In losing this quarter-final there was still vindication of all that Manchester United have stood for down the decades. In the closing moments, even the Real Madrid players seemed to believe that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were capable of the two further goals required.
Despite being 3-1 down from the first leg and behind by the same margin here, conviction and flair carried United to a 4-3 victory on their own ground, with David Beckham emerging to score twice as a substitute. The English club, however, could never curb Real Madrid and Ronaldo’s hat-trick was decisive.
With an excited purposefulness, United sought an early goal but conceded one instead. Although the drastic damage of the first leg weighed on the players’ minds, the thoughts of any impartial spectator lingered on the beauty with which Real had met the challenge.
In the 12th minute, Steve McManaman, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane created a little triangle of movement before the latter, with a perfectly weighted pass, picked out Guti in the centre. His through ball released Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand, who had left him in too much space, could not make up ground before the Brazilian lashed a low drive that beat Fabien Barthez at his near post.It is testimony to United’s indefatigable nature that they ended the first-half with a barrage that included an equaliser. This was a match with no compromises. Ferguson, did not shirk his duty picking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been in telling form, even if Beckham had to be demoted to the substitutes.
His opposite number had novel views of his own. The cat-calls in Madrid had their effect at last as Vicente del Bosque dropped Flavio Conceicao. In a search for a replacement to join Claude Makelele in constructing a midfield barrier McManaman might have been ruled out by most coaches. If the Englishman were a bricklayer he would set about his work with a golden trowel.Del Bosque had redesigned the formation slightly to take account of the absence of the appendicitis-stricken Raul. Real were as dangerous as ever. A dipping cross by Roberto Carlos, a lay-off from Zidane and a volleyed lob by Luis Figo might have had them 2-0 in front if Barthez had not stretched to put the ball over the bar.
Manchester United harassed Real and were bold on the attack, with the excellent Ryan Giggs raising Old Trafford spirits by nutmegging Figo, but it took a while for them to prise open fully the cracks they faced.For a while they had to cling to the recollection of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s effort in the fourth minute. The Dutchman will always bet that his shot is faster than the goalkeeper’s reflexes and his wager was close to succeeding as Iker Casillas just raised his fists to turn the angled drive for a corner.