Benfica vs. Manchester United: Draw Won't Keep Red Devils from Winning Group

Manchester United didn't get off to the start they were hoping for in the Champions League as they played to a 1-1 draw against Portuguese side Benfica.

The Red Devils looked terrible in the first half, and needed a terrific strike from Ryan Giggs to equalize.

Drawing against Benfica might seem like a loss right now, but anytime you can pick up a road point against a quality opponent it should be viewed as a success.

Oscar Cardoza registered the first goal of the match for Benfica just 24 minutes in after the Portuguese side dominated the early going.

The main reason for the Red Devils' poor performance was due to the starting 11 they put out on the pitch. Javier Hernandez, Nani, and David De Gea are just a few of the names that didn't start the match. Nani and Hernandez both got some action though as they came on as second half substitutes.

Neither Michael Owen nor Dimitar Berbatov received any playing time in the match.

Benfica was likely the toughest matchup for the Red Devils in the group stages, and they can rest easy now that they have come away with a point in a hostile environment.

United obviously did not feel they needed to win this match. That was evident by the fact that seven players were making their season debut for the Red Devils.

The team will not be concerned by the draw, and neither should the fans. The Red Devils will have no problems coasting to first place in Group C.