Giggs gives United lead against Parma

Manchester United 1 Parma 0 (half time)

Ryan Giggs finished off Wes Brown’s dangerous cross with clinical efficiency to give injury-hit Manchester United the interval lead against Parma in Amsterdam tonight.

With Paul Scholes back home waiting to undergo a knee scan and both Fabien Barthez and Ruud van Nistelrooy frustrated spectators with thigh and shin problems respectively, United boss Alex Ferguson has a few worries ahead of the Champions League qualifying trip to either Hungary or Croatia in 10 days’ time.

However, Giggs helped lighten the load when he finished off Brown’s perfectly-drilled ball into the heart of the Parma area midway through the half to give the Red Devils a deserved interval lead.

United survived the corner, then launched the counter which brought them an opening goal courtesy of Giggs’ close-range effort.

Wes Brown, starting at right-back, did the damage, galloping down the touchline before delivering the perfect cross which caused goalkeeper and defence to hesitate, allowing the Welshman to invade the space and tuck home with ease.

Ferdinand left Bonazzoli on his backside with a sliding challenge from behind, although there appeared to be no lasting damage to the Parma forward.

Giggs walked away rubbing his neck after flicking on Forlan’s cross under pressure and then Beckham was flattened by Sebastiano Siviglia to leave Ferguson wincing, although Solskjaer’s powerful shot, tipped over by Frey, at least showed the Norwegian was over his own recent neck problem.

Carroll could have put his team in trouble when he flapped at a Marco Marchionni cross but the Northern Ireland goalkeeper escaped when the linesman ruled he had just pushed the ball beyond the dead ball line before di Vaio pulled it back into the danger zone.

Forlan fired another sliding Giggs cross wide at the near post, the Uruguayan having to reflect on another frustrating failure in front of goal as the half-time whistle blew.