Wayne Rooney leads a royal rally for Manchester United

English Premier League side come from behind to beat Braga 3-2 in their Champions League Group H match.

Alexander Buttner, left, the Manchester United player, tackles Braga's Leandro Salino during their Champions League match at Old Trafford last night. Jon Super / AP Photo

MANCHESTER, England // It is just as well Manchester United are the comeback kings.

Sir Alex Ferguson is fond of saying his side make things hard for themselves but they are making it needlessly difficult all too often.

Even by their standards, this was some response.

By gifting Braga a two-goal lead, they gave themselves an uphill task.

But Ferguson's men have a head for heights and a brace from Javier Hernandez, sandwiching a Jonny Evans goal, secured a third successive Champions League victory.

Yet the problem is that the salvage job was necessary. The season is still in its embryonic stages but United have already trailed in eight games. They have recovered to win six of them and the latest ranked among their finest fightbacks.

It may yet prove among the most important, too.

Last year, they tumbled out of the Champions League embarrassingly early. Twelve months on, despite another comparatively easy draw, another upset may have been on the cards had Braga held on. Instead United probably only require one more win to book their place in the last 16.

That looked rather less likely in the opening exchanges. The problems of a much-changed defence lacking its two senior figures, with Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand rested ahead of Sunday's trip to Chelsea.

Yet conceding twice in 20 minutes highlighted the dangers of Ferguson's rotation policy, especially when the absences of Nemanja Vidic, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling mean he lacks established alternatives.

After 85 seconds, his makeshift defence was breached. Hugo Viana swung in a cross from the left touchline and Alan, avoiding the rather half-hearted efforts of Alexander Buttner, headed past David de Gea.

Yet rather than provoking a response from United, the goal made Braga more assured. Their lead was doubled from another incursion on their left wing. Eder spun away from Michael Carrick rather too easily and supplied the low cross. Alan doubled his tally with a sidefooted shot.

That, at least, was the wake-up call the hosts needed. Robin van Persie pirouetted, Shinji Kagawa crossed and Hernandez headed in to halve the deficit.

The Mexican had the ball in the net a second time, albeit long after Kagawa, his supplier, had been contentiously flagged offside.

Nonetheless, it was a sign of his predatory instincts. The ever predatory Hernandez was the side's spearhead, with Van Persie drifting wider and the third member of the striking trident, Wayne Rooney, playing in a deeper role at the tip of the midfield diamond.

It amounted to a formidable attacking armoury and Ferguson added to it with the half-time introduction of Nani, replacing Kagawa and resulting in a change of shape to 4-4-2.

Shifted to the left, Rooney was rampant. Yet when the leveller came, it was the result of a set-piece and involved two of their faulty back four. Carrick got a touch to Van Persie's corner and, though Evans swiped and missed initially, he got a second chance and stabbed the ball into the back of the net.

Beto pulled off a superb save to deny Nani a goal but was left powerless when Tom Cleverley crossed and the unmarked Hernandez headed in. Comeback complete and job done, but not without the obligatory scare.

Follow us