POACHER'S FINISH
Michael Owen equalised four minutes later with a typical
poacher's finish from close range.
The teams were level for only two minutes as more defensive
errors from United proved costly.
Milos Krasic was put through clean on goal while totally
unmarked and he danced around goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to make
it 2-1 to prove CSKA meant business.
It got worse for the home side straight after the re-start when
Vasily Berezutsky put the visitors further ahead.
Again the United defence went to sleep, gifting him the freedom
of the far post and his diving header easily beat Van der Sar.
Ten minutes later, Ferguson sent on striker Wayne Rooney, who
had been on the bench after he became a father for the first time
on Monday when his wife Coleen gave birth to their son Kai, and the
move seemed to lift the mood.
"He hadn't had much sleep. I would have preferred to leave him
on the bench," said Ferguson.
"He was a safety player that we knew we could have played if we
needed him - he was there. I think his energy and confidence was
very high. He makes an impact."
The Russian side, with coach Leonid Slutsky in his first
European match in charge after last week's dismissal of Juande
Ramos, could not hold on as Scholes beat Igor Akinfeyev with his
point-blank header and Valencia grabbed the equaliser via a massive
deflection.
CSKA defender Deividas Semberas was sent off late on after
receiving a second yellow card.