The England striker earned the Premier League champions their first group victory by scoring his first from the spot in the 64th minute after Sergiu Costin's handball and then repeating the feat in stoppage time after he was fouled by Liviu Antal.
Both teams finished the game with 10 men, with United captain Nemanja Vidic harshly given a straight red card for a clumsy foul on Gabriel Giurgiu in the 66th before Milan Perendija was dismissed a minute from time for his second booking of a scrappy match at the new National Stadium in Bucharest.
Second place
United opened its group campaign with back-to-back draws, to Benfica and then Basel, but Alex Ferguson's side climbed a place to second — two points behind Benfica — with this nervy victory ahead of a return match against Otelul at Old Trafford in a fortnight's time.
"I'm satisfied with the result. It was a long night and we had to be patient," Ferguson said. "I don't think we were lucky at all. We were the better team. I think we improved in the second half."
Otelul coach Dorinel Munteanu was bitterly disappointed by the defeat.
"We had a good first half but we lost. I am very upset," he said. "We played well against a team against which I thought we had no chance ... I have nothing to reproach the players for, but defeat remains defeat."
Ferguson took no risks in the lineup, selecting close to his strongest possible side.
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