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Guardian:

Ferguson will be concerned about the lack of marking which allowed Christian Gimenez the space and time to chest down a right-wing delivery from Sébastien Barberis before shooting emphatically past Roy Carroll. Devoid of their driving forces, United's response to this 14th-minute setback lacked the usual clout and self-belief. But Giggs replaced Richardson at the interval and the home side finally began to play with the authority befitting a team that had qualified from Group D with two games to spare.

Even so, it still required a moment of good fortune to restore parity eight minutes into the second half. Gary Neville's shot, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had headed on Fletcher's cross, was unlikely to have troubled Zubi until it took a decisive deflection off Timothee Atouba, giving the defender his first goal of the season and only the fourth of his Old Trafford career.

The one beam of light on a murky night was Fletcher, a player of poise and purpose. But the lingering memory was of men in suits crowding round the televisions in the executive boxes to watch Killer Corrie, desperately in need of some drama.

Manchester United (4-1-4-1): Carroll; G Neville, Ferdinand, Blanc (Scholes, 74), O'Shea; P Neville; Solskjaer, Fletcher (Beckham, 74), Butt, Richardson; Forlan.
Booked: P Neville.

Basle (4-3-1-2): Zubi; Haas, M Yakin, Zwissig, Atouba; Barberis, Cataluppi, Chipperfield; H Yakin; Rossi (Huggel, 63), Gimenez (Tum, 77).

Referee: C Larsen (Denmark

Telegraph:

Gary Neville has played more Champions League matches than any other European footballer, but search for him in the goalscorers' columns and the Manchester United full-back is rather less prolific. It was perhaps fitting then that the full-back's goal should rescue United's 15-month unbeaten home run in the competition and save them from defeat against Basle last night.

There are few better occasions to make your Manchester United debut than in a meaningless Champions League match and few more impressive players to displace than David Beckham. Darren Fletcher, a 19-year-old from Edinburgh, has been the emergent talent at the club's academy for the last three years but that will not necessarily mean that Marcello Lippi has heard of him.

Fletcher looked confident. The teenager will have been relieved that a daring backheel came off successfully after five minutes and there was a murmur of appreciation round Old Trafford when he pulled a Gary Neville pass out of the air minutes later.

Despite the improvements he has made to his game Diego Forlan alone up front is not Europe's most devastating attacking force. United struggled to cut out a single chance in the early part of the first half and their persistent visitors took advantage with a goal of their own on 14 minutes.

Rio Ferdinand's shuffles and pirouettes in possession will not hide the fact that, just like Mark Viduka's goal against Leeds, he failed to cut out another cross from the right. Not long after that, United's five-man midfield was abandoned.

The equaliser came from a much more unusual source. Neville was evidently delighted by his goal and had another go on 74 minutes with a shot from identical range that Zuberbuhler juggled before clasping tight.

By then, Ferguson had introduced Beckham and Scholes in the vain pursuit of a Champions League record of six consecutive wins. Instead, United's record at home will remain intact, but there really will be nothing to play for once again when they visit Deportivo La Coruna next week.

Mirror:

It is rare Manchester United are upstaged. But last night, in the absence of their established stars, they were forced to play second fiddle to a most unusual figure.

During half-time at Old Trafford, the televisions in the executive boxes and press room are usually tuned in to the first-half highlights, but there was a far more intoxicating drama elsewhere last night.

It says everything about United's dismal first-half display that the demise of Coronation Street's serial murderer Richard Hillman drew more attention than their exploits in the half-time break.

The one positive note was the assured debut of midfielder Darren Fletcher, whose composure on the ball and confident touches suggested Fergie's belief in the 19-year-old Scot as a star of the future is justified.

Gary Neville was effusive in his praise of Fletcher, who has surely done enough to keep his place in next Tuesday's academic final Group D game at Deportivo La Coruna.

United often looked ordinary against opponents whose discipline and work rate belied their lack of class.

Fergie clearly recognised the need for some sort of spark and brought on Ryan Giggs at half-time in place of the 18-year-old Kieran Richardson, who had been a peripheral figure.

But the breakthrough came from an unlikely source in the 53rd minute, when Neville's first-time volley deflected past Basel keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler.

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