A stunning hat-trick from Michael Owen ensured that a patched up Manchester United advanced to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League as Group B winners after a 3-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg.

Owen, who turns 30 next week, rolled back the years to break German hearts, as he did on that famous night in at the Olympiastadion in 2001, with a wonderfully taken treble to send out a timely reminder to England coach Fabio Capello.

Edin Dzeko had briefly restored parity earlier in the second half, once again showing why he is courted by a host of Europe's elite, including United, but the Red Devils showed their resolve to capture an impressive win in the Wolf's lair.

Last year's beaten finalists adopted an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation with a back three comprising of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Patrice Evra, as Sir Alex Ferguson had to make do without eight defenders.

However, a majestic performance from Paul Scholes in the middle of the park kept United ticking over beautifully, while he was helped manfully by the ever improving Darron Gibson and the bustling Anderson.

Having escaped a few early scares, with Carrick fortunate to get away with a clumsy challenge in the area on Makoto Hasebe and Andrea Barzagli heading over when completely unmarked from six yards out, United took the lead as half-time approached.

And what a move it was. Wolfsburg's tormentor in chief, Scholes, played a lovely one-two with Owen before clipping a lovely ball out wide Nani, who up until that point was once again at his frustrating best, on the left.

But the Portuguese winger finally managed to get the better of right-back Sascha Riether, checking back inside before delivered a sumptuous cross for Owen who duly nodded home the opener from close range.

The home side's first-half misery was compounded when word came through that CSKA Moscow had taken the lead in Istanbul, with the impressive Milos Krasic finishing with aplomb against Beskitas.

Into the second half and Wolfsburg came out the blocks quickly, no doubt after a stern talking to from boss Armin Veh, and duely equalised just 11 minutes after the interval.

Marcel Schafer, as he had done all night, bombed down the left outpacing Park before producing a fantastic cross which Dzeko headed emphatically past a helpless Thomas Kuszczak. Game on!

But the home side failed to push on and, although Kuszczak had one or two nervous moments, they never put United under any real pressure.

The introducion of Gabriel Obertan and Antonio Valencia for Welbeck and Nani would prove to be a masterstoke by Sir Alex - with his side reverting to a 4-5-1 formation - and they would soon be back in front.

Obertan displayed all the hallmarks of, dare I say, Thierry Henry wide on the left, shimmying past two defenders with some lovely skill before laying the ball across goal for Owen to tap home his second of the night.

And then came the drama...as in the space of a minute Wolfsburg missed a glorious chance, Beskitas levelled against CSKA in the other match in the group and Owen had claimed the match ball.

Riether failed to connect with the goal at his mercy as Wolfsburg threw everything at United in the closing stages, but within 30 seconds the ball was in the back of their net!

Owen showed his pace of old, outstripping the home side's defence form the half-way line before nonchalantly dinking over the onrushing Diego Benaglio to secure his treble and United's place in the last 16 as group winners.

In the other match, Deivson Bobo had given Beskitas hope of claiming an unlikely Europe League place with an equaliser with four minutes remaining, while also giving Wolfsburg renewed hope.

However, deep into injury time CSKA secured the win and made sure of their place in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history when Yevgeny Aldonin drove home from the right after a neat flick from Czech hitman Tomas Necid.