Man United 4-0 AC Milan: Rooney leads the way in Champions League rout

Wayne Rooney scored twice to ensure David Beckham's Old Trafford return was a losing one as Manchester United eased into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Introduced as a substitute just after the hour, the tie was already lost when Beckham made his entrance for AC Milan.

Rooney did the damage, taking his tally for the season to 30 with goals either side of the interval, before Park Ji-sung and Darren Fletcher wrapped up an exceptionally easy win over the seven-time winners.

David 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.

Clarence Seedorf was introduced at the interval, although it seemed a hopeless task for the visitors.

And if there was even the remotest doubt over the outcome as the teams emerged for the second period, it was clarified with 54 seconds of the restart.

Nani has so often been a frustrating presence at Old Trafford.

Suddenly though, he has become a man possessed. Charging down the left wing, he delivered a brilliant curling pass with the outside of his right foot that picked out Rooney's gallop.

The finish was entirely predictable, as he prodded the ball past Abbiati to end his run of headers and take the Rooney tally to 30.

Valencia nearly added another as he slashed a shot wide from an acute angle.

Abate created a chance for Milan shortly afterwards when he crossed into the United six-yard box.

But Klaas Jan Huntelaar got underneath the ball and headed disappointingly over.

Abbiati touched Nani's cross away from Valencia before the Ecuador international could nod home.

It was only delaying the inevitable though. And when Scholes sent a brilliantly disguised pass through for Park Ji-sung, the industrious Korean beat Abbiati with a shot to the far corner.

Beckham was introduced - to a standing ovation - for Abate 27 minutes from time.

There was another standing ovation - for Rooney - when he made way for Dimitar Berbatov. Neville was replaced by Rafael at the same time.

The flurry of substitutions continued as Marco Borriello made way for Filippo Inzaghi midway through the half.

Ronaldinho was booked for hacking down fellow countryman Rafael, before Scholes was replaced by Darron Gibson.

Beckham brought an excellent save out of Van der Sar with his long-range volley but the last word was United's, as unsung hero Darren Fletcher nodded home Rafael's cross from close range.