Wolfsburg 1-3 Manchester United

A Michael Owen hat-trick was enough to secure Manchester United three points and top spot in Group B.

United’s make-shift defence looked a little shaky early on and Michael Carrick was lucky not to give away a penalty as Wolfsburg started brightly.

They couldn’t convert their chances though, wasting two gilt edge headed chances to take the lead.

They were made to pay for their missed chances a minute before half time when Michael Owen headed United ahead. A good move down the left saw Nani whip in a threatening cross and Owen ghosted in at the far post to head the ball into the bottom corner.

At this point things looked dire for the German Champions as news came through that CSKA Moscow had also taken the lead against Besiktas.

Wolfsburg hit back after the break and United target Edin Dzeko showed his team-mates how it was done when he powered his header past Tomasz Kuszczak after some good work by Schafer.

The goal seemed to subdue United and Wolfsburg continued to push forward for most of the second half without really creating many clear chances.

There were almost rewarded when Grafite, who up until this point had been extremely wasteful, tested Kuszczak with a stinging shot.

Sir Alex then brought on Gabriel Obertan and Antonio Valencia in an attempt to inject some urgency into his side.

This proved to be the turning point for United, with Obertan in particular adding some much needed energy to the midfield.

He then provided a moment of pure magic with seven minutes remaining to set up Michael Owen to put United back into the lead.

He danced through the Wolfsburg defence with equal measures of skill and pace and handed the ball on a plate to Owen, who simply could not miss with the goal at his mercy.

At this point, the game, and indeed the group, was still in the balance. Besiktas had conjured an equaliser against CSKA, meaning that a single goal from the Germans would send them through.

They got their chance in the last minute of the game when Schafer attacked down the right and sent in a low cross right across the face of goal.

However, to the dismay of his manager and the clubs supporters, Sascha Riether failed to find the net from about three yards out when it looked easier to score than miss.

This proved to be their final chance as United instantly broke away to put the game beyond doubt and kill Wolfsburg’s Champions League dream.

Gabriel Obertan set Michael Owen free on the half way line and the striker outpaced the Wolfsburg defence to calmly chip the onrushing Benaglio to complete his hat-trick.

With all the pre-match hype of a defensive crisis, this game proved that whatever side Sir Alex puts out can still compete on a European stage.

What was perhaps most satisfying about the victory though, was Michael Owen’s hat-trick hero performance.

Recent poor performances from the striker has led many people to completely write off his chances of making Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad.

Although one good performance won’t be enough to get Owen on the plane to South Africa, it might just prove to be the catalyst he needs to kick start his season and at least give him an outside chance of sneaking into the squad.

What did you think of United’s performance tonight? Can Michael Owen force his way back into the England squad or is it just too little too late?

By Harry Veal