Manchester United welcomed Cluj to Old Trafford this evening knowing they had already guaranteed top spot in Group H of this year's Champions League.

The Romanians, on the other hand, had it all to play for as they knew a better result than Galatasaray's in Braga would see them join the Red Devils in the last 16.

Cluj snuck the win thanks to Luis Alberto's second-half wonder strike but it wasn't enough to see the visitors through alongside United as Galatasaray came back to win in Portugal.

Here, Sports Mole picks the bones out of Cluj's famous victory.

Match statistics:

United:
Shots 23
On target 11
Possession 79%
Corners 6
Fouls 8

Cluj:
Shots 9
On target 4
Possession 21%
Corners 7
Fouls 12

Was the result fair?

Not really, no. Although the limp atmosphere inside Old Trafford hardly spurred on the home side, United created a number of opportunities and should have found the net at least once. The goal they did concede was an absolute stunner and came slightly out of the blue.

United's performance

Fairly tepid and certainly wasteful. The 79% possession attained by the Red Devils illustrates their confidence on the ball, especially in the midfield area, but they were inefficient at the front and in the end paid the ultimate price.

Cluj's performance

Impressive, primarily because of the daunting prospect of playing at Old Trafford. The Romanians caused plenty of problems for Sir Alex Ferguson's men and were rewarded for their hard work when Alberto's speculative effort spun away from David de Gea's outstretched left hand, thwacked the post and went in. The famous victory will feel somewhat hollow, however, because of their narrow exit from the competition.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Paul Scholes: The United veteran came on just before the end of the first half and was at the heart of all good things the hosts produced in the second period.

Biggest gaffe

This award has to go to Chris Smalling this evening for his horrible miss with a free header from just five yards in the first half.

Referee performance

Daniele Orsato had a solid game with the whistle, awarding yellow cards at the right time and generally letting the game flow.

What next?

United: Next up for the Red Devils is Sunday's huge Manchester derby against City at the Etihad.

Cluj: The Romanians, who are struggling to keep pace with the frontrunners in their domestic league, go to Ceahlaul on Sunday.

Written by
Pascal Lemesre