Half-Time Report: Manchester United, Sunderland goalless at the break

Manchester United and Sunderland are playing out a goalless draw in this afternoon's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.

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The hosts made a positive start as they registered a number of corners early on, Wayne Rooney going close with a near-post header from Angel di Maria's centre.

Sunderland then launched into a decent spell as Connor Wickham's low shot on the counter-attack almost sneaked in the corner, but David de Gea was alert to palm the ball away, and moments later, Jermain Defoe blasted over from the edge of the area.

United recovered soon enough, with Marcos Rojo nearly bundling home a cross from the left flank around the quarter-hour mark, before Ashley Young sent a vicious shot whistling over the bar.

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Half an hour in, John O'Shea very nearly gave his former side the lead when he deflected Ashley Young's cross towards his own goal, but the woodwork took the brunt of the ball before bouncing away.

United kept plugging away in the latter stages of the first half, with Young flashing a shot past the far post before a Rooney free kick forced a save from Costel Pantilimon.

Rojo was next to threaten as his low shot had to be cleared off the line by Sebastian Larsson, but ultimately the Red Devils were unable to break the deadlock come half time.