Manchester United

2004–05 season
Chairman	Sir Roy Gardner
Manager	Sir Alex Ferguson
Stadium	Old Trafford
Premier League	3rd
FA Cup	Runners-up
League Cup	Semi-finals
UEFA Champions League	Round of 16
FA Community Shield	Runners-up
Top goalscorer	League:Wayne Rooney (11) All: Wayne Rooney (17)
Highest home attendance	67,989 vsPortsmouth (26 February 2005)
Lowest home attendance	48,891 vsCrystal Palace (10 November 2004)
Average home league attendance	67,856
Home colours Away colours Third colours
← 2003–04 2005–06 →

The 2004–05 season wasManchester United's 13th season in thePremier League, and their 30th consecutive season in the top division ofEnglish football.^[1]

The season finished trophyless (only their fourth trophyless season in 17 seasons) for United, who finished third in the Premier League with 77 points. The title went to Chelsea, who finished the season with a record 95 points and lost just one game all season, with the previous season's champions Arsenal finishing runners-up.

TheirChampions League campaign ended in the first knockout round atMilan, while they were eliminated from theLeague Cup byChelsea in the semi-finals. The last chance of silverware was blown by aPaul Scholes penalty miss againstArsenal in a shoot-out after a goalless draw in the2005 FA Cup Final.

On a more positive note for the club, newly signed 19-year-old striker and leading club goalscorerWayne Rooney was votedPFA Young Player of the Year.

United also ended Arsenal's record-breaking 49-game unbeaten league run with a2–0 home win in late October.

Manchester United played their first pre-season fixture of the 2004–05 season away toCobh Ramblers. United won 2–1, through goals fromMads Timm andKenny Cooper.

The Reds then set off to North America for their pre-season tour, taking part in theChampionsWorld Series. Their first match, played at theSoldier Field inChicago, United States againstBayern Munich. After a 0–0 draw, the match went to penalties, with Bayern prevailing 4–2 in the shoot-out. United's next game of their pre-season tour was againstCeltic at theLincoln Financial Field.Chris Sutton gave Celtic an early lead with apenalty afterJonathan Spector fouledStiliyan Petrov.Alan Smith equalised for United with a header from a corner kick, butCraig Beattie scored the winner for Celtic afterRoy Keane lost possession.

After the 2–1 loss against Celtic, United played their final game of the tour againstMilan inNew York City. Like the Bayern game, the game against Milan ended in a draw, afterAndriy Shevchenko cancelled outPaul Scholes' early goal. Penalties were required, with United losing again, this time 9–8. The result meant that Manchester United ended their pre-season tour of the United States without a win.

After returning to England, United played in the Vodafone Cup atOld Trafford, a four-team tournament featuringPSV,Boca Juniors andUrawa Red Diamonds. United played against PSV on 3 August 2004, aMikaël Silvestre goal giving them a 1–0 win. Two days later, United were scheduled to play their final game, against Urawa Red Diamonds, but it was indefinitely postponed due to an electrical storm.^[2] Boca Juniors – who were beating PSV 1–0 on the day, before the abandonment of their match – won the tournament on a points system that awarded an extra point for each goal scored, bolstered by their 5–2 win against Urawa Red Diamonds a few days prior.^[3]

Two days after the league campaign started, United played their final friendly, a trip toLancashire rivalsBurnley forStan Ternent's testimonial. Goals from Scholes,Phil Neville andChris Eagles secured a 3–1 win.

As winners of the2003–04 FA Cup, Manchester United played in the2004 FA Community Shield againstArsenal. United lost 3–1.José Antonio Reyes set upGilberto Silva to tap home the opening goal for the Gunners. Alan Smith lashed in United's equaliser, but within three minutes Reyes drove home a fierce left-foot shot to restore Arsenal's lead.Ashley Cole's cross deflected in off Mikaël Silvestre for Arsenal's winning third goal.

Manchester United opened their Premier League campaign with an away game againstChelsea on 15 August 2004. United lost 1–0 through anEiður Guðjohnsen goal in the 14th minute. The Icelandic striker took advantage of a weak challenge by United goalkeeperTim Howard to scramble home the winner after 14 minutes. It was harsh on Alex Ferguson's depleted side, who enjoyed the majority of possession but could not cash in. Summer signing Alan Smith headed wide from a good chance andRyan Giggs missed a similar opportunity with 10 minutes left as Chelsea hung on. This result left United hanging just above the relegation zone in 17th place.

United got their first win of the season with a 2–1 win againstNorwich City at Old Trafford. Alan Smith scored the winner in the 49th minute on his home debut for the Red Devils with a volley that added toDavid Bellion's close-range finish in the 32nd minute that was set up by Smith. Norwich substitutePaul McVeigh pulled a goal back late on when he shot home from 18 yards out but United held on.

After a 1–1 draw againstBlackburn Rovers, which saw Smith score a last-minute equaliser, United's next game was a home game againstEverton. United hit the post three times in the match.Cristiano Ronaldo hit the upright with a fizzing drive, as did Smith with a similar effort, and Paul Scholes also saw a shot come back off the post. But United were lucky not to concede a penalty when Mikaël Silvestre blatantly used his arm to clear the ball from a lurkingDuncan Ferguson. In the first half,Louis Saha missed a great chance when he headed wide. It was the only clear-cut opportunity of the opening 45 minutes, with United lacking the cohesion to break down an Everton side content to sit deep and defend.

A third successive draw occurred for United, as they drew 2–2 withBolton Wanderers at theReebok Stadium. United got an equaliser in injury time through David Bellion, with the ball appearing to come off his arm. Before Bellion's dramatic equaliser, United seemed set to lose after a mix-up between Tim Howard and Mikaël Silvestre allowedLes Ferdinand to net. Ferdinand's goal came afterKevin Nolan had equalised for Bolton, heading home after his initial shot was blocked.Gabriel Heinze gave United a first-half lead on his debut, but it was not the perfect start he may have expected. This result left United in 11th place.

On 20 September, United moved up three places in the FA Premier League table to 8th after a 2–1 home win against their rivals,Liverpool. After Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post early on, Mikaël Silvestre gave United the lead, ghosting in at the far post to head home Ryan Giggs' free kick. Liverpool drew level soon after the break whenSteve Finnan's header was inadvertently turned in by fellow IrishmanJohn O'Shea. But another header from Silvestre secured three points for United, as the Frenchman powered a header pastJerzy Dudek to complete his brace and give United the win.

Five days later, United travelled toWhite Hart Lane to faceTottenham Hotspur.Ruud van Nistelrooy's penalty three minutes before the interval ensured the Red Devils won consecutive FA Premier League matches for the first time in the 2004–05 season, went up to fifth in the table, and ended Spurs' unbeaten run. Van Nistelrooy, who had a goal ruled out for offside, converted afterErik Edman had fouled John O'Shea.Robbie Keane made a superb block to deny Mikaël Silvestre, andPaul Robinson saved a David Bellion header as United pushed for a second.

After a 1–1 home draw withMiddlesbrough, United went up to fourth place in the Premier League table, the first time they had been in the top four in the 2004–05 season. But United went down two places to 6th after a 0–0 draw away toBirmingham City.Steve Bruce's side had chances to win, with United goalkeeperRoy Carroll denyingEmile Heskey with his legs either side of the interval. United, withWayne Rooney on the bench, rarely troubled Birmingham, but Van Nistelrooy missed the game's best opportunity after 36 minutes. He side-footed straight at goalkeeperMaik Taylor from only six yards as he raced on toQuinton Fortune's cross.

United's next game was a home game against Arsenal. United won 2–0. The match, played on 24 October 2004, is known as theBattle of the Buffet, and it ended Arsenal 49-match unbeaten run. Van Nistelrooy got the opener when he stroked in a contentious penalty afterSol Campbell's challenge on Wayne Rooney.Dennis Bergkamp andThierry Henry had Arsenal's best chances but they were denied by good saves from United keeper Roy Carroll. Rooney slotted in from six yards to complete victory on his 19th birthday. The win helped United reduce the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to eight points. It also helped Van Nistelrooy avenge the taunts from Arsenal players after he missed a last-minute spot-kick in the corresponding fixture last season. United went up to 5th with this win.

United travelled toFratton Park to facePortsmouth in their next game. It was a shock 2–0 win for Pompey. United paid the price for failing to convert any of their many chances. United had laid siege to the home side's goal early on but Pompey survived and hit back after the break.David Unsworth put them ahead from the spot afterRio Ferdinand tugged backRicardo Fuller in the area. Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post with a header as United piled on the pressure butYakubu finished them off when his shot deflected in off Mikaël Silvestre. It was Pompey's second successive Premier League victory over United at Fratton Park - but it looked unlikely in the early stages.

Manchester United played at home to their rivalsManchester City on 7 November 2004. The game ended 0–0. United were shut out for the second successive Premier League game by a resolute and determined City side, who offered little of an attacking threat. City survived some erratic handling fromDavid James, while Louis Saha spurned United's best chance, heading wide from six yards. United's Alan Smith was sent off for a second bookable offence.

United travelled toSt James' Park to faceNewcastle United in their next FA Premier League game.Alan Shearer andPatrick Kluivert went close for Newcastle before Wayne Rooney volleyed homeDarren Fletcher's cross. Shearer eventually levelled the scores with a superb individual goal after dispossessingWes Brown. But Van Nistelrooy scored from the spot afterShay Given fouled Paul Scholes and then Rooney slotted home from close range to seal victory. The result left United in seventh place, nine points behind Arsenal and eleven behind Chelsea.

Following a 2–0 win overCharlton Athletic, in which veterans Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes scored, United travelled toThe Hawthorns to faceWest Bromwich Albion on 27 November. The Baggies began confidently, but were rocked by first-half injuries toDarren Moore andCosmin Contra, forcingBryan Robson into a double change. United broke through on 53 minutes when Scholes latched onto Giggs' back-heel and lashed home a fierce shot. Van Nistelrooy's close-range header made it 2-0, before Scholes nodded in a third.

A week after the win at The Hawthorns, United welcomedSouthampton to Old Trafford. United laboured to break down a stubborn Southampton defence in a goalless first half. But Paul Scholes ended the resistance by heading home from close range early in the second half. Wayne Rooney then finished emphatically from Ryan Giggs' pass before Cristiano Ronaldo volleyed the third. With the win over the Saints, United got a fourth consecutive victory in the FA Premier League.

After a 1–1 draw againstFulham, next up against United wereCrystal Palace, who travelled to Old Trafford to face United on 18 December 2004. Wayne Rooney missed a penalty for United but Paul Scholes fired in an angled shot to put them ahead.Danny Granville poked in an effort to equalise before United's Alan Smith and rivalJoonas Kolkka traded headers to leave the match poised at 2-2. ButEmmerson Boyce's own goal, a skilful Scholes strike and John O'Shea's shot rounded off the win.

United faced Bolton Wanderers at home in their next game, played onBoxing Day. United won 2–0. Ryan Giggs scored after just 10 minutes showing exemplary technique to steer the ball into the corner of the net. United struggled to build on the platform of their early goal, Paul Scholes making the game safe with a low shot. If Bolton were able to disrupt United's attacking rhythm for long periods, they proved less successful in troubling Roy Carroll, who had to make just one save.

Manchester United ended 2004 with a 1–0 away win overAston Villa on 28 December. Ryan Giggs' left-foot strike in the 41st minute was enough to separate the teams after an entertaining encounter. Giggs had already forced a great save fromThomas Sørensen before his goal, although at the other end,Lee Hendrie andLiam Ridgewell saw shots saved. Villa pressed after the break andGareth Barry came close, but Alan Smith hit the bar in the final minute.

United opened 2005 with a 2–0 away win over Middlesbrough on New Year's Day. Darren Fletcher slid the ball in after nine minutes whenMark Schwarzer was only able to parry a cross from Ryan Giggs. Before the goal, Cristiano Ronaldo had drawn an instinctive save from the Boro keeper as well as hitting the woodwork. Giggs wrapped up the points late on when he pounced onEric Djemba-Djemba's pass and got in front of Gareth Southgate before poking the ball past Schwarzer.

On 4 January, United hosted Tottenham Hotspur in a goalless draw. Minutes before the final whistle, Spurs should have taken the lead afterPedro Mendes' effort from the halfway line was spilled into the goal by an out-of-position Roy Carroll. He pushed the ball out, but only after it had crossed the line; however, the officials were unable to tell whether a goal had been scored and allowed play to continue. United almost won in the dying seconds as a Gabriel Heinze free-kick was saved by Paul Robinson. Earlier, Spurs'Noé Pamarot almost gifted United a goal, sending an attempted clearance against the post.

Eleven days after the match with Spurs, Manchester United travelled toAnfield to face their rivals Liverpool. United won 1–0, thanks to Wayne Rooney's 21st-minute goal. Jerzy Dudek allowed Rooney's tame 25-yard shot to slide in to gift the former Everton striker a goal in front of The Kop. United deserved their victory, despite having Wes Brown sent off for two bookable offences after 64 minutes. Roy Keane hit the bar, whileFernando Morientes had a quiet debut.

After a 3–1 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford, United travelled toHighbury to face Arsenal on 1 February. United won 4–2.Patrick Vieira headed Arsenal ahead from a corner before Ryan Giggs levelled with a deflected shot. Dennis Bergkamp restored Arsenal's lead before two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and a John O'Shea chip ended the Gunners' long unbeaten home record. Mikaël Silvestre was sent off in a fiery game - with Vieira and Roy Keane pulled apart beforehand in the tunnel. The win pushed United up to 2nd in the FA Premier League table, their highest position in the 2004–05 season so far.

Manchester United stayed second in the Premier League table with a 2–0 home win over Birmingham City. United began promisingly, with Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick saved by Maik Taylor and Ryan Giggs firing wide.Walter Pandiani struck the bar with a ferocious volley as the visitors threatened, while Ronaldo's mis-hit cross also came back off the upright. United captain Roy Keane took advantage of poor defending to put United ahead (his 50th goal for the Red Devils), before Wayne Rooney coolly chipped in to seal the victory.

For their next game, United travelled crosstown to face rivals Manchester City on 13 February. Wayne Rooney metGary Neville's cross to the near post with a low shot, which went in via a deflection offRichard Dunne, to put United ahead. Seven minutes later, the unfortunate Dunne hooked a volley over David James' head and into his own net.Steve McManaman wasted City's best chance when he shot wide from three yards in the first half.

Following a 2–1 home win over Portsmouth, with Wayne Rooney scoring a brace, United travelled toSelhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the next game, played on 5 March. The 10-man Eagles held the Red Devils to a goalless draw.Vasilios Lakis was sent off for two bookable offences after 63 minutes, but a lacklustre United failed to carve out a winner at Selhurst Park. Palace keeperGábor Király saved well from Van Nistelrooy either side of the interval, and the Dutchman also wasted two great chances late on. Substitute Rooney was also denied by Király as Palace somehow held on.

After a 1–0 home victory over Fulham, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the only goal in the 21st minute, Manchester United hosted Blackburn Rovers on 2 April. The game ended as a 0–0 draw, with United's hopes of catching Premier League leaders Chelsea virtually disappearing in a frustrating stalemate. Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane hit the post in the first half as United dominated. Rooney and Mikaël Silvestre, who had a header cleared off the line byMorten Gamst Pedersen, also brought fine saves from Blackburn keeperBrad Friedel. Paul Scholes also missed a glorious chance for United, while Blackburn rarely threatened, with Pedersen heading their best chance wide.

On 9 April, Manchester United travelled toCarrow Road to face Norwich City. The game ended as a 2–0 win for the Canaries. The game almost certainly ended United's slim title hopes, and kept Norwich's Premier League survival hopes alive.Dean Ashton headed Norwich ahead fromDavid Bentley's free-kick and crossed forLeon McKenzie to volley home.Craig Fleming andJason Shackell were outstanding in a Canaries defence that thwarted United's subdued strikeforce. The closest the Red Devils came was when Wayne Rooney saw his injury-time shot tipped over by Norwich keeperRobert Green.

On 20 April, United travelled toGoodison Park to face Everton. United lost 1–0. Duncan Ferguson, who scored Everton's winner in their last league victory over United in 1995, headed home after 54 minutes to sink United. Alex Ferguson's men ended the game in shame as Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were sent off after the break. Neville saw red for kicking the ball at a spectator and Scholes for two fouls.

Four days after the loss at Everton, Manchester United hosted Newcastle United. The Red Devils won 2–1. Newcastle took a surprise first-half lead whenDarren Ambrose pounced on Tim Howard's poor clearance. Wayne Rooney equalised in the 57th minute with a superb volley hit with the outside of his right foot, drawing gasps from the Old Trafford crowd. With time running out, Wes Brown's winner provided another surprise - it was his first goal in 117 league games. The win allowed Manchester United to close the gap on Arsenal to a point, thoughArsène Wenger's side had a game in hand.

For their next game, Manchester United travelled toThe Valley to face Charlton Athletic. United won 4–0. Debutant keeperStephan Andersen made a wonder save to deny Alan Smith, but the Dane then spilled a Wayne Rooney shot, allowing Paul Scholes to fire home. Scholes set up the second, passing to Darren Fletcher, who side-footed home.Talal El Karkouri's mistake allowed Smith to add a third, with a Rooney flick sealing a fine win, while late on Charlton'sChris Perry was sent off.

United hosted West Bromwich Albion in their next game, played on 7 May 2005. The game ended 1–1. Ryan Giggs put United ahead with a free-kick after 20 minutes, fired past injured keeperRussell Hoult. Hoult, who suffered a groin injury, was replaced byTomasz Kuszczak, who made a string of outstanding saves. The Baggies levelled after 61 minutes fromRobert Earnshaw's penalty after John O'Shea fouledGeoff Horsfield.

For their next game, United hosted Chelsea. The game was played on 10 May 2005, and United lost 3–1. Van Nistelrooy's superb finish from close-range gave United an early lead, though thereafter the home side struggled to break down Chelsea.Tiago produced a wonderful equaliser, surprising Roy Carroll with an arcing shot, while his pass set up Eiður Guðjohnsen, who dinked in the second.Joe Cole added to United's misery, converting aFrank Lampard cross. The win put Chelsea on 94 points with one match to go of their 38-game season, surpassing Manchester United's record total of 92 in 1993–94, which was a 42-game campaign.

On 15 May 2005, United travelled to the South Coast to face Southampton for their final 2004–05 FA Premier League game. United won 2–1, ending Southampton's 27-year stay in the top-flight. Saints had started so well, aGraeme Le Saux corner bundled in via the thigh of Manchester United defender John O'Shea. But United responded quickly and O'Shea crossed for Darren Fletcher to head in. Van Nistelrooy pounced to nod home an Alan Smith cross to put United ahead and results elsewhere ensured the Saints finished bottom of the division. The game also meant United finished in third for the second season running.

The draw for the FA Cup third round took place on 9 December 2004, and Manchester United were given a home tie withConference National sideExeter City. The game, played on 8 January 2005, ended 0–0, with Exeter producing a magnificent rearguard action to earn a deserved draw. United fielded a weakened side, but Conference Exeter matched the FA Cup holders to set up a lucrative replay. Exeter's former United apprenticeAndy Taylor tested goalkeeper Tim Howard and fired a free-kick narrowly off target. United threatened after the break, with substitute Paul Scholes firing only inches wide deep into injury time.

For the replay, played on 19 January, United travelled to the south coast to face Exeter in the replay. United won 2–0 to spare their blushes, end brave Exeter's resistance, and set up a home tie against Middlesbrough in the Fourth Round. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opener, slipping the ball betweenPaul Jones' legs after just nine minutes. United wasted a host of chances to make it safe as Jones made some great saves, but Wayne Rooney put the tie beyond doubt late on with a cool finish. Exeter had chances of their own,Sean Devine twice volleying wide and Andy Taylor forcing Tim Howard to save.

Manchester United marched into the fifth round with a 3–0 win against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on 29 January. John O'Shea put the defending champions in front after 10 minutes from close range. Wayne Rooney then brilliantly lobbed Mark Schwarzer from 40 yards after 67 minutes to double United's lead, before firing home a stunning volley with nine minutes left. Boro's best chance came after 31 minutes, but Roy Carroll dived to save well at the feet ofBoudewijn Zenden from only eight yards.

In the fifth round, Manchester United were paired with fellow FA Premier League side Everton. The game, played on 19 February 2005 at Goodison Park, ended as a 2–0 win for the Red Devils. The game saw Wayne Rooney start for United against his boyhood club. Rooney received a hostile reception, but goals in each half from Quinton Fortune and Cristiano Ronaldo silenced the jeers at Goodison Park. Fortune headed home after 23 minutes before Ronaldo scored whenNigel Martyn parried Paul Scholes' free-kick.Marcus Bent missed Everton's best chance when Roy Carroll, who was later struck by a missile, saved at his feet.

United advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 4–0 away win against Southampton. Roy Keane put holders United on course for victory over Southampton after two minutes, scoring what turned out to be his final goal for the club, before goals either side of the interval confirmed their supremacy. Cristiano Ronaldo took advantage of good work by Wayne Rooney to score the second in first-half injury time, and Paul Scholes added a third from 12 yards in the 47th minute, then headed home four minutes from time.

Manchester United booked a place in the FA Cup Final for the second season running with a 4–1 semi-final win against fellow FA Premier League side Newcastle United at theMillennium Stadium. Ruud van Nistelrooy's flicked finish put Alex Ferguson's side ahead. A near-post Paul Scholes header doubled the lead just before half-time and Van Nistelrooy's side-foot shot confirmed the Red Devils' dominance.Shola Ameobi steered in an effort for Newcastle but Cristiano Ronaldo's shot ended their faint hopes of a comeback.

In thefinal, played on 21 May 2005 at the Millennium Stadium, Manchester United faced Arsenal. The game ended 0–0. Arsenal won the first everpenalty shoot-out in an FA Cup Final 5–4 after United's Paul Scholes saw his spot-kick saved by Arsenal 'keeperJens Lehmann. United controlled almost the entire match, but were left empty-handed after Wayne Rooney hit the post andFreddie Ljungberg deflected Van Nistelrooy's header on to the bar. José Antonio Reyes was sent off before Patrick Vieira's deciding penalty. Scholes' penalty miss meant that Arsenal lifted the FA Cup, and also meant that United finished the 2004–05 season trophyless, the first time they had done so since 2001–02.

As a Premier League club who was competing in European competition for the 2004–05 season, Manchester United entered the League Cup in the third round, where they were given an away tie withChampionship sideCrewe Alexandra. The game took place on 26 October 2004.

United won 3–0.Alex Ferguson made wholesale changes from the side that beat Arsenal on 24 October and Alan Smith took just ten minutes to coolly slot the visitors in front. Crewe had chances of their own, with Dean Ashton andSteve Jones testing United goalkeeper Tim Howard. ButLiam Miller converted David Bellion's pass,Stephen Foster put the ball into his own net and United easily held on to ease into the next round.

The draw for the fourth round gave United a home tie with fellow FA Premier League club Crystal Palace. The game took place on 10 November 2004, and United won 2–0. Louis Saha opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, his first goal in the 2004–05 season. Saha took two Palace defenders out of the game when he chested down Quinton Fortune's cross before drilling home a low near-post drive.Kieran Richardson netted his second senior goal to double United's lead seven minutes before the interval. However Richardson enjoyed an element of luck, Palace keeperJulián Speroni letting the shot bounce under his body.

United played a home tie with fellow FA Premier League club and rivals Arsenal in the fifth round. The game took place on 1 December 2004. United won 1–0, thanks to David Bellion's very early strike. A terrible blunder by Gunners keeperManuel Almunia saw Bellion's weak shot squirm in after aJohan Djourou slip had gifted possession to Bellion. The home side's greater experience was crucial, and both Kieran Richardson and Chris Eagles went close in the first half. Arsenal's best chance saw Tim Howard beat outJermaine Pennant's free-kick.

In the semi-finals, United were drawn against another Premier League side Chelsea. The first leg took place atStamford Bridge on 12 January 2005, while the second leg at Old Trafford was played two weeks later. The first leg ended as a dull goalless draw. Blues midfielder Frank Lampard twice came close, seeing a header flash wide and having a shot cleared off the line by United's Gabriel Heinze. But the Red Devils will feel aggrieved they were not given a first-half penalty after Louis Saha was brought down. After the break, Tim Howard saved fromJiří Jarošík, whileCarlo Cudicini pushed away Wayne Rooney's header. The Chelsea fashioned the better chances, but were unable to break down an excellent visitors' defence. The second leg ended as a 2–1 defeat for United, knocking the Reds out of the League Cup. Lampard gave Chelsea the lead with a powerful angled shot before United's Quinton Fortune had a penalty appeal turned down. Ryan Giggs chipped in to give the Red Devils hope, butDamien Duff's 50-yard free-kick, intended as a cross, sent Chelsea through to the final.

As they had finished 3rd in the FA Premier League the previous season, Manchester United entered the Champions League in the third qualifying round. They were paired with Romanian sideDinamo București. The first leg in Romania took place on 11 August 2004, with the second leg at Old Trafford being played a fortnight later.

In the first leg, United overcame an early scare to win 2–1. United fell behind in the 10th minute through a Quinton Fortune own goal. Just before the interval United drew level after Ryan Giggs roundedUladzimir Haew and slid the ball into the net. United were more cohesive after the break, Alan Smith hitting the post beforeAngelo Alistar scored an own goal after Liam Miller had crossed.

The second leg was a more emphatic win for United, winning 3–0. Alan Smith put United ahead from close range after 47 minutes. He struck another fine finish three minutes later. Substitute David Bellion took advantage of slack defending to seal a multi-million cash jackpot for United. The result sealed a 5–1 aggregate win for United, and earned them a place in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

In the draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage, United were placed in Pot 1. This meant that they would avoid facing teams such as the holdersPorto. However, they could still face the likes ofLyon andInternazionale. In the end, United were drawn with Lyon,Sparta Prague andFenerbahçe.

United's first group game was away to Lyon, played on 15 September. The game ended 2–2. Lyon were in command at half-time, with United goalkeeper Tim Howard gifting them the lead after 34 minutes by droppingJuninho's free-kick forCris to score.Pierre-Alain Frau fired a second after a flowing move 10 minutes later. Ruud van Nistelrooy brokeDenis Law's record of 29 European goals for United with a flying header before levelling from close range on the hour. This left United in third place in the group.

United played their first home game in the group on 28 September, against Fenerbahçe. United won 6–2, with 18-year-old striker Wayne Rooney scoring a hat-trick on his debut. Ryan Giggs headed the hosts ahead before Rooney grabbed centre stage, firing in his first goal from Van Nistelrooy's precision pass. He rifled in a second from 20 yards out and scored a second-half free-kick.Márcio Nobre andTuncay Şanlı twice reduced the deficit for the Turkish side, but late goals from Van Nistelrooy and David Bellion made sure of the result.

United's next game was away to Sparta Prague, on 19 October. The game ended 0–0. The home side were inspired by their captain, former United wingerKarel Poborský, who twice brought smart saves out of Roy Carroll.Lukáš Zelenka also shot just wide for Sparta, while aJiří Homola header was kept out by the frame of the goal.

The return game against Sparta came two weeks later at Old Trafford. Van Nistelrooy scored twice in the first half, including one from the penalty spot, but Zelenka pulled one back for the Czech side just after half-time. However, another two goals for Van Nistelrooy secured the victory as he equalled a club record for the most goals in a European match jointly held by Denis Law andDennis Viollet. Meanwhile, Poborský was sent off late in the game for picking up two yellow cards.

In Sir Alex Ferguson's 1,000th match in charge of the club, United hosted Lyon on matchday 5, with Gary Neville opening the scoring with his second career goal in Europe inside 20 minutes.Mahamadou Diarra equalised for the visitors shortly before the break, but an eighth goal of the group stage for Van Nistelrooy secured victory and qualification for the knockout phase.^[6] Van Nistelrooy's tally equalled a Champions League group stage record set two years earlier byHernán Crespo andFilippo Inzaghi.^[7]

United were top of the group going into their final match at Fenerbahçe, but with qualification assured, Ferguson chose to play a second-string team, with centre-backGerard Piqué making his European debut off the bench in the second half. A hat-trick from Tuncay gave United their first defeat of the Champions League season, and combined with Lyon's 5–0 win over Sparta Prague, it meant United finished in second place in the group, to be paired with a group winner in the draw for the first knockout round.^[8]

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		LYO	MUN	FEN	SPP
1	Lyon	6	4	1	1	17	8	+9	13	Advance toknockout stage		—	2–2	4–2	5–0
2	Manchester United	6	3	2	1	14	9	+5	11			2–1	—	6–2	4–1
3	Fenerbahçe	6	3	0	3	10	13	−3	9	Transfer toUEFA Cup		1–3	3–0	—	1–0
4	Sparta Prague	6	0	1	5	2	13	−11	1			1–2	0–0	0–1	—

No.	Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	Tim Howard	12	0	4	0	5	0	5	0	1	0	27	0
2	DF	Gary Neville	22	0	4	0	1	0	7	1	1	0	35	1
3	DF	Phil Neville	12(7)	0	4(1)	0	3	0	1(5)	0	0(1)	0	20(14)	0
4	DF	Gabriel Heinze	26	1	4	0	2	0	7	0	0	0	39	1
5	DF	Rio Ferdinand	31	0	5	0	1	0	5	0	0	0	42	0
6	DF	Wes Brown	18(3)	1	6	0	3	0	6(1)	0	0	0	33(4)	1
7	FW	Cristiano Ronaldo	25(8)	5	6(1)	4	2	0	7(1)	0	0	0	40(10)	9
8	FW	Wayne Rooney	24(5)	11	6	3	1(1)	0	6	3	0	0	37(6)	17
9	FW	Louis Saha	7(7)	1	0(2)	0	4	1	0(2)	0	0	0	11(11)	2
10	FW	Ruud van Nistelrooy	16(1)	6	3	2	0	0	6(1)	8	0	0	25(2)	16
11	MF	Ryan Giggs	26(6)	6	2(2)	0	1	1	6	2	1	0	36(8)	9
12	FW	David Bellion	1(9)	2	1	0	3	1	2(1)	2	1	0	8(10)	5
13	GK	Roy Carroll	26	0	3	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	34	0
14	FW	Alan Smith	22(9)	6	0(3)	0	1(1)	1	3(2)	2	1	1	27(15)	10
15	MF	Kléberson	6(2)	0	0	0	3	0	2(1)	0	0	0	11(3)	0
16	MF	Roy Keane (c)	28(3)	1	4	1	1	0	6	0	1	0	40(3)	2
17	MF	Liam Miller	3(5)	0	2(2)	0	2	1	3(2)	0	0	0	10(9)	1
18	MF	Paul Scholes	29(4)	9	5(1)	3	1(1)	0	7	0	1	0	43(6)	12
19	MF	Eric Djemba-Djemba	3(2)	0	2	0	4	0	5	0	1	0	15(2)	0
20	FW	Ole Gunnar Solskjær	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
21	FW	Diego Forlán	0(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0(1)	0	0(1)	0	0(3)	0
22	DF	John O'Shea	16(7)	2	3(1)	1	4	0	5	0	1	0	29(8)	3
23	MF	Kieran Richardson	0(2)	0	1	0	3	1	1(1)	0	0(1)	0	5(4)	1
24	MF	Darren Fletcher	18	3	1(2)	0	3	0	3(2)	0	0(1)	0	25(5)	3
25	MF	Quinton Fortune	12(5)	0	5(1)	1	4	0	3(2)	0	1	0	25(8)	1
27	DF	Mikaël Silvestre	33(2)	2	2(2)	0	2	0	7(1)	0	1	0	45(5)	2
28	DF	Gerard Piqué	0	0	1	0	0(1)	0	0(1)	0	0	0	1(2)	0
29	DF	Jonathan Spector	2(1)	0	1	0	0(1)	0	1(1)	0	0(1)	0	4(4)	0
31	MF	David Jones	0	0	1	0	0(1)	0	0	0	0	0	1(1)	0
33	MF	Chris Eagles	0	0	1	0	1(2)	0	1(1)	0	0(1)	0	3(4)	0
35	GK	Ricardo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
40	FW	Sylvan Ebanks-Blake	0	0	0	0	0(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0(1)	0
42	FW	Giuseppe Rossi	0	0	0	0	0(2)	0	0	0	0	0	0(2)	0

United's first departure of the 2004–05 season wasMark Lynch, who signed forSunderland on 14 July. Almost a fortnight later,Nicky Butt left United for Newcastle United after 12 years.Luke Chadwick was released six days later, whileDiego Forlán left United forVillarreal after two unhappy years at Old Trafford.

In addition to the signings of Alan Smith fromLeeds United and Gabriel Heinze fromParis Saint Germain at the end of 2003–04 season, United also brought in Spanish defender Gerard Piqué, Italian strikerGiuseppe Rossi and English forward Wayne Rooney in the summer of 2004. They made no signings in the winter transfer window.

Departing during the winter transfer window were midfieldersBojan Djordjic and Eric Djemba-Djemba who left forRangers and Aston Villa respectively. On 30 June, United released Northern Irish goalkeeper Roy Carroll, Welsh forwardDaniel Nardiello, Spanish goalkeeperRicardo, Republic of Ireland defenderPaul Tierney and Gambian strikerArthur Gómez.

Date	Pos.	Name	From	Fee
1 July 2004	DF	Gerard Piqué	Barcelona	Undisclosed[10]
6 July 2004	FW	Giuseppe Rossi	Parma	Undisclosed[11]
31 August 2004	FW	Wayne Rooney	Everton	£27m[12]

Date	Pos.	Name	To	Fee
14 July 2004	DF	Mark Lynch	Sunderland	Free[13][14]
27 July 2004	MF	Nicky Butt	Newcastle United	£2.5m[15]
2 August 2004	MF	Luke Chadwick	West Ham United	Free[16]
20 August 2004	FW	Diego Forlán	Villarreal	Undisclosed[17]
27 December 2004	MF	Bojan Djordjic	Rangers	Undisclosed[18]
31 January 2005	MF	Eric Djemba-Djemba	Aston Villa	£1.35m[19]
30 June 2005	GK	Roy Carroll	Released
30 June 2005	FW	Daniel Nardiello	Released
30 June 2005	GK	Ricardo	Released
30 June 2005	DF	Paul Tierney	Released
30 June 2005	FW	Arthur Gómez	Released

Date from	Date to	Position	Name	To
15 July 2004	31 May 2005	FW	Eddie Johnson	Coventry City
16 July 2004	30 June 2005	FW	Daniel Nardiello	Barnsley
29 July 2004	31 May 2005	MF	Michael Stewart	Hearts
18 August 2004	30 June 2005	FW	Kenny Cooper	Académica Coimbra
11 September 2004	31 May 2005	GK	Luke Steele	Coventry City
7 October 2004	7 November 2004	MF	David Fox	Shrewsbury Town
6 December 2004	5 January 2005	FW	Colin Heath	Cambridge United
21 December 2004	7 May 2005	DF	Paul Tierney	Bradford City
23 December 2004	29 January 2005	DF	Paul McShane	Walsall
21 January 2005	23 April 2005	MF	Chris Eagles	Watford
28 January 2005	5 March 2005	FW	Kenny Cooper	Oldham Athletic
29 January 2005	15 May 2005	MF	Kieran Richardson	West Bromwich Albion

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