This was like the plot of a Sylvester Stallone film; the aging champion, supposedly past their best and living on former glories pitted in a re-match against the young upstart who had bloodied their nose a year previously. And while the action on the pitch was far from the action you'd expect to see on the sliver screen, it was none the less an intriguing encounter.
The first half barely mustered a clear chance on goal, both teams cautiously going toe to toe, swapping possession, looking for weaknesses in defence, jabbing and probing, hoping to catch their opponents with their guard down. Just before half-time, Larsson and Rooney's hard work set up Ronaldo inside the Lille penalty area. Rapidly closed down, his shot went straight to the Lille keeper, who blocked well. Stung by the first real attack of the game, Lille responded instantly, Bodmer firing wide from 20 yards.
As Audley Harrison discovered at the weekend, it sometimes only takes one blow to finish a contest and United should have delivered it early on in the second half. Ronaldo surging into the area should have done better than to blast his shot straight to keeper Sylva, while Ronney could only manage to send the rebound over the bar. Again Lille countered immediately as Bodmer found himself in space, his shot knocked away by the alert Van der Sar's foot.
An hour in, Lille looked to have found the winner, the ever dangerous Odemwingie beating Vidic to head the ball in only to have been adjudged to have pushed the United defender to win the ball. Both teams continued trading blows, both realising the game was there for the taking.
In the end it was experience that proved the winner. With less than 10 minutes to go, Lille needlessy gave away a freekick on the edge of the area for impeding Saha. Rooney picked up the ball and placed it on the ground, barely releasing it as Giggs wrapped his left foot round it, sending it curling into the Lille goal at the far post. Sylva still trying to arrange his wall was caught flat-footed and could do nothing to stop it.
The Lille players protested, Sylva getting himself booked in the process but the goal rightly stood. At the re-start Lille kicked the ball into touch and started to leave the pitch at the request of their management. Sanity was slowly restored and the game continued, United managing to maintain their vital lead and leave them confident of progression. Previously written off many times, it looks like United may make as many comebacks as the Rocky series.
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