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Money man Keane stirs Reds to 3-0 Champions League' victory
Posted: Wednesday December 08, 1999 05:48 PM
MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Manchester United bounced back from a surprise loss to Fiorentina with a 3-0 beating of unbeaten Valencia on Wednesday to keep a firmer grip on the Champions League trophy. Roy Keane celebrated signing a new four-year contract with the Reds by firing Alex Ferguson's team ahead eight minutes before half time. Then David Beckham set up two more for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer -- scorer of four goals against Everton on Saturday -- and Paul Scholes in the second half as United gained its 50th victory in Europe's most prestigious competition. The result, following a 2-0 loss in Florence two weeks ago, keeps United well in contention for a place in the quarterfinal while another loss would have left gloomy faces at Old Trafford during the three-month mid-winter break. The competition resumes in late February. Valencia could have gone ahead in the opening 45 seconds when Galzka Mendieta fired in a cross from the right and United goalkeeper Raimond van der Gouw, playing for injured Mark Bosnich, made two blocking saves of Francisco Farinos shots. Argentina star Claudio Lopez, Valencia's lone striker on a night it had to field a patchwork team because of injuries, tried to catch the keeper out with an audacious 40-yard shot when he saw Van der Gouw off his line but the Dutchman made the save. After surviving those early scares, United took control and moved ahead in the 37th minute. The Valencia defense failed to clear a deep cross from the right and the ball rolled clear to Keane who fired a low, right-foot drive past 'keeper Andrea Pallop and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. The second goal came two minutes into the second half when the ever-dangerous Beckham fired in a low center from the right and, with Mauricio Pellegrino letting the ball go through to a colleague, Solskjaer snuck in to prod the ball at the near post. Two goals down and facing defeat in the competition for the first time this season, Valencia stepped up its attacks and created chances. Claudio Lopez got clear of the United defense with only the goalkeeper to beat, but lobbed the ball over the bar. Later, Oscar fired too high after being brilliantly put through by veteran French defender Jocelyn Angloma. Van de Gouw rescued United when he finger-tipped a low serving free kick from Claudio Lopez around the post in the 67th minute as the Spanish club continued to look dangerous.
But a third goal arrived two minutes later when Beckham expertly curled a free kick in from the right and Scholes guided a glancing header inside the far post.
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