot made the most contact, United’s new signing was quick to claim the goal.
Guardian Service
BURSASPOR:Ivankov, Tandogan, Erdogan, Ibrahim Ozturk, Wederson, Bahadir, Svensson, Ergic, Sen (Odabasi 81), Insua (Nunez 75), Yildirim (Ipek 75). Subs not used: Ozkan, Has, Keceli, Stepanov.
MANCHESTER UTD:Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Vidic, Evra (Fabio Da Silva 80), Scholes, Carrick, Nani (Park 29), Fletcher (Bebe 62), Obertan, Berbatov. Subs not used: Kuszczak, Brown, Hernandez, O'Shea.
Referee:Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
