Reds relieved - Man United 2, Inter Milan 0 (agg 2-0)

SIR Alex Ferguson admitted that if Manchester United are to remain champions of Europe, they are unlikely to be given an examination as thorough as last night at Old Trafford.

Inter Milan, Italy’s top team, provided some nervous moments for the Reds as Ferguson finally overcame arch rival Jose Mourinho to claim their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Until last night Ferguson had won only once in 13 head-to-heads against Mourinho, but he went some way to redressing that miserable record.

“I said before the tie I thought we had the hardest draw given their experience so I am happy to get through it and we can look forward to the next round,” said Ferguson, although he wasn’t totally happy with his side’s performance.

He said: “We started well and, after we scored, I felt it would be one of those nights when we would score a lot of goals. But we started doing flicks and tried back heels. It was practice football.

“I urged them on to get a grip as from the middle to end of the first half, Inter were the better team.”

Mourinho was left to reflect on what might have been as his team was twice denied by the woodwork and missed other chances.

“United deserved to win, but we played a great game and had no luck. We had three good chances in the first half,” declared Mourinho.

United could not have dreamed of a better start as Nemanja Vidic broke the deadlock in the fourth minute, rising to score with a towering far-post header from a Ryan Giggs corner.

Inter gradually inched their way into the game and were denied an equaliser when Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s header from seven yards bounced up and hit the bar.

Dejan Stankovic had two great chances, while another fell to the Swede Ibrahimovic who fired narrowly wide as Inter ought to have drawn level.

United needed a second goal to ease the nerves, and that came in the 49th minute when Inter’s vulnerability in the air was again punished. This time Wayne Rooney floated the ball across the penalty area for Cristiano Ronaldo to head home.

Inter refused to buckle as Esteban Cambiasso troubled van der Sar with a long-range effort while substitute Adriano saw a shot strike the upright with the United keeper beaten.

Had Adriano found the net it could well have changed the complexion of the game, but it was the piece of good fortune United needed to see them through.