UNITED CRUISE INTO QUARTER FINALS
The first half had brought the best out of a Red Devils side challenged by Alex Ferguson to live up to their reputations - with goals from Nicky Butt and Teddy Sheringham ripping the heart out of any hope that the Austrian opposition may have had.
Roy Keane added the third, arriving late and finishing well, deep into a controlled but ultimately dull second half, that saw little suggestion that Graz were ever in contention in the match.
Manchester United had looked every inch potential winners of the competition in a first half that saw their Austrian opposition overwhelmed by a powerful display.
United could have taken a lead as early as the second minute when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given a free header only yards from goal - only to see his effort blocked by an overworked Kazimierz Sidorczuk in the Sturm goal.
Butt and Keane were winning everything through the middle, and with Paul Scholes and Luke Chadwick also bustling around, Old Trafford's faithful were barely kept in their seats by the strict new club mandate about not standing.
Five minutes into the game the inevitable opener came, and The Red Devils started to make Ferguson proud again.
A game of pinball in the Sturm penalty area, involving Chadwick, Solskjaer and Keane had seen the ball break kindly for Nicky Butt to pounce, but he took his chance with aplomb and drove superbly into the back of the net.
Pressure was continually piled on the Austrian defence, and their only real chance took Mario Haas by surprise and was wastefully blazed well wide.
19 minutes into the game Sheringham grabbed his side's second, when Solskjaer cut the ball back after a delightful threaded ball by Butt, and the veteran marksman showed his deadly efficiency to lash the ball into the net.
A mixture of good goalkeeping and luck kept the score down to two, with a good save from Sidorczuk denying Scholes from close range after being put through by Chadwick and an equally good stop preventing Solskjaer from adding his name to the scoresheet.
The Devils came out for the second half intent on keeping their lead, but despite controlling the game with ease, never looked as potent as they had in the opening period.
Jaap Stam had an early header well stopped but was adjudged to have fouled his marker, and Solskjaer looked hard done to when a clever break was ended by what looked like a clumsy push.
Scholes then almost grabbed a typically brilliant goal, when Solskjaer's greedy effort bounced into his path some 25 yards for goal.
The England international met the ball sweetly and arrowed his drive towards the top corner, only for Sidorczuk to throw himself full length into a wonderful save.
United progress into the next stage with their victory, but were denied the chance to go through as the winners of the group when Valencia forced a 2-1 victory over Panathinaikos.
Click here to read the match report from the other Group A game
