Villarreal 0-0 Manchester United

Goalless draws are not usually associated with the most exciting matches, but these two sides are getting good at such outcomes. This is the fourth time that they have produced such a result, but it did ensure that both sides progress to the knockout stage.

The Villarreal keeper was kept fairly busy, and it seemed that United were more interested in winning than their opponents, for whom not losing was more imperative. Unsurprisingly it was Ronaldo who came closest to scoring, after being set up by Wayne Rooney, but his fierce shot rattled the crossbar.

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Later on Capdevila was given a straight red card for a challenge, which severely bruised the Portuguese star's knee, and left him writhing in agony. There are some who would question the decision, and consider that a yellow card would have been appropriate. However, Ronaldo has been getting a lot of dubious attention recently, and whenever it is seen as unfair or dangerous, it should be dealt with accordingly. Just because a player is good, does not mean that he should be stopped at any price, otherwise his skills could be short lived, and the fans would lose out as well!

As a spectacle, the game was a bit disappointing. It could have been different if either side had got in front. Rooney had a goal ruled to be offside after eight minutes, but there wasn't really that much in it. Just after the interval the same player was involved in controversy when he appeared to be looking for a penalty. He seemed to go down without any contact, but it was a bit questionable because he is not a natural diver. Neither is it a skill that his many fans would like him to acquire! Later he nearly got a winner, when Capdevila deflected a cross towards goal, off the line.

Villarreal had a few chances on the counter attack, but the best efforts were all United's. At the end a draw was a fair result, although a bit of a yawn for the spectators.

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Villarreal 0-0 Manchester United
soccer and football
Villarreal 0-0 Manchester United