VIEWS FROM THE BROADSHEETS

This was an uncomfortably old-fashioned occasion for Manchester United. There was a harum-scarum victory for Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the opening game of Champions League group F as his players conceded the opener and let slip a 2-1 lead before clinching the win. It is the sort of volatility that fans get romantic about when they recall European nights of decades ago, but there was unease in seeing that unpredictability recreated.

United will have to be more authoritative in future if they are to concoct any kind of challenge in the competition. It is also true that Celtic were more unsettlingly vivacious than Ferguson's lax players anticipated. Despite the romance, there were also overtones of economics.

Celtic, with their limited budget, are unable to afford high quality in every area as Ferguson can (ed: arf!). While Gordon Strachan has made great progress since the 5-0 rout by Artmedia Bratislava in his first European match with the club a year ago, there are more changes to be made. Instant solutions are not available, however, and cash, in any case, is not always king.

Celtic determined the character of the evening by taking the lead in the 21st minute. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink brought down an Artur Boruc kick-out, turned Rio Ferdinand, broke into the area and ripped a low drive that Van der Sar could not prevent from finding the net at the far post. After that, the game could no longer be decorous.

United had actually needed to be provoked into naked aggression. With Wayne Rooney making a muted start on his return from suspension, there was too little devilment at first. The zest flooded back in the search for the equaliser, but Celtic were rash in allowing United to pull level in the 29th minute.

Ryan Giggs had burst beyond Gary Caldwell and though he was so wide that it made no sense for Boruc to charge out the sometimes inspired goalkeeper is an impulsive person. While the contact on the winger was so slight that it barely amounted to a foul, it was natural that Giggs should go down. Saha converted the penalty.

The outfield players were nearly as erratic as Boruc. When Gravesen lost possession to Michael Carrick in the 40th minute it was all too simple for Paul Scholes to feed through the ball that Saha, moving away from Mark Wilson, clipped home.

Even so, the uneven quality of Celtic does not stop them from being very refined on occasion. When Wes Brown brought down Jiri Jarosik after 43 minutes, there was a mood of anticipation among visiting fans who knew exactly what Shunsuke Nakamura can do with a free-kick. The ball was floated over the wall and into the corner of the net, with Van der Sar transfixed.

By then, Giggs had gone off with a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Ferguson might have opted to introduce a predator such as the Norwegian in any case because punishing the Celtic back four was the most obvious means of taming the game.

The lapse that led to Ferguson's team recovering the lead would have left Strachan aghast. In the 47th minute Gravesen mis-hit a pass to, of all people, Scholes. He threaded the ball to Saha again and while the Frenchman's attempt was saved he forced possession across the six-yard line, where Solskjaer was waiting to pounce.

The Torygraph

Old Trafford so nearly belonged to Glasgow last night. In of the most thrilling contests this celebrated arena has ever staged, Celtic lost by the odd goal in five, and it required performances of sustained brilliance from Louis Saha, the high-speed, two-goal predator, and the ageless creative force that is Paul Scholes to deny Gordon Strachan's valiant men.

Apart from Saha, Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who nicked the crucial third, Sir Alex Ferguson's Premiership pacesetters lacked leaders, particularly in defence where Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown endured a torrid evening. Celtic's target-man, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, proved a handful, as well as a mouthful.

The tall Dutchman exploited uncertainty in United's back line to plunder Celtic's first, and Shunsuke Nakamura added a majestic second, a free kick swept over a wall that David Beckham in his Old Trafford pomp would have struggled to better.

And so a raucous crowd of 74,041 were treated to a feast of breathless, attacking football, a European tie exciting enough to revive memories of Real Madrid's epic visit here when Ronaldo struck that mesmerising hat-trick for the Spanish. Last night's show was as much about stamina and speed as technique; mistakes abounded, particularly defensively, but it all made for compelling entertainment.

The Times

The Champions League produced the best and worst of British football last night; a raucous, passionate evening at Old Trafford packed full of incident but also countless errors. For that, Celtic could be proud even in defeat. Manchester United should be a little concerned even in victory because, while they created the majority of chances, they also made some of the most notable mistakes.

Gordon Strachan's men were wilting by the end, Paul Telfer almost heading into his own goal as United threatened to run away with things, but they had given Arsène Wenger some encouragement before what should be an equally feisty occasion on Sunday.

The Arsenal manager will want to ask more questions of a midfield in which Paul Scholes stroked the ball around adroitly, receiving a standing ovation (and perhaps catching Steve McClaren's eye), with little obvious assistance from the subdued Michael Carrick or the anonymous Darren Fletcher. He will certainly want to ask questions of a wobbly defence.

Sir Alex Ferguson had told his team to treat this like a European tie and count on their superior class but, in a thrilling first half, they were dragged into a cross-border scrap. They might have scored far more than the two goals from the lively Louis Saha and the decisive third from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but, shaking hands with Strachan at the final whistle, Ferguson appeared to pass on some deserved commiserations.

Experience and talent were so heavily weighted in United's favour that even some of Ferguson's own players began as if expecting a rout. Perhaps they have been playing too many testimonials against these Scottish foes but it took Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's opening goal to wake them.

Even then, Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown were embarrassed too often and too easily. Ferguson had talked of “apprehension” at the start of this European campaign and he was given more reasons to be fearful. Vennegoor of Hesselink was proving a handful as well as a mouthful and both England stoppers were guilty of carelessness.

There was a return to Ferdinand's bad old days in the 21st minute as he failed to get under a straightforward punt down the middle. Lapse of concentration was the only explanation and Vennegoor of Hesselink, who had barely touched the defender, could not believe his luck. Taking the ball on, he strode into the penalty area and aimed a left-foot shot into the far corner. It was crisply struck but Edwin van der Sar will still not like to dwell on his failure to keep it out.

With the noise and the temperature soaring inside the ground, the game briefly became frenzied and perhaps that explains Artur Boruc's decision to rush out to confront Ryan Giggs inside his penalty area even though the winger had little chance of stopping the ball from going out of play. Contact may have been minimal but the Celtic goalkeeper had invited the penalty.

The equaliser should have been the cue for United to start controlling proceedings but another defensive lapse gave Vennegoor of Hesselink a free header from six yards. Sighs of relief all round as it flew straight at Van der Sar.

Even when United took the lead for the first time five minutes before the interval, Scholes skilfully sliding the ball through to Saha to poke past Boruc, they could only protect it for three minutes. Then it was Brown's turn to add to the pandemonium by recklessly conceding a foul just outside the area. Shunsuke Nakamura curled his free kick over the wall with Van der Sar rooted to the spot.

It was always unlikely that the second half could match the drama of the first and when United regained the lead within two minutes of the restart, there was a sense that, finally, the killer blow had been struck. Scholes was involved once again, seizing on Thomas Gravesen's dreadful pass inside and instantly teeing up Saha for his hat-trick.

Boruc blocked but, after another ricochet, the ball fell to Solskjaer to sweep into an empty net for his first goal in Europe for three years. At last, United began to play with some assurance, Rooney coming close to marking his return with a goal, but they will need to tighten up if this is to be a long, fruitful campaign.