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Some of our greatest nights in Manchester have been against Spanish clubs; Athletico Bilbao in 1957, Real Madrid in 1968, Barcelona in 1984 and 2008. This was when the thought of United at home would fright the souls of fearful adversaries. Overall, however, our home record against La Liga sides is not good, eight wins from twenty two competitive matches and it has worsened recently; we had only won one of the last five.

Football in the Basque region caught on at the start of the last century. Students and workers returning from Britain formed the San Sebastian Recreation Club, the football section entering the 1905 Copa del Rey and winning the 1909 competition under the name Club Ciclista de San Sebastian. When they entered the rival competition, the Copa UECF, as Vasconia de San Sebastian in 1910, King Alfonso XIII gave his patronage and they became Real Sociedad de Fútbol. During the years of the republic they were called Donostia but reverted after the civil war to their present name.

Founder members of La Liga in 1928, Real managed to get themselves relegated and promoted seven times during the forties. They won back-to-back La Liga titles in 1980 and 1981 and reached the semi-final of the European Cup, beating Celtic and Sporting Lisbon and losing to the eventual winners, Hamburg. They won the Copa del Rey once more in 1987. Relegated in 2007, they returned to the top division in 2010; it is probably fair to say that the fourth place finish which qualified them for this Champions League was a surprise to most; they achieved it after eschewing commercial sponsorship of their shirts, preferring instead to take the field with the names of club members on their colours, an initiative called “We carry you on our shirts”. Like Athletic Club in Bilbao they had a policy of fielding only Basque players but they abandoned this when they signed John Aldridge in 1989.

Real came to Old Trafford in 1986 for Steve Coppell’s testimonial match and have played competitively in England once before, losing by six goals to one to Liverpool in the UEFA Cup. This season they beat Lyon home and away to qualify for the group stage, but they arrived bottom of the group and pointless, and struggling in their domestic league like us. They still brought seven thousand supporters with them and this, together with the inauguration of the singing section for home fans, made for a good atmosphere.

Our first attack began with Michael Carrick hoofing a thirty yard crossfield ball off the field. Patrice Evra won the ball sharply from the throw in and Wayne Rooney, of so light a foot that would ne’er wear out the turf, dribbled past four players but drove his shot against the inside of the far post. No matter; Iñigo Martínez, following up, had time to pick a spot in his own goal; an extraordinary mistake, 2 minutes 1-0.

The disaster may have unnerved his team but Iñigo Martínez seemed unperturbed. When Javier Hernández, in for the injured Robin van Persie, moved to finish off Shinji Kagawa’s excellent work on the left, Iñigo took a huge gamble bringing him down in the area. It would probably not have been a penalty even if Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis and his team had not been on another planet. The Basques were busy, closed us down, forced us into mistakes but made their own errors. We went forward with panache. Mikel González stopped Hernández with a high boot but the thought that last season Nani had been sent off for less was, it turned out, best contained; Antonio Valencia made a worse challenge by accident later on. Nijhuis made the correct decision both times.

We looked like scoring a second. Everything went through either Rooney or Valencia; Valencia’s move led to a right wing cross by Rafael da Silva but Rooney’s shot was too close to Claudio Bravo and the goalkeeper kept it out. From Valencia’s cross Rooney’s scissors volley was way over the bar. From a short corner Ryan Giggs, capering nimbly despite being past his dancing days, curled in a deadly cross but Hernández was well offside before he netted. It was half an hour before the visitors threatened our goal. Jonny Evans appeared to have covered the break by Haris Seferović but Seferović’s shot was fierce and clever and David de Gea did well to keep it out of the top corner.

How ludicrous the referee’s polypragmatic dogmatism, he could have ruined an entertaining night. Carlos Vela was booked for very little in a scrimmage, Rafael for a needless ten yard slide trying to prevent Alberto de la Bella from getting Valencia’s unhelpful ball, Kagawa was booked for a trip on Carlos Martínez, or maybe for his body language after the foul was given, Markel Bergara got his card for ending a run by Giggs and Rafael was a very foolish boy to tackle through Anton Griezmann and then argue about it but Nijhuis booked Xabi Prieto instead for taking the kick too quickly, so we had had five early bookings in a match lacking a vindictive foul. When that free kick was at last authorised Griezmann curled it brilliantly onto de Gea’s right hand post with our goalkeeper a helpless spectator.

Jones got underneath a clear header from Giggs’ corner; for all our touch and possession half time arrived without us having made the game safe while they had nearly scored twice; our problem was illustrated with the last of the first half action as we patiently worked the opening but won only a corner for Kagawa’s beautiful turn past Iñigo Martínez.

The second half began ominously for those of us with painful memories of what the last Basque visitors, Athletic Club, did to us two years ago. While Rafael and Phil Jones in particular had calmly dealt with most threats before the interval, after it we looked hapless. In the first five minutes of the second half Real made five goal scoring opportunities. From the kick off, Griezmann curled in a centre and Vela, with imperial delusions wearing a shirt apparently belonging to Charles the Fifth (Carlos V), bisected Evans and Rafael with his run and just failed to get a toe to the ball. Five minutes later they were letting fly from all angles and we were lucky when Carrick was robbed; Carlos Martínez’ wild effort turned into a pass to Griezmann, whose ball across the face of the goal nobody could turn in.

Dare we believe that the new singing section played a part in our stylish revival? An atmosphere was created by kindred sympathy of human souls whose roar is wakened into echoing sweet when at times like this the stadium might otherwise be blanketed in sultry silence. When we at last broke free of our shackles Iñigo Martínez continued his risky evening by giving Valencia a shove in the area but it was directly in front of the official whose only task is to watch for such things, so he was safe. Kagawa and Evra worked it up the left and from the corner Kagawa’s cross was headed fiercely by Jones but Bravo had his near post covered. We could have paid a high price; while Chris Smalling was waiting to come on David Zurutuza’s cross grazed de Gea’s crossbar with the goalkeeper as surprised as Zurutuza.

Kagawa found Hernández, who could not control the pass but a pleasing fluency returned to our game even if it was no delight to pass away the time still without scoring. Rooney released Valencia on the right but he went for raw power and his drive rocketed off the inside of the far post; this time there was no Martínez to turn it in. Hernández was fouled to the floor as he released Valencia brilliantly and Kagawa should have pocketed the expert cross but wanted two touches. Rooney too went for power and missed. Giggs got it to Kagawa who was crowded out after dragging it and turning.

The chances continued to be wasted. Rooney’s shot was saved after an exchange with Kagawa, Ashley Young made his first appearance since the Manchester City debacle and ran up the left for Rooney’s pass but was just beaten to it by the goalkeeper. More brilliant work by Giggs and Kagawa supplied Rooney; missed it, offside anyway. Rooney supplied Kagawa; touch too far, hit the side netting. There was just one moment of worry in added time but Imanol Agirrexte could not battle his way through Evans.

It seemed we had established a healthy position at the top of the group but we need to beware; if Real are to be the fall guys and lose to everyone else then it is our results against the others which matter more. There remains plenty of work to be done.

Paul Andrew James.