Advantage Marseille after St James' draw

United, who visit the hostile environs of the 60,000-capacity Stade Velodrome for the return in 13 days' time, were served due warning of the menace of Marseille dangerman Didier Drogba.

The Ivory Coast-born striker was desperately close to adding to his 27-goal tally this season - his first with Marseille - when he hit a post with a thunderous 64th-minute volley and fired narrowly over five minutes from time.

He managed to steal a yard on Jonathan Woodgate, who was otherwise commanding again at the hub of the Newcastle defence, after Matthieu Flamini delivered a measured through-ball.

But United goalkeeper Shay Given, who had to save from Drogba on two occasions, was relieved to see his finish clear the bar.

Marseille, with the prized scalps of Liverpool and Inter Milan under their belts from the previous two rounds, will be favourites to go through and deny the Magpies a crack at their first major trophy since they lifted the Fairs Cup 35 years ago.

But it was a creditable performance from Sir Bobby Robson's injury-ravaged side, who are now unbeaten in 11 games in the competition.

In the absence of hamstring victim Craig Bellamy, Robson was forced to gamble on the fitness of Shola Ameobi, who had been doubtful with a thigh injury, after Michael Bridges was hit by a virus.

Robson was similarly light in midfield. With Kieron Dyer and Jermaine Jenas already ruled out with respective hamstring and thigh injuries, the manager's problems were compounded when Lee Bowyer was claimed by the hamstring jinx.

Consequently, Robson found himself with little option but to operate with three left-footed players - Gary Speed, Hugo Viana and Laurent Robert - across midfield.

So threadbare was Robson's squad that he had to rely on a trio of rookies to make up his full complement of seven substitutes - striker Michael Chopra, 20, and midfielders Bradley Orr, 21, and Martin Brittain, 19.

The first two real openings fell to Ameobi and the England Under-21 striker should have cashed in on at least one of them.

With 13 minutes gone, Laurent Robert was hauled down by midfielder Sylvain N'Diaye. Almost inevitably, Robert took the free-kick himself, whipping it from left to right to the far post where Ameobi rose above his marker but failed to fully connect with his header.

Ameobi's next miss, three minutes later, was more glaring as Fabien Barthez performed a point-blank block after an Alan Shearer flick-on had flumoxed centre-back Abdoulaye Meite.

If nothing else, Ameobi was resilient and determined to put himself about, but when he emerged again to get on the end of a cross, his header dropped into the grateful grasp of Barthez.

This game was also a chance for 21-year-old Viana to underline his first-team credentials, and when Shearer held the ball up and laid it off, the Portuguese starlet shot too straight to unduly bother Barthez.

Viana, however, was alarmingly casual at times with the ball and a careless waste of possession in the 25th minute put his side in trouble.

Drogba, back after missing the quarter-final second leg against Inter through suspension, pounced to evade Andy O'Brien and force a save from Given - making his 300th club career appearance - before Viana made some amends with the clearance.

It was a tight and tense tussle and Marseille's fear of Shearer manifested itself when Brahim Hemdani and Demetrius Ferriera Leite both hacked at the Magpies' skipper to concede a free-kick.

Robert did the honours again with the set-piece and picked out Shearer, but his glancing header drifted disappointingly wide.

Ameobi then forged deep into the box to work the ball to the near upright, but Barthez gathered comfortably.

Marseille mounted the first attack at the start of the second half when N'Diaye picked up a stray ball to burst down the left and outpace O'Brien - no mean feat in itself - and cross to the middle where Woodgate's intelligent intervention denied Drogba a goalmouth chance.

Russian referee Valentin Ivanov then raised the yellow card at Marseille defender Habib Beye for getting his arm across Robert as the United winger attempted to thread his way through the visitors' rearguard.

From the resultant free-kick, which Viana rolled to Shearer around 25 yards out, Barthez could only take the sting out of the shot before Speed hooked agonisingly wide with the one-time Manchester United hero completely exposed.

Barthez, whose every touch was booed by the home fans because of his Old Trafford connection, was alert again on the hour to save at the near post after a Robert free-kick was deflected off the defensive wall.

But Frenchman Robert was jeered himself by the home crowd after a criminal loss of possession four minutes later.

The Geordie faithful were rightly incensed when he gave the ball away to Leite midway inside his own half, and but for a matter of an inch or two it would have proved disastrous for United as Drogba's powerful left-foot volley smacked against Given's near post and rebounded to safety.

Bridges was brought on for Ameobi, who was clearly feeling his injury, 12 minutes from time.

And, after Speed had hooked another chance over and Drogba had gone close again, the injury-plagued Bridges - on loan from Leeds until the end of the season - almost broke his near-four-year goal famine when Leite miskicked and the Geordie drove narrowly wide.

Drogba then brought a further save from Given near the end as Newcastle lived dangerously.

Result: Newcastle United 0 Marseille 0.

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