Champions League - Ferguson rues late lapse

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08042009/58/champions-league-ferguson-rues-late-lapse.html

Eurosport - Wed, 08 Apr 10:42:00 2009

Alex Ferguson slammed Manchester United's lack of concentration after Porto claimed a 2-2 Champions League quarter-final first-leg draw.

Mariano grabbed a crucial equaliser for the visitors to Old Trafford with 90 seconds left on the clock, after Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez had responded to Cristian Rodriguez's fine early opener.

"(The result) was about right - first half they were the better side but second half we improved and got more possession," the Scot told ITV1.

"But getting the (second) goal the way they did - we should really have defended that. It was a bad goal to lose.

"It's been a hard two days for them (after playing Aston Villa on Sunday), but they were lacking in concentration."

Ferguson - who revealed centre-half Jonny Evans had limped out with a groin injury - added: "You get a 2-1 lead with four or five minutes left, you really should see it out.

"We've got a game on Saturday (at Sunderland), there's still a lot going for us, but it's a difficult game now in Porto, no question of that."

United now travel to Portugal on April 15 probably needing to win, something no English team has managed in 11 previous attempts, though a high-scoring draw would also be enough to send them through.

"You have to think the last goal was one we could not afford to lose," said Ferguson. It was a terrible goal to give away when you are 2-1 up and seeing the game out."

United, who have looked rocky at the back in recent weeks as they lost successive league games to Liverpool and Fulham and needed a stoppage-time goal to beat Aston Villa 3-2, were again all at sea in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.

Jonny Evans, who has generally been an impressive stand-in at centre back for much of the season, had a night to forget and will be relieved that his catalogue of errors did not lead to more Porto goals.

United's midfield were ineffective for long spells, producing little in attack and looking ragged in preventing

Porto's counter-attacks from ripping through the home side's deep-lying defence.

It was all the more surprising coming only a few weeks after they were breaking records for consecutive clean sheets with Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic being compared favourably with the great Old Trafford centre-back partnerships.

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar certainly earned his money on Tuesday, especially in the fiery opening half-hour when Porto scored through Cristian Rodriguez and could easily have had three more.

For all the problems, however, Ferguson will take heart from the steel shown by the likes of substitute Tevez and Wayne Rooney, whose 15th-minute equaliser came after he showed a striker's instinct to gamble on Bruno Alves's back-pass, then great technique to turn the gift into a goal.

Ferguson said he was delighted to reach halftime level and, despite the late equaliser to make it 2-2, he recognised it was the least Porto deserved.

The result, and the performance, persuaded bookmakers to lengthen the odds on United retaining their European crown, with Barcelona installed as new favourites.

Porto's home record is formidable but will they will risk a repeat of such a high-energy assault on the holders in the home leg when a 0-0 or 1-1 draw would send them through?

That dilemma is a chink in the armour that United will work on and Ferguson, never more effective than when his back is against the wall, will relish the chance to claim another European landmark.

TeamTalk / Reuters