Champions League - Berbatov leads United stroll

Manchester United eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Celtic at Old Trafford to remain top of Champions League Group E.

Dimitar Berbatov put United ahead on the half-hour mark and doubled their lead on 50 minutes, before Wayne Rooney sealed victory with a fine strike late on to keep the defending champions on course for the knock-out phase.

Celtic were left to rue two poor decisions by the officials, who should have disallowed both Berbatov goals for offside, but ultimately offered little in the way of an attacking threat and were comprehensively outclassed.

United set out with the verve and vigour befitting of a team who have won five games in succession.

Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani poured forward and Berbatov's sublime movement and touch was the glue to bring it all together.

Celtic struggled to impose themselves, but enjoyed the first genuine chance of the evening when Aiden McGeady drew a sharp save from Edwin van der Sar with a 20-yard drive.

With Scott McDonald given the thankless task of leading the visitors' line alone, however, Gordon Strachan's men struggled to keep possession and all too often clearances came straight back at them with another wave of United attack.

On 18 minutes Nani drove to the touchline before finding Rooney with a fine pull-back 12 yards out. The England striker leapt acrobatically to volley goalwards, but Artur Boruc saved comfortably.

Gary Caldwell stung Van der Sar's fingers moments later with a belting shot from outside the box, but that would mark the death of Celtic's attacking intent.

On the half-hour mark United took a deserved lead when Berbatov stabbed home from close-range, after John O'Shea had directed Nani's corner into his path.

But replays showed the Bulgarian was in an offside position and the goal should not have stood.

Celtic went into the interval aggrieved, but in truth they had been outplayed and overwhelmed - and United appeared intent on compounding their superiority when they emerged for the second half.

Five minutes in Ronaldo unleashed a fierce shot from 30 yards and Boruc could only parry into the path of Berbatov, who gratefully tapped home.

But once again the referee's assistant should have lifted his flag. Berbatov was in an offside position when Ronaldo shot and the goal should have been ruled out.

Celtic were not without fortune. On 57 minutes Rooney went through and rounded Boruc before slotting home - only to be denied by another poor decision; this time the flag should have stayed down.

But the England striker would not be denied his ninth goal in seven matches for club and country. When substitute Carlos Tevez found him on the edge of the box with 79 minutes gone, Rooney engineered space and shot low in the bottom corner to put United out of reach.

The remainder of the match was played out without much incident, as Sir Alex Ferguson removed Ronaldo and Berbatov from the fray with the weekend's Premier League action in mind.

Villarreal 6-3 Aalborg

Substitute Joseba Llorente came off the bench to score a hat-trick and help Villarreal see off the stubborn challenge of Aab Aalborg 6-3 in the other game in Group E.

The Danes started brightly and struck first when Marek Saganowski headed their first goal of the competition.

The home side reacted well with Giuseppe Rossi and then Joan Capdevila netting within five minutes of each other, but the sides went in 2-2 at half-time after Thomas Enevoldsen levelled.

Llorente appeared midway through the second half and scored twice in three minutes to put the 2006 semi-finalists in command, but Andreas Johansson pulled one back, and it required late goals from Robert Pires and Llorente again to seal the victory.

Villarreal did not settle early on as the Danish champions hustled them and disrupted their rhythm.

The visitors took full advantage in the 19th minute when Anders Due's cross found Saganowski arriving completely unmarked to power a diving header past Diego Lopez.

Last season's Liga runners-up responded when Angel Lopez broke down the right and crossed for Italian striker Rossi, whose first-time shot deflected off a defender and over Karim Zaza.

Almost immediately Villarreal were in front when Spain left back Capdevila, using his less-favoured right foot, volleyed a superb shot in off the far post from the edge of the area.

But again Villarreal's defence was found wanting as Aalborg carved them open with a flowing move in the 36th minute.

Saganowski laid off a long ball for Danish Under-21 international Enevoldsen who raced through to calmly lift the ball over the advancing Lopez.

Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini had cut an agitated figure on the touchline but shuffled his side well after the break as they stepped up a gear.

The introduction of Frenchman Pires and Llorente proved decisive.

In the 67th minute Marcos Senna's long-distance effort was spilled by Zaza and Llorente pounced to score.

Soon after Pires broke clear and squared for Llorente to tap in, only for Aalborg to pull another goal back in the 77th.

Johansson rose to head a free-kick in at the near post, exposing the home side's weakness in the air again.

Pires grabbed the fifth in the 79th heading in from close range after Zaza had parried Santi Cazorla's shot, and Llorente completed his hat-trick five minutes later volleying home from Capdevila's cross.

The Spanish club are on seven points in Group E, second on goal difference behind Manchester United.
Will Tidey / Reuters
(http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/champions-league/)