Owen 29                      Dzagoev 25

                                                                                                            Scholes 84                   Krasic 31

Manchester United staged a dramatic late comeback at Old Trafford to clinch qualification for the Champions League’s last 16 and maintain an eight-year unbeaten home record in the competition’s group stages.

A much-changed United were 3-1 down to the struggling Russian club shortly after half-time.

And they didn’t reach top gear until the final 12 minutes, when only 22-year-old keeper, and reported United target, Igor Akinfeev denied them a very unlikely victory. Indeed, they were second-best until CSKA became over-cautious in defending their lead.

United look a laboured attacking force with Michael Owen up front. And he squandered two decent chances before finding the target with a neat finish more typical of his true qualities, after an Antonio Valencia cross was backheeled his way by Nani on 29 minutes.

But Alan Dzagoev had given CSKA the lead four minutes earlier, finishing from a tight angle after being sent clear by a Tomas Necid chest-pass.

And CSKA regained this lead, three minutes after Owen’s strike, Milos Krasic rounding United keeper Edwin van der Sar and finding the net despite losing his balance in the act of shooting.

Two minutes into the second half, United went further behind when an unmarked Vasili Berezutski headed home Dzagoev’s free-kick.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s perpetual moaning at the referee had its justification when, on 48 minutes, the Portuguese official Olegario Benquerenca booked Darren Fletcher for diving after he was clearly upended in the penalty area by Aleksi Berezutski, the goalscorer’s brother.

Wayne Rooney’s 57^th minute introduction, for perennial-underachiever Nani, eventually galvanised United.

Akinfeev brilliantly denied Rooney twice, and Owen, while Italian youngster Frederico Macheda struck a post in a frantic five-minute spell before veteran Paul Scholes headed United’s second goal from a Gary Neville free-kick on 84 minutes.

And a minute into stoppage time, Valencia’s speculative long-range effort thumped off Georgi Shchennikov to salvage a draw.