United, missing the suspended Wayne Rooney [Images] and several key players through injury, struggled to break down the French side and were further hampered by the second-half sending-off of midfielder Paul Scholes.

"We just had to try to be patient and hope we got the opportunity to win it," Ferguson told a news conference. "Lille are a very fit and committed team but they never tried to beat us.

"It's understandable for a club like Lille because they have come a long way."

Ferguson said he had switched Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo [Images] to the right flank after halftime.

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"We tried to get Ronaldo running at their left back and he was starting to do that before the sending-off," Ferguson said. "After that we just had to keep our shape and not do anything silly because we still had a point."

Ferguson said Italian referee Stefano Farina been "fussy" throughout the game, though he did not criticise him for showing Scholes the red card.

"The referee was very fussy and the game never really got started," Ferguson said. "In European football you get some referees who are very strict and we got one tonight."

Ferguson also suffered a new injury blow when winger Ryan Giggs sustained a fractured cheek bone but he thinks United are still in a strong position, a point clear at the top of the group going into the return game against Lille in two weeks.

"We are in a good position and we will go to Lille and try and win the game as we always do," he said.

Lille coach Claude Puel said the loss of Scholes through suspension for the second leg would be counter-balanced by the presence of Rooney.

"The return of Rooney will compensate for the loss of Scholes," Puel said. "We may find it harder in the second game because we won't have the element of surprise but we are getting more and more into this competition and showing what we can do."

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