Dynamo Kiev 2-4 Man Utd: Ronaldo inspires romp

After a lengthy sequence of single-goal wins, Manchester United have
now settled upon a much happier number as they struck four times for
the third game running to virtually seal a place in the Champions
League group stage.

GettyImages
Rio Ferdinand leaps highest to give United the lead, and they were
able to consolidate their lead with three more.

Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, with his seventh goal in six games for
club and country, gave United a flying start before Cristiano
Ronaldo's double wrapped up a victory far more comfortable than the
scoreline suggests.

Given the abject nature of Dynamo Kiev's defending, it is hard to see
anything other than a United win when the two sides meet again at Old
Trafford in a fortnight, a result that would see Sir Alex Ferguson's
men book a place in the knock-out phase with two games to spare.

Indeed, the only complaint from the Red Devils chief on a night which
saw United complete their biggest European away win in nine years,
must have been that his side conceded twice as Diogo Rincon and Ismael
Bangoura found the net for Dynamo to keep things interesting.

The goals were as much a result of slackness appearing in United's
play during a game that was all to easy for them, the outcome and his
personal contribution providing Rooney with the perfect gift for his
22nd birthday tomorrow.

After losing Paul Scholes to a knee injury sustained in training and
Patrice Evra to a calf strain suffered in the warm-up, the build-up
was hardly smooth for the visitors.

The loss of Scholes in particular will be a concern to Ferguson.

With Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick already sidelined, the United
manager will await the results of a scan Scholes will have tomorrow
with bated breath, especially as his side are due to tackle Barclays
Premier League table-toppers Arsenal in the biggest game of the season
so far at the Emirates Stadium on November 3.

Those worries are for another day though because here, in what are
supposed to be the inhospitable climes of Eastern Europe, United were
on easy street.

It became apparent from quite an early stage that Dynamo Kiev -
without a point from their opening two games - were ill equipped to
cope with the Red Devils' attacking threat.

If Ferdinand was given too much room for his ninth-minute header, the
space Rooney and Ronaldo found themselves in when they put their names
on the scoresheet was laughable.

In terms of his barren career, Ferdinand is now on something of a
scoring streak.

Having found the net against Aston Villa on Saturday and also for
England in their win over Russia at Wembley last month, the
#29.1million star's first European goal in 42 attempts for United
means his tally of three equals the best seasonal return of his career.

England team-mate Rooney is far more prolific of course and Dynamo
presumably had heard about his impending birthday given the present
they provided him with as he tapped home Wes Brown's low cross to
maintain his impressive run of form.

Ronaldo was the architect of that effort, breaking from inside his
half. However, as the Portugal winger should have been protecting the
post Rincon's header crept into to hand Dynamo a 33rd-minute lifeline,
Ronaldo was making up for his own error when he nodded home United's
third.

He could probably have controlled Ryan Giggs' cross and rolled it in
with his head such was the non-existent nature of Dynamo's defence.
Instead, he settled for a more conventional finish.

Even with two half-time changes, Dynamo were unconvincing and Anderson
was agonisingly close to netting his first United goal with a shot
which bounced back off a post with Olexandr Shovkovskiy beaten.

Had Dynamo been awarded what appeared a certain penalty when
substitute Artem Milevskiy tumbled under Nemanja Vidic's challenge,
the hosts might have made a game of it.

Instead, Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai ruled in United's favour -
dubiously it seemed on TV replays - and then gave the Red Devils a
spot-kick, after extensive consultation with his assistant, after
Goran Gavrancic had stuck out an elbow to block Tevez's cross.

Rooney, who failed miserably with his hat-trick attempt at Villa Park
on Saturday, handed over responsibility to Ronaldo, who promptly sent
Shovkovskiy the wrong way.

Bangoura wrapped up the scoring 10 minutes from time and while the
departure of a seemingly uninjured Edwin van der Sar raised eyebrows
not long afterwards, United coasted home.