PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Manchester United will play among the best again after they secured passage to the group stages of the European Cup after this 0-0 draw against LKS Lodz. United, who were 2-0 up from the first leg were always in control and were just glad to hear the final whistle after an exhausting trip."

MATCH REPORT

By David Anderson, PA Sport

Few goalless draws have ever been as valuable to Manchester United as this one. The result in the qualifying round second leg saw United through to the Champions' League for the fourth time and guarantees them a windfall of as much as £5million for competing against Europe's elite.

Not that United manager Alex Ferguson will be bothered by the extra millions and instead he will just be glad to be in tomorrow's Champions' League draw in Monaco. Antoni Ptak, owner of the Polish side, welcomed United to Lodz in his programme notes and claimed the industrial city is known as the Manchester of Poland. But while Lowry would have found some matchstick men and matchstick women to paint in Lodz, the only similarity between the two teams was that they both had 11 players.

This was a controlled performance from United and they were rarely in trouble against the mediocre Polish champions in their run down stadium in front of a meagre crowd. Indeed they could, and should, have scored to make their victory margin even greater, but Ferguson will not be too bothered by that.

Ferguson had predicted a transformed Lodz from the side which defended so deeply at Old Trafford in the first leg and he was proved right. The lively Rafal Niznik turned Denis Irwin and fired past the post after just 30 seconds, while Zbigniew Wyciszkiewicz had a shot blocked inside the six-yard box.

United, though, dealt comfortably with the Poles and midway through the half they began to assert themselves. Nicky Butt pounced on a loose ball just outside the area and unleashed a shot which Lodz goalkeeper Boguslaw Wyparlo could only parry.

Teddy Sheringham, who was making his first start of the season in place of Andy Cole, should have done better when he rose to head a Ryan Giggs corner, but the England striker directed his weak effort wide of the post.

Ferguson will not have been impressed by David Beckham after the midfielder needlessly got himself booked for a clumsy tackle on Tomasz Kos on the half hour.

United continue to threaten an away goal, which would have killed the tie, and Ronny Johnsen hit a bouncing effort into the arms of Wyparlo from a Giggs corner. Wyparlo was called into action again three minutes before half-time when he produced a fine finger-tip save to touch Beckham's shot over the bar.

United continued to control the match and they went close again when Roy Keane found Beckham in space on the right and Sheringham was just centimetres away from connecting with his inviting ball into the middle. Lodz, though, gave United a scare after 61 minutes when Kos' free-kick took a massive deflection and dropped just wide of the goal with Peter Schmeichel, who was making his 25th Champions' League appearance, stranded.

United were soon back in charge and Keane shot wide after Beckham's effort had been saved by Wyparlo, while Butt sent a rasping drive just inches over the bar. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who turned down a move to Tottenham at the weekend, almost stole a late winner three minutes from time only for Wyparlo to block his point-blank shot.

By the end of the match the players and supporters in the mostly uncovered ground had been soaked by the rain but it will not have dampened United's spirits.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson knows the hard work is just beginning after Manchester United booked their place in Thursday's Champions League draw. United secured their berth in Europe's Premier club competition for the fourth time after they drew 0-0 at LKS Lodz to win 2-0 on aggregate. United could be paired with two seeds in the draw in Monaco, but Ferguson is upbeat about his side's chances.

"It does on paper look more difficult than before," said the United boss. "But it may suit us because we proved last year that we can win a section. We did that well and if we go into a group with two seeds it will make it more difficult for those two teams also.

"The important thing, though, is that we have the ability and temperament to win a section no matter which one we are in. It requires good discipline and concentration like we showed tonight but if we do that we will always have a chance."

United were in control for most of the qualifying round second leg in the ramshackle Lodz stadium and Ferguson admitted that everything had gone to plan.

"We're very pleased to be in the Champions League because obviously that's what we had hoped for," he said. "After we won our first game 2-0 we said if we put in a sensible and disciplined performance that we would have had a good chance. After the opening minutes when Lodz had some good pressure we settled into our game and I was quite pleased with the discipline that we showed."

Ferguson revealed that Ryan Giggs was substituted in the second half because he was feeling his hamstring, but he did not think it was too serious. He also confirmed that Paul Scholes took a knock on his back but that he too should be all right.

LKS Lodz coach Marek Dziuba admitted that United had been too strong for his team.

He said: "We played quite well but I must say that we could not break Manchester United down.

"We have to be happy with the draw against such a team as Manchester United. But I think the main difference was that we were without three key players who scored over 30 goals for us last season. But I congratulate Manchester United and I wish them every success in the Champions' League."

TEAMS

LKS Lodz: Wyparlo, Kos, Bendkowski, Lenart, Krysiak, Pawlak, Zuberek, Niznik, Jakubowski, Wyciszkiewicz, Wiezszczyski.
Subs:

Manchester United: Schmeichel, Irwin, P Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Butt, Keane, Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Sheringham.
Subs: Solskjaer for Giggs