HT Man United 1-0 AC Milan: Head boy Rooney does it again

Wayne Rooney stole the limelight from David Beckham with his 29th goal of the season to put Manchester United on course for a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Beckham was man-of-the-moment on his first return to Old Trafford to face his boyhood idols, and the team he left to join Real Madrid seven years ago.

But the England star was still watching from the AC Milan bench when Rooney rose to meet Gary Neville's excellent cross and guided it into the far corner to give United a two-goal aggregate cushion at the break.

Beckham could do no better than the AC Milan bench on his return to Old Trafford to face Manchester United tonight.

Seven years after leaving United for Real Madrid, Beckham finally got the chance to play against the club he has supported all his life.

But there was no sentiment from coach Leonardo, who instead turned to Mathieu Flamini to help overturn a one-goal deficit from the San Siro against a United side for whom Dimitar Berbatov could only make the bench as Wayne Rooney was handed a lone attacking role.

With Pato and Alessandro Nesta ruled out through injury, the odds were stacked against Milan becoming the first team to knock United out of Europe after losing the first leg on home soil.

Rooney escaped the clutches of Massimo Ambrosini to provide Nani with a crossing opportunity he could not take.

Nani was left frustrated on the hosts' next attack when Rooney ignored him after collecting Antonio Valencia's short pass and flashed a shot wide, even though his team-mate was far better placed.

Rooney fired another effort over shortly afterwards, then Gary Neville surged upfield and let fly with a speculative left-footed curler Christian Abbiati watched fly over his own goal.

Milan had offered nothing up to that point but one-time United target Ronaldinho headed Andrea Pirlo's deflected free-kick agonisingly wide.

Abbiati shoveled a Nani shot round the post. Nemanja Vidic rose highest at the corner but could not keep his effort on target.

United had started well though, and when Neville curled over a superb cross from the right flank, Rooney was unmarked as he guided the ball into the far corner, his 29th goal of the season - and his seventh in a row with his head.

Edwin van der Sar needed two attempts to smother a long-range Pirlo shot which moved around in the air.

Paul Scholes received a lecture for sliding through late on Flamini, although he did not make contact with the former Arsenal man, who admirably stayed on his feet.

Milan were dominating possession but looked vulnerable on the break as they attempted to get the first of three goals they now required to reach the last eight.

Ignazio Abate was at full stretch to head another Neville cross away from Rooney, then Vidic came off worst in a clash of heads with Flamini and went off for treatment.

A selfless run from Rooney harried Abbiati into a mistake, although United were unable to capitalise during a flat period of the contest that suited the Premier League leaders just fine.

Vidic got in the way of Flamini's shot, then Darren Fletcher benefited from a lucky ricochet after nipping in to halt Pirlo, who had produced a brilliant piece of control inside the United box.

Fletcher collected Nani's square ball and curled a 25-yard effort narrowly wide just before the break, with Beckham still waiting for some involvement - and United seemingly headed for the last eight.