Manchester United lost their perfect Champions League defensive record but still managed to claim top spot in Group C thanks to Anderson’s second-half equaliser.
United had the better of an entertaining contest but a succession of failures in front of goal looked set to cost them dear when Pablo Hernandez rifled the visitors in front after half an hour.
It was the first goal United had conceded in this season’s Champions League and might well have proved very costly had it pitched them into combat with one of Europe’s heavyweights in next Friday’s draw.
But they found an unlikely hero in Anderson, who netted only his second goal for the Red Devils when he latched onto the rebound after Vicente Guaita had saved Park Ji-sung’s thunderbolt.
It was not all good news for the hosts, who lost Rio Ferdinand five minutes after the break, which is a worrying development ahead of key Barclays Premier League clashes with Arsenal and Chelsea before Christmas.
Match Highlights
32′ P. Hernandez [0 – 1]
63′ Anderson [1 – 1]