ROBIN VAN PERSIE missed a penalty and Marouane Fellaini was sent off as Manchester United edged closer to a place in the Champions League knockout stages with a goalless draw against Real Sociedad.

After a dour first half, Javier Hernandez inexplicably failed to tap home Shinji Kagawa's low cross from barely six yards before substitutes Van Persie and Ashley Young took centre stage.

Within minutes of their joint arrival, Young provided a cross which Van Persie belted against a post. More contentious was the spot-kick awarded to the visitors when Young went down under Markel Bergara's challenge. Although referee Nicola Rizzoli was certain, others were less so. Van Persie's effort, though, bounced off the woodwork before clipping goalkeeper Claudio Bravo on the way out and rolling to safety.

It was the first time Van Persie had missed from the spot since his failure at Southampton in the first weeks after his arrival from Arsenal. That time, he atoned for that miss by scoring a match-winning hat trick. There were no such heroics here and with Fellaini red-carded for the first time in his United career for a second yellow card, the visitors were forced to see out the contest with 10 men.

However with the other game in the group also ending goalless, no damage was done to United's chances of reaching the last 16. "We had enough chances to win, especially in the second half," said Moyes.

"We controlled most of it, and but for one or two moments we were the team on top. But that was a game we should have won."