PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Peter Schmeichel visited his former team and made one uncanny mistake from a free kick to leave the result 6-2. The second Brondby goal he could do nothing about. However, everything else Manchester United did was absolutely magnificent."

MATCH REPORT

By David Anderson, PA Sport

Wonderful, wonderful Manchester United hit Brondby for six in Copenhagen tonight to ignite their Champions' League campaign in explosive fashion.

Alex Ferguson's side were simply awesome in the Parken Stadium as they overran the Danes to record their best ever victory in the Champions' League.

In their two previous Group D games, United had played well only to be pegged back for draws - but tonight there was no stopping them. Ryan Giggs began the rout when he scored after just 100 seconds and United dominated the entire game.

The victory, which was United's first in the competition in 11 months, puts them in a commanding position at the top of the group. Peter Schmeichel returned from his stomach muscle injury to face his former club, although Jaap Stam took the goal-kicks.

United were without six first team players, but that made little difference to Ferguson's formidable squad. He had a potential problem at right midfield with the suspension of Nicky Butt and David Beckham, but he moved Giggs across to that flank while Paul Scholes partnered Roy Keane in the centre of the park.

Giggs was superb and scored the first two goals before he came off just after the hour. And in the land of Hans Christian Andersen, Wesley Brown's fairytale United career continued as he made his European debut at right-back. And it was the newest of Fergie's fledglings who helped create United's first goal.

Keane found him as he made a great run down the right and there seemed little danger when he crossed into the middle. But Brondby goalkeeper Mogens Krogh fumbled the ball after a mix-up with Kenneth Rasmussen and Giggs knocked the ball into the unguarded net.

Andy Cole came close to a second when his angled shot was touched away for a corner by Krogh. Brondby tried to claw their way back in wet conditions more suited to a rainy night in Manchester and Soren Colding stung Schmeichel's fingers with a fierce 25-yard drive which he held at the second attempt.

But there was no stopping United, who were playing Danish opposition in Europe for the first time, and after 21 minutes they made it 2-0. Jesper Blomqvist sent over a high cross from the left and Giggs rose unchallenged to head home from six yards out.

Six minutes later it was 3-0 when Giggs found Yorke, who in turn supplied Cole. He applied a great finish from the edge of the area. Thomas Lindrup was booked after 34 minutes for taking a free-kick without the referee's permission and his second yellow card means he misses the return match at Old Trafford in two weeks' time.

Kim Daugaard stepped up to take the free-kick at the second attempt and his 20-yard shot skimmed off the greasy surface and underneath Schmeichel. That goal gave the Danes a glimmer of a hope but it did not last for long. After the interval, Giggs and Cole combined and almost set up Yorke but the ball was played just too far in front of him. But United did not have much longer to wait for their next goal.

It came in the 55th minute through Keane who fired home with a shot from outside the area which went in off a post. United were far from finished and Cole was denied a fifth by Krogh.

On the hour United stretched their lead to 5-1 when Phil Neville sent over a pinpoint cross which Yorke headed home for his seventh goal in 10 United appearances. That was the signal for Ferguson to bring off Cole and Giggs and he replaced them with Jordi Cruyff and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And within two minutes Solskjaer made it 6-1 when he shot home.

United's travelling support of 1,600 fans were in party mood and they chanted the name of their manager. Ferguson also handed teenage midfielder Mark Wilson his first team debut when he came on for Yorke in the 65th minute.

Brondby pulled back a consolation goal in the final minute through striker Ebbe Sand, but there was no denying it was United's night.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson still found room to complain despite Manchester United's record breaking 6-2 European Champions' League victory over Brondby. United's triumph in the Parken Stadium was the best ever away win in the history of competition but Ferguson still found room to nit-pick. The United manager did not feel the performance was that good and thought their display in the draw against Bayern Munich was better.

"It was a fantastic result for us but our best performance was in Munich without question," Ferguson said. "I think that the suddenness of the goals caught Brondby and their execution of the goals was excellence. But it was not a great performance. The conditions were difficult for both teams and that created a carelessness and floppiness in our play and we gave the ball away too much. But you must remember how difficult it was out there. But you can't dismiss the goals we scored and that was the main feature of the game for me."

Ryan Giggs scored United's first two goals before Andy Cole, Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer netted to complete the right. Kim Daugaard and Ebbe Sand netted Brondby's consolation goals.

To complete United's joy Bayern Munich beat Barcelona and the Old Trafford outfit now top group D with five points at the halfway stage - to Ferguson's delight.

"It's been a great night for us and we got the result we wanted in Munich," Ferguson said. "But it is still difficult for us and if Barcelona beat us in Barcelona I think we will go out."

The experience of conceding six goals to Ferguson's men was nothing new for Brondby coach Ebbe Fkovdahl. The Danish League and Cup holders lost 6-0 to United in a pre-season friendly in July. But Fkovdahl highlighted the loss of defenders Per Nielsen and Brian Jensen as the main reason Brondby had succumbed this time.

"It was a bit like a tennis match. We have lost six-love and 6-2 and I don't know what will happen in the third game," Fkovdahl said. "It is hard for us because we lost half of our defence when Nielsen and Jensen went off injured and that made it even more difficult for us to stop the two strikers Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke."

TEAMS

IF Brondby: Krogh, Bjur, Colding, Nielsen, Rasmussen, Ravn, B Jensen, Daugaard, Bo Hansen, Lindrup, Sand.
Subs: Vragel for Jensen, Bagger for Bo Hansen
Scorers: Daugaard (35), Sand (90)

Manchester United: Schmeichel, P Neville, Stam, G Neville, Brown, Keane, Giggs, Blomqvist, Scholes, Cole, Yorke.
Subs: Solskjaer for Cole, Cruyff for Giggs, Wilson for Yorke.
Scorers: Giggs (2,21), Cole (28), Keane (55), Yorke (60), Solskjaer (63)

Referee: Vitor Manuel Pereira (Por)