Indeed if the Portuguese referee had been on top of his game he should have awarded Rangers a penalty 18 minutes from time when Kirk Broadfoot was clearly fouled by Chris Smalling.
There were heroic performances throughout the team – most notably Stevie Naismith, Davie Weir, Madjid Bougherra and Sasa Papac. What a start to the Group C campaign.
Resplendent in their all-blue strip, Rangers were hemmed in during the early part of the match but it was the Ibrox men who carved out the first opening of the game.
Stevie Naismith was fouled on the left side in 9 minutes about 30 yards out by Wes Brown, Steve Davis whipped the ball in and Davie Weir got his head on it but it was an easy save from Tomasz Kuszczak.
However, two minutes later Rangers were fortunate not to concede when United created an excellent chance.
Park Ji-Sung whipped a great ball over from the left and Chicarito rose above the Rangers defence to angle a header which flew just wide.
United were looking for a penalty in 13 minutes when Darren Fletcher’s ball into the box was only half-cleared and the ball seemed to hit Weir on the left hand but the referee waved play on.
The three-time European Cup winners then had a real chance on 20 minutes when Wayne Rooney should have put Mexican Chicarito clear but he made a mess of his pass and Rangers were able to clear.
It was always going to be a night when Rangers would have to defend bravely and they seemed to cope with anything that Manchester United threw at them.
And gradually they began to feel their way into the game with some decent possession but they could not hurt United.
Stevie Naismith and Kirk Broadfoot were both in the wars with shoulder and head injuries but were able to carry on.
And it was while Broadfoot was off the field in 33 minutes that United came close again when Darron Gibson was only a couple of feet away with a 25-yard drive.
United knocked on the door again two minutes later when Valencia worked the ball into the middle and it was laid off to Gibson who hit a low shot but McGregor was right behind it.
You could sense the frustration in the home team – especially Rooney – because the Rangers game plan was working.
The one down side was that McGregor was booked in first half injury time for taking too long to take a goal kick.
The pattern of the match changed little in the early part of the second half but again Rangers defended stoutly and United could not work any openings.
Gibson did try a snap shot volley after Valencia’s cross was headed out by Bougherra that roused the crowd but it was well wide.
Again Rangers began to grow in confidence and they produced a couple of promising moves down the left side.
Sasa Papac brilliantly won the ball in his own half, skipped away from Darren Fletcher and released Naismith. The Bosnian continues his run into the box and very nearly connected with Naismith’s cross.
Then Whittaker very nearly picked out Miller with a cross from the right but the ball was just too high.
The crowd was suddenly silenced though in 60 minutes when Antonio Valencia went down in agony after a challenge with Broadfoot and he was carried off on a stretcher.
It looked a terrible injury and Ryan Giggs came on in his place.
Almost immediately the Welshman carved out an opening when he worked the angle in 70 minutes and crossed for Rooney but he headed wide.
However, Rangers had no luck at all two minutes later when the Portuguese referee bottled out of a penalty decision which seemed to have plenty of merit.
Broadfoot burst a gut to get into the box and onto the end of Miller’s pass. He was clearly clipped by Chris Smalling but Olegario Benquerenca refused to award the spotkick.
Miller’s thankless shift was over 10 minutes from time when he was replaced by Kyle Lafferty and the Rangers fans held their breath as the clock ticked down.
They had their hearts in their mouths in 82 minutes when Gibson again tried his luck from distance and his dipping shot was just over.
Then Gibson had another effort deflected away for a corner but United could do nothing with it.
Agonisingly six minutes were added due to the Valencia injury but Rangers held on for a famous result which could mean so much in the weeks ahead.