Bayer lever Euro advantage

The Red Devils twice threw away the lead as the defensive lapses that blighted their progress earlier in the competition returned to haunt them as Bayer deservedly earned a draw.

A wicked deflection off Boris Zivkovic gave United a first half advantage but Michael Ballack equalised before Ruud van Nistelrooy restored the slender lead from the penalty spot until Oliver Neuville popped up with 15 minutes remaining.

With Bayer boasting those two precious away goals, next Tuesday's trip to the intimidating BayArena means United have a mountain to climb if they are to book their date with destiny and the final in Glasgow.

It was cat-and-mouse during the opening half hour with United wary of falling into any traps set by the Bundesliga table-toppers.

Though Bayer enjoyed the lion's share of possession they produced little in terms of an attacking threat in the early exchanges.

In contrast, The Red Devils made the most of their forays forward and van Nistelrooy should have done much better after nine minutes.

Paul Scholes's exquisite diagonal ball was perfectly knocked down by Ryan Giggs but the final touch of the Champions League's leading scorer was lacking.

Two minutes later van Nistelrooy fired a half-chance wide of the target after Gary Neville's fizzing cross evaded the near post.

On 17 minutes United were forced into a reshuffle of their personnel when Neville was injured and replaced at right back by his brother Phil.

Bayer's danger man Ballack then had his side's first meaningful effort but his shot from 25 yards was comfortably saved by Fabien Barthez.

Van Nistelrooy then combined with Solskjaer but the Norwegian's volley from the edge of the area whistled narrowly wide.

A minute before the half hour mark and United fortuitously found themselves in front, although it was wonderful approach play from the hosts.

Scholes picked out van Nistelrooy in the right channel and the Dutchman teed up a precision centre for Solskjaer, who swung and missed, but the ball deflected off Zivkovic, leaving goalkeeper Hans Jorg Butt stranded.

The setback sparked Bayer into life and for the next 15 minutes and the same period after the interval, the Germans were in the ascendancy.

Dimitar Berbatov wasted Bayer's best chance five minutes after they fell behind when he headed wide of the upright from six yards after sneaking behind Laurent Blanc to latch on to Carsten Ramelow's cross.

Berbatov then slashed wide while a mazy run from Yildiray Basturk ended with him dragging his past the post.

In between, Mikael Silvestre was close to a second for United but his effort blazed across the face of goal.

After the break, Bayer continued to assert their authority and they carved out a deserved equaliser just after an hour.

United failed to deal with a cross from the left and when Bernd Schneider pulled the ball back, Ballack was steaming in unmarked to sidefoot home beyond the helpless Barthez.

At this stage, United were a shambles as they lacked composure on the ball and a rigid formation.

But midway through the half, they grasped the lifeline presented to them by Ze Roberto when the Brazilian felled van Nistelrooy in the penalty area.

With Old Trafford twitching, the Dutch ace showed nerves of steel to hammer the ball into the bottom right corner.

A quarter of an hour remained when there were two defining moments in a pulsating contest.

First United could have extended their advantage when van Nistelrooy and Giggs linked up for Juan Sebastian Veron to thunder in a drive that was superbly saved by Butt.

Bayer immediately raided at the opposite end with Blanc pinching the ball off substitute Neuville's toes but as the ball was thrashed back in, it rebounded kindly for the German international to pounce for the second equaliser of the night.

In the closing stages, United threw on their heartbeat Roy Keane, and if the pulse of their Champions League life is to throb for a few more weeks, the inspirational skipper will need to be at his imperious best in Germany.

Click on the link below for an individual match summary:
Manchester United 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen

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