United vs Villa

United opened the scoring in the 14th minute and the nature of Ronaldo's 19th goal of the season took the breath away. From a free kick, for a back-pass, Ryan Giggs brushed the ball to his illustrious young team-mate, who sent it over the wall and into the roof of Friedel's net in a flash.
A sense of calm should have spread across home ranks. Instead, Villa merely came again. Showing the form that established them in the Champions League position, Aston Villa terrorised the United defence. Edwin van der Sar was called upon on three occasions to keep Villa out but there was nothing he could do to deny Carew when the Norwegian steered a deft header into the bottom corner.
The contest picked up and on the hour Villa scored again to take the lead.

Ferguson's response was to introduce 17-year-old Federico Macheda, which in itself said something about United's plight. It did however bring an immediate improvement and when Michael Carrick exchanged first-time passes with Giggs on the edge of the Villa box, he then presented Ronaldo with a lay-off. Ronaldo did not have a lot to aim at but he found the one small gap Friedel was unable to cover.

And now the scene was set for one of those amazing finishes that have been the hallmark of so many United triumphs down the years, Friedel denied Danny Welbeck two minutes from time, then in the dying seconds Macheda turned onto Ryan Giggs' low pass before unleashing a stunning shot that curled past Brad Friedel for the most amazing debut goal and sent Old Trafford into ecstasy.
“It is the kind of day you dream about, Maybe no-one knew about me before but I think that might have changed now” said Macheda.