Veron produces a moment of magic to light up dismal arena

Manchester United 3 Parma 0

With Diego Forlan continuing to look poor striking back-up for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ferguson still on the hunt for another front man, Veron produced a finish which few of even his illustrious team-mates are capable of matching. Racing onto Roy Carroll’s long clearance inside the Italians’ box, Veron met Parma keeper Sebastian Frey face-to-face, then whipped over a magnificent lob which was assured of dropping into the net the moment it left his boot. With Ryan Giggs opening United’s account in the first half and Solskjaer, back in action after a neck injury, bagging a third five minutes after Veron’s stunning effort, the deposed Premier League champions cruised to an easy victory.

However, Ferguson may be more concerned at his after-match body count. With their Champions League qualifier only 10 days away, the Old Trafford chief has developed a worrying list of niggling injuries.