Ferguson promises Man Utd boost to Celtic cause

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United could pave the way for Celtic to join his side in the knockout stages of the Champions League after Scott McDonald kept the Scottish champions' hopes alive in Group E.

The United boss had to endure a tense evening at Celtic Park on Wednesday before Ryan Giggs's late equaliser cancelled out Australia striker McDonald's sublime first-half strike to leave the two sides tied at 1-1.

That ensures United will advance to the last 16 barring the inconceivable combination of a defeat in Villarreal in two weeks time being followed by a four-goal defeat at home to Aalborg in their final match.

Celtic's hopes of a winner-takes-all showdown with Villarreal here next month depend on United winning in Spain as well as them improving on their woeful away record by taking all three points from Aalborg in Denmark in their next game.

But Ferguson gave them grounds for encouragement by indicating that he would be sending a strong side to Villarreal in pursuit of the points they need to be sure of topping the group.

“We want to win the group, so Celtic don't need to worry about that,” pledged the Scot, who admitted that he felt his side were headed for their second defeat here in the space of three years.

“Celtic are good enough to get that second spot, no question about that.”

Shunsuke Nakamura's glorious freekick proved decisive on United's last visit and McDonald's 13th-minute effort, a deftly cushioned lob over Ben Foster after 13 minutes, was in the same league.

“I made the point before the match about Nakamura scoring a fantastic goal when we played here two years ago and they go and score another fantastic goal,” Ferguson said.

“The boy has shown great control and composure. It was a great strike.”

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan, who declared himself too drained by the evening's drama to contemplate his side's remaining matches, also showered McDonald with praise for the way he has coped in the absence of his injured fellow forwards Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Georgios Samaras and Chris Killen.

“It was a really calm finish,” Strachan said. “What he has done over the last month is phenomenal when you think he has lost all of his regular striking partners.”

Despite them leaving it late, Ferguson believes his side did enough to merit the point they claimed when Artur Boruc was unable to hold Cristiano Ronaldo's swerving drive, palming the ball into the path of Giggs.

“We kept at them in the second half and I think we deserved to get a point,” said Ferguson. “But with minutes to go you do think you are going to lose it, that it might not be your night.”

Ferguson had rested Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov with one eye on Saturday's Premier League trip to Arsenal, but all three had been pressed into action by the finish.

Berbatov entered the fray at half-time and Ferguson felt the Bulgarian's guile significantly improved United's cutting edge.

“He takes up such fantastic positions he is very difficult to pinpoint. But overall the urgency of the team proved their character. They needed to produce something in the second half and they did.”

Strachan also believes his side proved a point, which he underlined with a sideswipe at Paul Ince, the Blackburn manager who had described United's 3-0 win over Celtic last month as an “embarrassing” mismatch between “men and boys.”

The Celtic boss said: “I thought it was going to be one of those glorious nights, although we were not embarrassed when the equaliser went in.

“I am just happy we got a bit of pride back, happy we gave them a good game. And I'm happy we are not boys. We are men. Boys don't play like with that kind of spirit.”