Who needs Champions League then, aye?

YouTube credit: danccuk

Manchester United visit Amsterdam for their first involvement in the UEFA Cup/Europa League since 1995 in this evening’s early game.

Both team line-ups are in, so let’s get going…

Ajax: Vermeer; Anita, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Koppers; De Jong, Aissati, Eriksen; Ozbiliz, Bulykin, Sulejmani. Subs: Cillessen, Boilesen, Blind, Lodeiro, Serero, Van Rhijn, Lukoki.

Man Utd: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, Fabio, Nani, Carrick, Cleverley, Young, Rooney, Hernandez. Subs: Amos, Smalling, Park, Pogba, Scholes, Valencia, Welbeck.

There’s a welcome return for United midfielder Tom Cleverley, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the past three months. The 22-year-old plays in the centre of the park alongside Michael Carrick in what is a strong starting XI.

Ashley Young and Nani also come back into the side, Fabio fills in for Patrice Evra, while Javier Hernandez gets the nod up front ahead of Danny Welbeck.

The one and only occasion that these two heavyweights of European football met was back in 1976 when a United team managed by Tommy Docherty pulled off a 2-1 aggregate win.

Lou Macari and Sammy McIlroy were on target for the Red Devils, while Ruud Krol found the back of the net for the Dutch giants.

United went out to eventual winners Juventus who were managed by… one Mr Giovanni Trapattoni. A sprightly Marco Tardelli scored in the final against Athletic Bilbao.

Quick stat before kick-off thanks to the good people at Opta:

And Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi gets the game underway…

The home team have had a reasonably good opening five minutes with Christian Eriksen already pulling the strings. United win their first corner… and Nani sends it wastefully out of play for a goal kick.

Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen plays a pass directly to the feet of Ashley Young and United break. Rooney and Nani get involved but the Portuguese winger loses possession and Ajax are back with the ball. Been a fairly even affair thus far.

Dico Koppers breaks through down the left but rushes his shot and David De Gea makes a routine save.  Rooney then has a pop from 20 yards, which Kenneth Vermeer collects in the Ajax goal.

Rooney threads a delightful ball through to his striker partner Javier Hernandez, who has timed his run expertly. Vermeer is brave to smoother the ball, however, as the Mexican international goes tumbling over. Good save.

Miralem Sulejmani whips in a cross from the left which is headed as far as Russian Dimitri Bulykin, whose follow up shot is deflected away. Nani then finds himself in a promising area but again skews his delivery behind.

Siem de Jong hits an absolute belter from distance but De Gea pulls off a superb save to keep the goalward effort out. Ajax are putting this opponents under real pressure here.

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HALF-TIME: Ajax 0 Manchester United 0

The half-time whistle is met by boos and whistles as Ajax believe they had a shout for a penalty there. Sulejmani goes over after a challenge from Rio Ferdinand right on the edge of the box. On first viewing, it looked a foul to me but Rocchi signals for play to continue.

Hard one to call.

Stan Collymore dismisses claims for a spot-kick but they have been given in the past. Ferguson won’t have been happy with that opening 45 minutes but at least they haven’t conceded.

We’re off again as Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ rings around the stadium. Fancy a goal early in the second half.

A strike from Nani is tipped over the bar and Phil Jones isn’t far away from connecting with a good delivery from Young. United have clearly been instructed to up the tempo.

Terrific swivel from Chicharito to take him beyond his marker but he loses his balance at the vital moment. Rooney then comes closes with a header from Nani’s cross. Vermeer tips around the post.

GOAL! Ajax 0 Manchester United 1 (Ashley Young)

The visitors probe again and Fabio’s gets beyond Young to see his squared ball go behind for a corner. When that is cleared, United recycle through Nani, who fires a cross back into the danger zone.

It finds its way to Young at the far post, who delays a strike and steps inside his man before finding the back of the net with his right-footed drive.

Paul Scholes, the only survivor of the United side who last played in this competition back in 1995, has been introduced for Tom Cleverley.

Ajax have made two substitutions themselves with Nicolai Boilesen replacing full-back Dico Koppers and Ricardo Van Rhijn entering the fray for Dmitri Bulykin.

Eriksen decides to go it alone and breaks from inside his own half. He drifts wide of Ferdinand then has a smack, which is straight at De Gea. Antonio Valencia getting ready to be introduced.

And it’s the goalscorer who makes way for his Ecuadoran team-mate. Young has had an okay game but isn’t yet back to his best.

GOAL! Ajax 0 Manchester United 2 (Javier Hernandez)

Valencia begins a counter attack and is taken out in the process. Rooney slots in Hernandez and the striker will rarely miss from that range. Valencia’s cameo appearance is cut short and he is withdrawn for Danny Welbeck.

Full-time: Ajax 0 Manchester United 2

We know this is a two-legged game and we wanted to get this result. Thankfully, we scored two goals and got the victory as Ajax is a very difficult and historical team,” says goalscorer Hernandez.

Alex Ferguson: “I’m delighted with the scoreline. I didn’t think we played well in the first half. Ajax made it difficult but we didn’t get any tempo.

“We were better in the second half and began to make chances. It wasn’t a brilliant performance but it proved good enough on the night.

We’re not taking anything for granted but the opportunity to go through at Old Trafford is a big one.”

So United take a two-goal cushion back to Manchester for next Thursday’s second leg. It was far from vintage, but like Ferguson said, they got the job done and shouldn’t have any problems progressing through to the last 16 now.  Lokomotiv Moscow or Athletic Bilbao await the winners and it’s the Russians who have the upper hand after a 2-1 win over Marcelo Bielsa’s side earlier this evening.

That’s about it from me but Adrian has just begun our second liveblog of the night, where Roberto Mancini’s City pay a visit to reigning Europa League champions Porto. You can follow that game here.

All the best!