Manchester United's 23 game unbeaten home record in the Champions League ended with a 1-0 defeat to Turkish outfit Besiktas. The Reds only needed a point to guarantee top spot in Group B but for all their possession they failed to find a way through a well organised opposition who gained in confidence as the game progressed.
United dominated the first half both in possession and chances created but still found themselves a goal down at the interval.
United took the field with a strikeforce of two 18 year old forwards, Daniel Welbeck and Federico Macheda who both had chances but were crowded out by a defensive Besiktas side.
Gabriel Obertan looked lively and tricky but too often the final ball was found wanting.
Nemanja Vidic had a free header from an Anderson corner and really should have scored but skewed his header away from goal.
But the visitor's were content to defend in depth and wait for the chance to counter attack.
Their league form had seen them win seven games on the bounce and they looked comfortable on the ball without being threatening.
In fact their European record away from home is just one win in fourteen outings so it was a shock when Besiktas took the lead on 20 minutes.
Rodrigo Tello let fly from out on the right and a wicked deflection off Rafael took the ball past a luckless Ben Foster for only the Turkish side's second goal in the group stages this season.
Instead of continuing as before United faded as the half ended as the inexperienced side looked anxious.
And on 40 minutes Michael Fink should have doubled the visitor's advantage, but his effort clipped the outside of the post.
The second period was probably more comfortable than Besiktas had expected as United failed to even create the chances of the first half as they continued to push forward, but to little effect.
Only in the final minutes did the hosts threaten an equaliser.
Substitute Patrice Evra was clearly body-checked by Ibrahim Kas as the Frenchman burst into the penalty area but the official waved play on.
"It's a penalty, a stonewall penalty," claimed Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson. "That's two games in a row we have been denied stonewall penalties."
Then in injury time Anderson crossed for Macheda whose header was brilliantly saved by Rustu Recber.
From the resulting corner Rustu again prevented a United leveller with a fine stop from Wes Brown's head.
The defeat means United failed to confirm their status as Group B winners but a point from their last game against Wolfsburg will help them avoid some of the bigger teams in the knock-out stages.
Ferguson preferred to look at the positives his young side would have taken away in experience.
"We didn't get the breaks.
"They went very defensive in the second half. Kept stopping the game, played out time, players lying on the ground.
"It's very difficult for young players to understand that, but fortunately we are through and it's good experience.
"They were anxious and nervous, which is understandable but overall we controlled the game but just didn't get the goals we wanted."
