Manchester United relied on an own goal by Inigo Martinez after just 69 seconds to overcome Real Sociedad 1-0 today and cement top spot in Group A of the Champions League.
Martinez clumsily booted the ball into his own net after a shot by the impressive Wayne Rooney came back off the post, settling a tight match at Old Trafford and condemning the Spanish visitors to a third straight defeat.
United leads by a point from Bayer Leverkusen after opening up with two wins and a draw, and Europe is proving a welcome distraction while the English champions stutter in the defense of their Premier League title.
It proved to be a nervy win for manager David Moyes, whose side was missing the injured Robin van Persie. United started vibrantly, but couldn't grab the crucial second goal as Antonio Valencia drove a shot against the post and Phil Jones saw a header saved from point-blank range in the second half.
Sociedad, languishing in mid-table domestically like United, hit the goal frame shortly before and after the break through Antoine Griezmann's free kick and Alberto de la Bella's mis-hit cross. They caused the hosts enough problems to suggest the return match in the Basque country in two weeks will be no formality.
There was more noise than usual inside Old Trafford as United was trialing a special ``singing section'' in one corner of the stadium, in an unusual experiment undertaken to generate a better atmosphere at home games.
Odes to many club greats including Roy Keane, Matt Busby, George Best, Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, were belted out one after the other on a chilly evening in northwest England.
Barely a minute after kickoff, it was Rooney's name on their lips. After dancing around three would-be tacklers, the England striker curled in a shot from the angle that struck the post and rebounded out. Under pressure from Javier Hernandez, Martinez only succeeded in planting the ball into the corner of his own net from eight yards out.
Rooney, full of energy and back to his very best form, was at the heart of all United's attacks. He was also at the end of them, volleying straight at goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the 14th minute and then sending a scissor-kick over the bar soon after.
However, United has had a tendency to surrender the initiative in games this season and it happened again here, as Sociedad found some joy toward the end of the half.
Haris Seferovic had a fierce long-range shot tipped over before Griezmann curled a free kick against the post three minutes before halftime. An increasingly concerned Moyes stepped out into of his technical area to voice his displeasure.
Sociedad resumed control after the break, overpowering a lightweight United midfield containing a 39-year-old Ryan Giggs, and De la Bello sounded another warning by firing a cross against the top of David de Gea's bar.
United still looked dangerous, though. Jones should have increased the lead when he headed straight at Bravo from inside the six-yard box before Valencia drove a low shot against the base of the post
Rooney also had chances to kill the game off and claim a goal his performance deserved, but United had to settle for a narrow win.
-AP