It's 1-0 at halftime in Old Trafford, a scoreline that will suit Manchester United. They're leading Didier Deschamps' Marseille on aggregate, so if the score stays the same they're through to the next round. However, it's not all great news for Sir Alex Ferguson's side - Marseille look good for a goal at some point and if they can score and hold their hosts to a draw, they'll advance on the away goals rule.
Manchester United FC Vs. Marseille, 2011 UEFA Champions League: 1-0 United Lead At Halftime
Javier Hernandez (who was later booked for a foul on Gabriel Heinze) opened the scoring in the 6th minute after an early spell of pressure from United, the striker tapping home at the far post after excellent work by Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs. The hosts dominated the match until about the 35 minute mark, when right back John O'Shea was forced off the pitch with a hamstring injury. That gave Marseille some momentum, and they had a bevy of chances in the final ten minutes of the half. Wasteful/unlucky finishing robbed them of the chance to be level, but the best chance of the match for the visiting side came right after Hernandez's opener, when Andre-Pierre Gignac skied a volley while one on one with Edwin van der Sar.
Right now, United are under some pressure. If they can get a second goal - which they really should have done at some point while they were completely dominating - they’re home and dry, but while the score stays 1-0, there’ll always be some danger of Marseille snatching a hugely important away goal.
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