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Lille were unable to capitalise on a 63-minute red card to Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes, but did claim a share of the spoils as the match finished scoreless.
After a loss to Benfica and a draw with Villareal in their opening two Champions’ League Group D clashes Lille travelled to Old Trafford hoping to open their goalscoring account and cause something of an upset in the process.
Claude Puel’s men were determined to make their presence felt in the centre of the park and led by the typically combative Grégory Tafforeau in midfield they slowly built in stature as the first half wore on.
Indeed Milenko Acimovic could have opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time had he not blasted over with a good sight of goal.
As it was, the Ligue 1 outfit had their ‘keeper Tony Sylva to thank for a string of top-drawer saves which effectively kept his sides hopes of qualification alive.
Sylva twice denied Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy in the opening 20 minutes. However the former Monaco custodian was beaten by a superb Ryan Giggs free-kick which grazed the outside of the upright on 33 minutes.
After the break the hundred or so travelling supporters, sensing their hosts’ frustration at the virgin scoreline, found their voices and encouraged their side on.
United proved incapable of breaking down Lille’s compact and well-organised defence and only looked dangerous from set pieces.
Substitute Geoffrey Dernis almost broke the deadlock on the hour mark with long-range effort that flashed just the wrong side of Edwin van der Sar’s post, before Scholes received a second yellow card for a bad foul on jean II Makoun.
The sending off brought a new sense of urgency to United’s play but apart from a Rio Ferdinand header and a deflected Ryan Giggs’ free-kick, the Red devils were unable to further test Sylva.
Despite the point, Lille remain rooted to the foot of Group D with two points, one point behind Spanish side Villareal who drew with Benfica. United stay top with five points, one ahead of the Portuguese champions.
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