There were many thrilling games and moments throughout the 26-year tenure of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but many fans will cite the miracle in Turin as the most pulsating.
It was a game that had everything: Star players like Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham at their peak, goals galore, bittersweet outcomes for players on both sides, and a comeback for the ages. The game is remembered with such fondness that it even has its own Wikipedia page. In short, it’s a classic.
Background
The UEFA Champions League was in its seventh year in its modern format for the 1998/99 season. The competition represented something of a holy grail for Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who longed to emulate United’s 1968 European Cup-winning team of George Best and Bobby Charlton. United were dominant domestically in the Premier League in the 1990s and 2000s, which seems like several lifetimes ago when you look at the Premier League odds of today. They were aiming for an unprecedented treble that season by winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. To win the latter, they had to do it the hard way, facing Barcelona and Bayern Munich in a Group Stage, Inter Milan in the Quarter Finals, and lastly Juventus in the Semi-Finals.
Despite being among the pre-tournament favorites, Juventus (managed by Carlo Ancelotti) made hard work of the Group Stage and Quarter Final against Olympiakos. Still, they went to Old Trafford for the 1st leg of the Semi-Final and secured a precious draw with a valuable “away goal.”
Juventus were led by their talisman, Zinedine Zidane, arguably the best player in the world at the time. They were the Serie A champions, but they were struggling a bit in the 1998-1999 season. Still, the Stadio delle Alpi was a fortress for Juventus, and the fact they were defending a 1-1 draw from the first leg at Old Trafford meant that the Old Lady was the heavy favorite.
The Lineups
Manchester United: Schmeichel, Irwin, Stam, Johnsen, Neville, Keane (c), Butt, Beckham, Blomqvist, Yorke, Cole.
Juventus: Peruzzi, Birndelli, Ferrara, Iuliano, Pessotto, Conte (c), Davids, Deschamps, Di Livio, Zidane, Inzaghi.
The Match
Things basically couldn’t have started any worse for Manchester United. Within six minutes of the game, Flippo Inzaghi opened the scoring for the hosts after a short corner routine involving Zidane. Five minutes later, the Italian striker was in again. His shot took an unfortunate deflection off Jaap Stam, looping over Peter Schmeichel’s head, with the great Dane looking on helplessly as it floated into the United goal. At 2-0 up, Juventus looked certain to go through.
Yet, United’s captain, Roy Keane, would not accept defeat. His reaction to the setback has become the stuff of legend among Manchester United fans. He played like a man possessed. On 24 minutes, Keane rose to meet a corner, placing a thumping header from distance past Peruzzi and into the Juventus goal. Game on.
Keane had the bit between his teeth, dominating the midfield – no small feat when you consider he was playing against Zidane, Davids, Conte, and Deschamps. On 34 minutes, United had their equalizer through Dwight Yorke. Juventus, a team full of experience were shell-shocked. As it stood at 3-3 on aggregate, United were now going through on the away goals rule.
Juventus threw everything at United in the second half, and, in truth, the Red Devils rode their luck at times. But Keane seemed to be everywhere all at once, flying in with last-ditch tackles and winning turnovers to lead United’s counter-attacks.
One of those counter-attacks led to the cherry on top, with Cole and Yorke combining in the 83rd minute for the former to score. 2-3 to United, and no way back for Juventus. When the final whistle went, the Juventus players looked distraught. United players and fans were jubilant but in disbelief.
The Bittersweet Victory
On 33 minutes, Keane lunged into a tackle on Zidane. It was clumsy and mistimed, so the referee had no option but to give him a yellow card. Due to previous cautions in the Champions League, it meant that Keane would miss the Final. It was a cruel, cruel blow for a player who gave everything to United’s cause.
Despite knowing he would play no part in the biggest game in United’s modern history, Keane continued to give his all. You can see how Alex Ferguson described the captain’s performance in an extract from his autobiography below:
It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing as if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose, he inspired all around him. I felt it was an honor to be associated with such a player. Sir Alex Ferguson on Roy Keane’s performance in the game.
The Aftermath
United would go on to defeat Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final in Barcelona. It, too, was a legendary game, with United scoring two injury-time goals to secure a 2-1 victory. United would also win the Premier League and FA Cup, completing the treble. The nucleus of the team stayed together for a few years thereafter, winning more Premier League titles and doing well in the Champions League.
As for Juventus, it felt like the end of an era. The great Zidane would soon be off to Real Madrid, and players like Deschamps would soon be moving on. Juventus would reinvent itself in the years to come, bringing in players like David Trezeguet and Pavel Nedved. Success would follow in Serie A, but they were considered an unlucky team in the Champions League. One wonders if this match was pivotal in that sense.
Final Thoughts
Nostalgia can often play tricks on soccer fans’ memories. Keane’s performance has become a fable to tell among United fans, but the player himself often points out that it may be overblown. Whether that’s right or wrong is up to the individual, but looking back at this thrilling match will leave you in no doubt that it was one of the best adverts for the Champions League. It had everything.