A first-half goal from Wayne Rooney gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over promoted Birmingham in their opening Premier League fixture of the season at Old Trafford.
The England striker finished from close range after his header rebounded off the post on 34 minutes.
United dominated possession but were unable to take their chances while, in the same passage of play with 19 minutes remaining, Dimitar Berbatov had a header cleared off the line by Lee Carsley and a cast-iron penalty turned down after Steven Carr trod on his foot.
But it was not all plain sailing for the hosts, as their makeshift defence looked shaky in the absence of injured duo Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, the latter ruled out minutes before kick-off with a calf injury picked up in training.
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1st Half Highlights:
2nd Half Highlights: