Chris Maduewesi
Member
Coming at the back of a 3-0 hammering at home to Liverpool on Sunday,the worst was feared whether United can get the required result to progress in the competition.
With David Moyes' future coming under intense scrutiny,the Scottish needed the response from his players and they gladly obliged him.
Manchester United played with urgency knowing that a response to their woeful season was required of them.
40-year old Ryan Giggs showed class while Wayne Rooney covered every blade of grass,with all Manchester United players putting in great shifts and commitments to the task at hand.
United's first real shave at goal was through Rooney whose header bounced off the post after he was picked out infield by Giggs.
It was not long before United found a breakthrough. Giggs picked the run of Van Persie floating in another diagonal pass and the Dutchman chested it in the box but was fouled by Holebas to give away a penalty.
Van Persie accurately belted the ball down Roberto's Left to open the scores for United.
They grew in confidence and went in search of that second goal to draw them at par with Olympiacos.
But the Greek champions came close to finding the net which could have changed the hallmark of the game.
United's goalkeeper David De Gea was forced to make two sharp reflex saves to keep his side in the tie.
Just before the break,Van Persie made the job easier for United when he turned in a square pass from the ball that luckily fell to Rooney.
Giggs again started the move and Rooney showed grit and determination to keep the ball and laid it to Van Persie to beat the Olympiacos keeper.
Needing one more goal,United raised the tempo once more in the second half,Rooney again bursting through the middle and laying a pass to Danny Welbeck who was fouled close to the box.
Van Persie lined up for the kick and belted it above the wall to beat the rooted Roberto for his third goal of the match.
There wasn't much again from United who sat deep and defended their lead in the game.
However there was to be some nervy ending for United,Dominguez forced De Gea to make a good save in his near post in the last ten minutes of the game.
United with the win,have now booked their place in the last eight of the competition,but many people are already seeing them as the weakest team left in the competition.
Moyes would be greatly overjoyed as the knives would temporarily go in,with many initially questioning his ability to coach Manchester United
Meanwhile in the other game played tonight,Borussia Dortmund lost at home, but still advanced to the quarterfinals at the expense of Zenit St Petersburg.
Dortmund were beaten 2-1 by the Russian side,but they still qualified 5-4 on aggregates.
However,the bad news for them is that they will be without Robert Lewandowski in the first leg of the quarter-finals because of a suspension.
The remaining eight teams in the Champions League are: Atletico Madrid, Barcelona,Bayern Munich,Borussia Dortmund,Chelsea,PSG,Manchester United and Real Madrid.