ACTUALITE |
19.11.2001
Serious stuff starts for European giants
PARIS,
The serious stuff starts for Champions League aspirants on Tuesday when old foes Manchester United and Bayern Munich clash as the second stage of European football`s premier club competition gets underway.
The bloated, double group phase format of recent seasons means even the elite can afford several first-phase defeats and still reach the last 16.
But now the going gets substantially more difficult.
Nowhere is that better illustrated than by Tuesday`s action in Group A, where Bayern`s meeting with United is a clash of the titans rich in history - distant as well as recent.
The two clubs fought out a pulsating final in 1999 which Bayern looked set to win, ending a 23-year barren spell, when they led 1-0 with the 90 minutes all but up.
Enter Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to steal the cup from under the Bavarians` noses in the most dramatic of finales.
But Munich has had an emotional association with United for so much longer.
The city is forever engraved on the club`s heart following an air crash which decimated legendary manager Matt Busby`s squad on February 6, 1958, on the way back from a European Cup tie at Red Star Belgrade.
The plane, which had refuelled in Munich, went down in atrocious weather and 23 passengers on board were killed, among them brilliant young stars such as Duncan Edwards.
Ten years on and United would lift the trophy, the first English side to do so, under Busby before Alex Ferguson`s side finally brought the trophy back to Old Trafford with the 1999 success.
But this year there is a potential twist in the tale as Ferguson, looking to retire by winning the final in his native Glasgow next May, grapples with criticism of his side and accusations that some stars have been at the club too long.
United have blown hot and cold in the league and failed to win their first phase group after Deportivo La Coruna beat them twice.
Now, as the United board chase a successor for Ferguson and the gossip mounts, one name keeps coming up - Bayern`s Ottmar Hitzfeld.
With the memorable exception of two years ago, the motto would appear to be "if you can`t beat them make him join you."
That`s because Hitzfeld has a strong record against United, having coached Dortmund to the 1997 title after knocking the English Premiership champions out in the semi-finals with 1-0 successes in both legs.
Hitzfeld, who has led Bayern to three straight league titles, became the first coach to lead different sides to the Champions League title with Bayern`s win last May over Valencia.
On the way he steered Bayern to home and away quarter-final wins over Ferguson`s charges.
The season United won the competition they also drew twice in the group stages with Bayern, meaning Hitzfeld has racked up four wins and two draws in seven Champions League encounters with his Scottish adversary.
And the disciplinarian has in so doing managed to rip away the FC Hollywood label which in the past stuck to Bayern, a club long famed for kingsize player egos.
Ferguson, equally a believer in discipline, argued ahead of Saturday`s first win in a month in the Premiership, over Leicester, that criticism of United was exaggerated.
"There is no question of anyone at Old Trafford feeling we have reached the end of the line. Empires crumble from within, but our foundations are rock solid. There are no cracks," said Ferguson in his programme notes.
While United hope to have Roy Keane anchoring their midfield Bayern have the return of the equally combative midfielder and skipper Stefan Effenberg, who played Saturday after a three-month injury layoff in the defeat at Werder Bremen.
But Paraguayan international forward Roque Santa Cruz is out for two months after ankle surgery, meaning Peruvian Claudio Pizarro and Brazil`s Giovane Elber will lead the attack with Carsten Jancker in reserve.
Hitzfeld said he would decide about Effenberg`s chances of starting nearer the match.
"I must be flexible. There is no absolute timetable but Stefan now has to fight his way back into the squad on merit," Hitzfeld said.
Challenging Bayern and United in Group A are Portuguese debutants Boavista, who twice held Liverpool in the opening phase, and French champions Nantes, who despite abysmal league form - Saturday`s loss at Rennes left them bottom - dumped out Lazio.
Group B sees Liverpool resume their quest for a fifth European title - and first since 1984 - at home to Barcelona, who include Brazilian star Rivaldo after resting him in Saturday`s league draw with Las Palmas.
Liverpool enjoy the psychological advantage of having knocked Barca out of the UEFA Cup last season on the way to winning the competition - and they have not forgotten Barcelona`s accusation that they had `murdered` football after a dismal 0-0 first-leg draw at the Nou Camp.
"The simple fact is they never had a shot at home. So I think there was a bit of sour grapes," Anfield veteran Gary McAllister told the Sunday Telegraph.
"What helps in Europe is that we are never going to get done on the break, not by anyone.
"For me, Real Madrid are the team to beat this season but I can safely say that if we went into the Bernabeu we could do it," he added.
Turkey`s unpredictable Galatasaray host Serie A stars AS Roma in the group`s other game, leaving Liverpool to contemplate a later reunion with the Romans, whom they beat in their rival`s back yard the 1984 final
Wednesday sees poor travellers Arsenal begin their tough Group D campaign at Deportivo La Coruna while Juventus host German dark horses and current Bundesliga tabletoppers Bayer Leverkusen.
In Group C, eight-time champions Real Madrid travel to face Sparta Prague, who were highly impressive in the opening stage, while FC Porto meet Panathinaikos in Greece.
Tuesday fixtures
Group A
Bayern Munich (Ger) v Manchester United (Eng)
Boavista (Por) v Nantes (Fra)
Group B
Galatasaray (Tur) v AS Roma (Ita)
Liverpool (Eng) v Barcelona (Spa)
Wednesday fixtures
Group C
Panathinaikos (Gre) v FC Porto
Sparta Prague (Cze) v Real Madrid (Spa)
Group D
Deportivo La Coruna (Spa) v Arsenal (Eng)
Juventus (Ita) v Bayer Leverkusen (Ger)
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