Inspired By 1999. Fearful Of 2002 Repeat …
Memories of battles fought and won will inspire tonight as United seek to avoid defeat and seal a place in the Champions League Final against Liverpool.
United’s lead is slender. Sir Alex expects Milan to score but wants his team to draw courage from United fightbacks down the years. A repetiton of the famous exploits of 1999 are uppermost in United thoughts but also the silent dread that at the very last, the team might not have enough, as in 2002 when Bayer Leverkusen sneaked past United on away goals.
Sir Alex said: “What we have to do is step up a gear, play really well and make sure we carry a goal threat, as we did against Juventus in 1999. This feels a bit like that situation. We are going to need the same courage we had that night in Turin. It is obvious it will have to be a massive performance like that.
“I wouldn’t say we are favourites, but we are in the lead and we’ve given ourselves a great chance. If you can go 2-1 down against AC Milan and still get the result we did, you know you are on the right track, and I think we are. It could be any score in the second leg, the tie is that finely poised but our ability to score could be the key.
“Away from home, against Benfica and Lille, we have picked up 1-0 results without being brilliant. We need to really play well in Milan and have a goal threat about us. There’s a chance that we will concede over there, so we have to score. And we will be going over there with an attitude to score.
“If we are realistic, we know Milan, on their own ground, will be huge favourites to score. We hope we can avoid that but the safety net is to score ourselves, that is why we will have an attacking emphasis. I don’t think sitting on the edge of our box would do me, the team or the fans any good.
“If we are going to do it, we will do it our way. If we are going to lose we will do it our way. Hopefully, it will be good enough.”
Milan will take the field knowing that they too have mastered the art of the fightback. The quarter final triumph over a stubborn Bayern Munich began unpromisingly with a draw at the San Siro. The Germans were favourites for the return but Milan wrapped up the second leg in Bavaria before half time, to record a famous win.
“It’s all about our mentality,” Milan coach Ancelotti revealed to newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. “When we were in Munich I was thinking about the semi-final, and now I’m thinking about the final because that’s what we are aiming for.
“As far as United are concerned, I’m not thinking about the errors we need to avoid but about the things we need to do. I see the match in a positive light.”
Milan have doubts about Maldini but will look to returning midfield dynamo Gattuso and the strike threat of the tournament’s top scorer Kaka to unlock a United defence which may feature Rio Ferdinand. Sir Alex is praying that his most skilled defender will be fit and able to bring order and authority to the rearguard. Nemanja Vidic has passed a fitness test after breaking his collarbone just over one month ago. According to the manager, Vidic is “training like a beast.” Since Ferguson lost his preferred central defensive pairing of Vidic and Ferdinand, United have kept just one clean sheet in eight games and conceded11 goals.
“It is a matter of how much risk we put into the game,” the manager declared.”We have decisions to make about both of them but it is important to speak to them and gauge their own confidence about playing. I would be delighted to play the two of them but I don’t know if that is possible.”
United’s fate may well be rest on the form of Wes Brown and Wayne Rooney. The defender will have to improve his overall concentration if United are to entertain any hope of success, whilst the team will look to Rooney to score and set United on course for Athens.
The odds favour Milan. They are at home. They will have their better players on the field and they boast a proud record of never having lost to United on their own turf.
But United, with their indomitable spirit, are a match for anyone. This is their most important game for eight years and the best chance to qualify for a European final since 2002. Liverpool lie in wait, holdiong out the prospect of a north west derby final that would be a cracker on and off the field. Bayer Leverkusen broke United hearts five years ago at the semi-final stage. Sir Alex will not let that happen again.
