DOWN MEMORY LANE: MANCHESTER UNITED VS INTER MILAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINALS 1999

                

           Andy Cole in Action

Manchester United Champions League 1999.

Part One: Quarter Final Stage.

Venue : Old Trafford

Date: March 3rd 1999

Line Ups:

Manchester United. Peter Schmeichel
Denis Irwin , Ronny Johnsen , Gary Neville , Jaap Stam
David Beckham , Ryan Giggs , Roy Keane, Paul Scholes
Dwight Yorke and Andrew Cole.

Inter Milan. Gianluca Pagliuca
Giuseppe Bergomi,
Francesco Colonnese ,
Fabio Galante, Javier Zanetti
Benoit Cauet , Youri Djorkaeff , Diego Simeone,
Aron Winter  Roberto Baggio and Iván Zamorano. courtesy.

Man United had always promised to deliver but they always came unstuck. The previous two seasons they had lost at the semi-final stage. In 1996-1997 season they had lost narrowly to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg that is 1-0. Man United fans were optimistic they would turn things round in the second leg. How wrong they were an early goal by Lars Ricken settled the contest.

The dreams of many United fans and England had been shattered. The English teams had not won the Champions League /European Cup since Liverpool had lifted it in 1985.

In the 1997/98 season they met Monaco again failure was waiting for them. David Trezeguet scored early but although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer equalised it was not enough to see them sail through to their first European cup final since 1968. They  were eliminated on away goals.

So here they were in the quarter finals again and against one of the best team in Europe that time. Although Inter Milan lacked the services of the great Ronaldo  their squad was star studded.

Youri Djorkaeff had just won the world cup with France. Javier Zanetti and Diego Simeone had also starred for Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. Ivan Zamorano was a proven goal scorer for Milan and Chilean national team.

The other interesting part was Beckham was meeting with Diego Simeone after their 1998 world cup altercation.

The game was won in the first half with two identical goals by Dwight Yorke from David Beckham crosses.  The road to camp nou and to the greatest game in Manchester United history had just began.