Manchester United 3-2 Juventus: Retro report of 1999 Champions League semi-final classic
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Updated 22/04/2020 at 10:14 GMT
On this day, 21 years ago, Manchester United played out a classic Champions League encounter with Juventus in the semi-final second leg. Here's our retro report on what was an historic night for Alex Ferguson's side...
Manchester United celebrate Andy Cole's winner in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match against Juventus at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin, Italy. United won 3-2 on the night to go through 4-3 on aggregate
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Manchester United reached the Champions League final in dramatic fashion after a 3-2 comeback win in Turin sent Juventus crashing out - and kept their own treble dream alive.
After a 1-1 first-leg draw at Old Trafford, United looked dead and buried when Filippo Inzaghi’s double inside 11 minutes put Juventus on the brink of a fourth straight final.
However, Roy Keane sparked a stunning revival, heading in from David Beckham’s corner after 24 minutes, and continuing to lead by example despite a 33rd-minute yellow card ruling him out of the final.
Dwight Yorke’s header moments after Keane’s booking then had United through on away goals, and while Peter Schmeichel made some vital saves one end, the visitors really could have extended their lead with Yorke and Denis Irwin both hitting the post.
Paul Scholes also got his name in the referee's notebook, therefore missing the final, but those two booking blemishes barely diminish what was an historic night for United, which ended with Andy Cole tapping in with a goal his performance warranted.
Bayern Munich, chasing a treble of their own, await United in the May 26 final at Barcelona’s Nou Camp.
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Neville, Juventus v Manchester United
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TALKING POINT
A step closer to the treble - After Ryan Giggs’ heroics in the FA Cup semi-final last week, this time around it was a monumental team effort which punctured Juventus, who had not lost a European knockout game at home since 1968.
That also happens to be the year of Manchester United’s first and only triumph in the European Cup. After nights like this, you would think they are destined to lift a second 31 years later, but they’ve won nothing yet…
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Fans, Juventus vs Manchester United
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MAN OF THE MATCH
Roy Keane (Man Utd) – A bittersweet evening for United’s captain, who led by example despite the gut-wrenching yellow he received just moments before Yorke’s goal. This was arguably Keane’s finest hour in red, his header sparked an unlikely comeback, but now he will miss what would have been the biggest match of his career.
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Keane header, Juventus v Manchester United
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PLAYER RATINGS
Juventus: Peruzzi 5, Birindelli 6, Ferrara 6, Iuliano 5, Pessotto 6, Conte 6, Deschamps 6, Davids 7, Di Livio 6, Zidane 7, Inzaghi 8. Subs: Montero 6, Amoruso 6, Fonseca 6
Man Utd: Schmeichel 8, G Neville 7, Johnsen 7, Stam 7, Irwin 7, Beckham 7, Keane 9, Butt 7, Blomqvist 6, Cole 9, Yorke 8. Subs: Scholes 5
KEY MOMENTS
6' - GOAL! INZAGHI AT THE BACK POST! A nightmare start for United in Turin. From the corner, Zidane takes it short, he gets it back and his cross is met by Inzaghi, who gets there in front of Gary Neville.
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Inzaghi scores, Juventus v Manchester United
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11' - GOAL! IT'S INZAGHI AGAIN! Would you believe it? Juventus are 2-0 up after 11 minutes. Inzaghi turns and attempts a speculative shot from a narrow angle, but it takes a wicked deflection off Stam and loops over Schmeichel! Stunning start for the Italians. United's treble dream is in tatters.
24' - GOAL! CAPTAIN KEANE FOR UNITED! What a header this is. Beckham's corner. Keane rises highest. Peruzzi is nowhere to be seen, and all of a sudden, the tie is alive once more.
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Keane, Juventus v Manchester United
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33' - Oh, Roy... What was he thinking? He was warned after a poor tackle on Davids, but now he goes in late on Zidane and gets a yellow. That means he'll miss the final should United get there.
34' - GOAL! YORKE LEVELS FOR UNITED! Wow. It's the Cole-Yorke combo again! Beckham heads the ball down for Cole, whose inch-perfect cross is met by Yorke. And a fine header into the corner makes it 2-2 on the night. That all means United are currently going through on away goals!
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Yorke celebrates, Juventus v Manchester United
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39' - OFF THE POST! This game is a hundred mile an hour stuff. Yorke skips past Iuliano and tries his luck from around 20 yards out. The ball evades Peruzzi but bounces off the post!
62' OFFSIDE! GOAL RULED OUT! Inzaghi is a yard offside as he taps in Conte's dragged shot. Conte's effort was way off target, so you can't blame Inzaghi for nipping in and hoping the linesman wouldn't spot him. But a two-year-old would have spotted that.
71' - OFF THE POST! Irwin cuts inside and strikes it from 20 yards out, and though he beats Peruzzi, the ball bobbles off the post. So close.
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Scholes yellow, Juventus v Manchester United
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76' - First Keane, now Scholes! The midfielder will also miss the final (should United get there) after he is penalised for what looked like a 50-50 with Deschamps. Got to feel for Scholes there, he's been hard done by. He got the ball!
84' - GOAL! IT'S A THIRD FOR UNITED! Schmeichel hurls the ball forward. Montero scuffs it straight to Yorke, who skips between Montero and Ferrara before going down under pressure from Peruzzi. Surely, surely, it would have been a penalty... but it doesn't matter! Cole is on hand to tap the ball into the empty hat. United are on the brink. Now it's Juve who need two goals!
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