Manchester United duly ensured top seeding in the Champions' League quarter-final draw with a display which was as big a damp squib as the weekend's
Fallas festival.
Heavy rain on Sunday night put a dampener on the Valencian celebration when
hundreds of firecrackers were let off and dozens of towering papier-mache
figures were burnt.
However United could not blame the rain and instead of the exciting match
promised by Sir Alex Ferguson, they helped serve up a no-score bore.
However that will not matter one jot to Ferguson and this performance was as
professional as it was dull.
It was a display reminiscent of the Liverpool of old as they basically
frustrated Valencia for 90 minutes, content in the knowledge that a draw would
see them finish top of Group B.
United will now be seeded in Friday's draw which means they will avoid
the big guns like Barcelona and Bayern Munich for another round at least.
Valencia began intent on trying to rack up the 3-0 or better scoreline they
needed to finish above United at the top of Group B.
Miguel Angel Angulo signalled their intent with a 20-yard drive after just two minutes
which whizzed just over Mark Bosnich's bar.
It was going to be a busy night for Bosnich as he made a fine stop from
Gerard's header soon after and a minute later the United goalkeeper parried a
rasping drive from Kily Gonzalez.
Quinton Fortune, making his first Champions' League start, was sticking to his
left wing and from one counter-attack he sent over a perfect cross to Teddy
Sheringham at the back post, but the striker headed straight at Valencian
goalkeeper Santiago Canizares when he should have done better.
Sheringham, who started alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as United deployed the
SAS for the first time since Boxing Day, did better a couple of minutes later.
The striker won possession and played a great ball into the middle for
Solskjaer, but Canizares saved the Norwegian's shot.
United were beginning to assert themselves after Valencia's bright opening and
Solskjaer played a great ball through to Paul Scholes on the edge of the Valencia
area and the midfielder's shot was deflected narrowly wide for a corner.
But still it was Valencia who looked the more likely to score and Bosnich
blocked Angulo's shot after the Spaniard had controlled Claudio Lopez's
free-kick expertly.
Jocelyn Angloma was giving a performance which belied his 34 years and the former
French international crashed a 30-yard drive against the inside of Bosnich's far
post in the 34th minute.
Henning Berg almost suffered a repeat of his blunders against Fiorentina and
Marseille when his weak backpass nearly let in Lopez, but the alert Bosnich
cleared the danger and spared him perhaps another spell on the bench.
Valencia continued to threaten the United goal after the half-time interval
and Angulo drove wide of Bosnich's left-hand post.
Lopez then found some space just outside the box as United's defence backed off, but the Argentinian international failed to capitalise on the opportunity and he screwed his shot wide.
Bosnich continued to defy the home side and he blocked Kily Gonzalez's
left-foot shot for a corner at his near post.
Juan Sanchez, who was preferred up front to Adrian Ilie by Valencia coach
Hector Cuper, felt he should have had a penalty when he went down after turning
Jaap Stam.
However Slovakian referee Michel Lubos, who at 31 was younger than five of the
players on the pitch, rejected his appeals.
United were content to play in second gear and were happy just to retain
possession whenever they had the ball by passing it along their back line.
United's intent was eloquently summed up midway through the half when Jordi
Cruyff came on for Solskjaer and they retreated to the halfway line.
Valencia, realising that a draw would be sufficient to see them qualify as
runners-up to United, lost much of their drive and the game died as a contest.
Teams:
Valencia: Canizares, Carboni, Pellegrino, Djukic, Angloma, Kily Gonzalez, Gerard, Farinos, Angulo, Lopez, Sanchez (Ilie 70).
Subs Not Used: Bartual Molina, Bjorklund, Oscar, Vlaovic, Fagiani, Gerardo.
Manchester United: Bosnich, Irwin, Stam, Berg, G. Neville, Fortune, Butt, Keane, Scholes, Sheringham, Solskjaer (Cruyff 67).
Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Cole, P. Neville, Yorke, Silvestre, Wallwork.
Booked: Solskjaer.
Att: 48,432
Ref: Michel Lubos (Slovakia).
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