Rooney Scores Winner Against Roma

Wayne Rooney's first goal of the season fired Manchester United to victory against Roma at Old Trafford.

There was to be no repeat of the 7-1 drubbing handed out to Roma in April by United in last season's quarter-final.

Chances were at a premium with Cristiano Ronaldo and Francesco Totti restricted to long-range efforts.

Rooney broke the deadlock with a sharp 15-yard finish after he was set up by Nani to leave United three points clear at the top of Group F.

United seem to have a habit of winning 1-0 and once again they failed to hit anything like top form against a resolute Roma outfit.

The entire match was a tactical affair in which United demonstrated plenty of intent but very little of the attacking verve which served them so well last season.

Roma, who were knocked off the top of Serie A on Saturday when they slumped to a 4-1 home defeat to Inter Milan, were content to soak up what United threw at them.

Both sides went into the game with stand-in goalkeepers - but neither was seriously tested with long-distance shots from Francesco Totti and Cristiano Ronaldo causing few alarms.

United - with Louis Saha starting a game for the first time since February - began passing the ball around crisply but Roma quickly smothered the Red Devils with Daniele de Rossi brilliantly screening the visiting defence.

Totti's 30-yard free-kick evaded the wall and Tomasz Kuszczak, in for the injured Edwin van der Sar, needed two attempts to cushion the ball to his chest.

United should have gone ahead on 33 minutes when Nani got round the back of the Roma defence only for a carefree Rooney to volley over from a good position.

That apart, Sir Alex Ferguson will have been disappointed to see his side lacking momentum in wide positions with Ronaldo and Nani dropping deep far too often.

If United were too relaxed in the first period, they immediately threatened at the start of the second when a Ronaldo raid down the right was cleared by a relieved Phillipe Mexes in front of his own goal.

Roma spurned their best chance when Giuly set up Totti, who blazed over the advancing Kuszczak from close range five minutes after the restart.

Alberto Aquilani fired another warning to United moments later when he fired narrowly wide from the edge of the box as the Italians sensed a goal was possible.

United were still struggling to get sufficient men forward with Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick content to sit deep in the crowded midfield and unable to make their mark on proceedings.

Rooney produced a bright moment when he cut inside the left side of the Roma defence before unleashing a powerful low shot which Curci pushed away for a corner.

Carlos Tevez replaced the tiring Saha and United soon had the ball in the net when the Argentine found Ronaldo, who audaciously back-heeled home from an offside position.

Rooney clinched victory 20 minutes from time with an exquisite finish to raise the roof off Old Trafford.

Carrick found Nani and he cleverly played the ball through to Rooney who turned outside and found the net off the inside of the far post with a crisp 15-yard shot.

Tevez almost made it 2-0 with a sizzling 22-yard effort while Kuszczak did well at the other end to collect a well-struck Simone Perrotta effort.

Roma should have levelled three minutes from time when Totti played the ball back for Mauro Esposito, who carelessly blazed wide from 10 yards with United stretched at the back.

Ferguson said beforehand that he would settle for a 1-0 win. It was not always pretty but it went to script and United are well on their way towards qualifying for the knockout stages.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, O'Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Nani (Giggs 79), Saha (Tevez 66), Rooney (Anderson 84).

Subs Not Used: Heaton, Pique, Simpson, Eagles.

Goal: Rooney 70.

Roma: Curci, Cicinho, Mexes, Juan, Tonetto, De Rossi, Aquilani (Pizarro 61), Giuly (Esposito 79), Perrotta, Mancini (Vucinic 74), Totti.

Subs Not Used: Bertagnoli, Antunes, Barusso, Brighi.

Booked: Mexes.

Att: 73,652.

Ref: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).

Manchester United 1-0 Roma: Wayne Rooney is challenged by Roma's Daniele De Rossi in the opening minutes at Old Trafford

The Roma defence work hard to keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet during a goalless first half

The game looks to be heading for a draw before Rooney fires home his first goal of the season on 70 minutes

Rooney's goal leaves United three points clear at the top of Group F and on course for the knockout stages

Hargreaves Out Of Action Due To Injury

Owen Hargreaves has been ruled out of October's European Championship qualifiers against Estonia and Russia because of a knee injury.

The Manchester United midfielder will be out of action for up to four weeks after having an injection to cure a tendonitis problem.

Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "That was an option we had from the very start if it surfaced again.

"He felt it in training so we decided to do something immediately."

Hargreaves was expected to be back in United's squad for Tuesday's Champions League game against AS Roma before the tendonitis problem returned.

The former Bayern Munich player was troubled by the injury at the start of the season and did not play his first game for United until August 19.

And the 26-year-old managed just three games before sustaining a thigh injury in training with England ahead of their game against Israel on September 8.