Man Utd 1-2 Zenit: Russians wreck United's bid for seven trophies

Sir Alex Ferguson's hopes of a Magnificent Seven haul of trophies this season ended last night with defeat in the UEFA Super Cup at the hands of Zenit St Petersburg.

Having proclaimed his desire to win all the silverware available to United this season, Fergie was forced to settle for second best in Monte Carlo as UEFA Cup winners Zenit outshone the European Cup holders.

And as he aims to tie up the capture of Dimitar Berbatov this weekend, Fergie saw first-hand the value of an expensive summer signing as Zenit striker Danny - a £25m buy from Dynamo Moscow - sealed the win with a majestic solo goal. United's misery was compounded by the lastminute sending-off of Paul Scholes, who picked up a second yellow for punching the ball into the net.

Berbatov cannot arrive soon enough, with United struggling for goals.

After winning the Community Shield, Fergie had set his sights on the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carling Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup. But it was not to be.

The United boss had planned to give Owen Hargreaves his first start of the season, the midfielder having finally recovered from tendinitis in both knees.

But on the morning of the game Hargreaves, who was to be watched by England coach Fabio Capello, suffered a recurrence of the problem and was ruled out.

The game began at a sedate pace, United dominating the early possession but content to knock the ball around without posing a threat.

The first real chance of the game fell to Zenit. Patrice Evra and Nani were left standing as Aleksandr Anyukov cut the ball back, only for Pavel Pogrebnyak to blast his effort over from eight yards out.

Zenit came close again in the 25th minute, midfielder Alejandro Dominguez curling a 25-yard free-kick just beyond the upright.

While Carlos Tevez buzzed with industry and guile in the space between midfield and attack, Wayne Rooney was hardly involved.

Tevez was in typically determined form, never more so than in the 36th minute when he chased what appeared to be a lost cause, won the ball and then cut it back for Rooney.

Typically, given Rooney's current misfortune, he managed to get the ball stuck under his feet, and by the time he recovered his shot was blocked.

Aside from a Tevez shot straight at the Zenit keeper, and a wild Nani effort, United offered nothing in the way of a threat on goal.

They were punished on the stroke of half-time after Gary Neville gave away a needless corner. The delivery from Dominguez was flicked on at the near post by Igor Denisov and Pogrebnyak reacted first, nodding the ball in.

Zenit introduced Spurs target Andrei Arshavin immediately after the break and the £20m-rated striker made an instant impact, turning Nemanja Vidic and almost setting up Pogrebnyak for a second goal.

Edwin Van der Sar was forced to parry a fierce 35-yard drive from Zenit skipper Anatoliy Tymoshchuk in the 55th minute, but United were sunk in the 59th minute by a brilliant solo effort from Danny. The Portugal international picked up the ball in the United half and embarked on a surging run, cutting inside Rio Ferdinand before unleashing a fierce low shot past Van der Sar.

Vidic scored for United in the 73rd minute, steering in the ball from Rooney's cut-back, but it served only to add a measure of respectability to the scoreline in a game in which Fergie's men were outplayed.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Anderson, Scholes, Nani, Rooney, Tevez. Subs: Kuszczak, Brown, Park, O'Shea, Gibson, Campbell, Possebon.

Zenit: Malafeev, Krizanac, Aniukov, Puygrenier, Sirl, Zyryanov, Danny, Denisov, Tymoschuk, Pogrebniak, Dominguez. Ref: Claus Bo Larsen