Nani Drive United To Next Round

Manchester United 2 - Reading 1
Scorers
Manchester United: Nani (69), Hernandez (72)
Reading: McAnuff (81)

Team: De Gea, Vidic, Smalling, Jones (Nani 42), Buttner, Cleverley, Anderson (Carrick 84), Valencia, Young (Van Persie 64), Welbeck, Hernandez

The spotlight may have been on Ronaldo in the recent week, but Nani took the opportunity, coming on early for an injured Jones, and drove home the point and focus back to his own derailed campaigned. It was a sizzling performance cupped with a goal and an assist.

A good 42 points separated the sides and it showed right from the opening minute. Had it not been for Frederici's saves, which went from good to better to spectacular, Reading would have been buried by an avalanche of goals. There were short spells in the game in which Reading kept possession, but by and large, we were the more likely scorer.

Yet for a good 69 minutes, the breakthru just wouldn't come and when it did, it came deservedly to the most productive and dangerous man on the pitch. He may have had games which he would have liked to forget, but this was one to remember. He followed that with a beautiful cross for Hernandez to head home. Nani rarely put a foot wrong. All he has to do now is to keep it up, which really is his problem. The talent has always been there, the consistency hasn't.

Reading made a game out of it with some slack defending on our part, which has been our nemesis this season. It made the ending more uncomfortable than it really should be, but we saw it through.

Apart from Nani, a special mention should be given to Reading's Australian keeper, Frederici. He single-handedly kept United at bay with a superlative performance.

With the win, we face either Boro or Chelsea in the next round.