Champions League: Silvestre makes it three

Manchester Utd 3, Nantes 1 (latest)

Mikael Silvestre has given Manchester Utd a two-goal lead against Nantes at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and David Beckham scored the other two goals for United after Nantes took a shock lead.

Nantes came within centimetres of taking the lead after just three minutes.

Centre-back Mauro Cetto crashed a header against the face of the crossbar from a corner and Fabien Barthez saved Andre’s shot from the rebound.

United looked unsure at the back, just as they had done in Nantes last Wednesday.

An anxious Ferguson came to the edge of his technical area and issued instructions to Solskjaer.

Seconds later United mounted their first assault on the Nantes goal when Solskjaer played in van Nistelrooy, but his weak shot was easily gathered by Mickael Landreau.

United tried again and Juan Sebastian Veron managed to persuade David Beckham to let him take a free-kick from 40 yards out and the Argentinian’s right foot effort sailed into the arms of the well-positioned Landreau.

Nantes opened the scoring in the 17th minute after they broke upfield from a United corner.

Andre supplied the killer pass from the left and Frederic Da Rocha met it in the middle to score from 10 yards out.

Nantes’ lead lasted 90 seconds and following a foul on van Nistelrooy around 25 yards out on the left, Beckham whipped the ball home, beating Landreau at his right-hand post, to register his 10th goal of the season.

Veron then fired in a right-foot shot, which was saved by Landreau.