Oliver Kay
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Amid joyous scenes at Old Trafford, Manchester United last night guaranteed
the first all-English Champions League final, with Sir Alex Ferguson and his
players declaring that they do not care whether it is Chelsea or Liverpool
who await them in Moscow on May 21.
A spectacular goal from Paul Scholes in the fourteenth minute, a superb
swerving shot from 25 yards that beat VÍctor Valdés, earned United a 1-0
aggregate win over Barcelona and their first appearance in the final
since they lifted the European Cup in 1999, when Scholes was forced to sit
out the moment of triumph against Bayern Munich because of suspension.
Ferguson believes that his team have a “fantastic chance” against the winners
of this evening’s tie at Stamford Bridge and added that he hoped reaching
the final 50 years after the Munich air disaster, in which eight United
players died, was evidence that fate may be on the club’s side.
“Fate is fate,” the
United manager said, “but I think the important thing is that we’re in
the final. We have a fantastic chance, whoever we play.” He will travel to
London to watch the second semi-final unfold and joked that a Liverpool
victory would mean more tickets for both sets of supporters, suggesting that
Chelsea’s Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, would take an enormous allocation
if his team got through, given that the final is in Moscow.
“I’ve no chance of predicting who will win, I’ve no idea. I don’t care who we
play,” Ferguson said. “This club deserves to be in the final. Our
fans saw us over the line tonight.”
An all-English showpiece will provide a serious challenge for the Russian
authorities and for Uefa, European football’s governing body, which was
widely criticised for the security and ticketing arrangements at last
season’s final between Liverpool and AC Milan in Athens. The clubs and Uefa
will hope to prevent any fans travelling without tickets – at least on their
official trips – but the prospect of thousands of ticketless supporters
roaming around Moscow on the day of the match seems inevitable.
United will expect to travel to Russia as champions of England, having
claimed the two wins they need to retain the Barclays Premier League title.
Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney should be available to face West Ham United
on Saturday despite missing last night’s game with facial and hip injuries
respectively. Patrice Evra should also be fit after he received a kick in
the face from Deco, the Barcelona mid-field player, during a nervous finale
Only when the final whistle sounded could United party like it was 1999.
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D Dent, Suggest you follow your local team and leave the proper football to the big boys, as you appear to know little. Bring anyone on!
imj, Reading, Berks
I was in London when they won the treble - the buzz in the air and the atmosphere for a few weeks was just amazing then. I'm beginning to feel thet queezy feeling in the bowels again. This is just going be fantastic. What I'd give to see them play in Moscow. C'mon the red devils.
australian fan, melb, australia
UEFA and the Russian authorities will be hoping that Chelsea progress. At least then the British invasion will be restricted to one end of the ground.
Ian Thomson, Houston, United States
OUTSTANDING SUPER SHOT by Paul Scholes!!! The whole team played well. It was a decent effort and I look forward to seeing United emerge victorious in Moscow on May 21st. I was, I am and will alwayz be a Man. U. FAN. Good luck red devils and i hope to see a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo in the finals!
Vishala, Chennai, India
MAN. U make me proud in Moscow!!!
Shala, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Chelsea are an irrelevance tonight....and will hopefully remain so when the big prizes are handed out soon. They make me yawn.
David Harrison, Manchester, UK
Having watched the Equvalent Rugby HC semi finals over the weekend, which were both were both edge of the seat stuff terrific games and excitement personified. Last night other than just one moment of Paul Scholes magic it was utter boring rubish.
Mike Flitcroft, Wigan, UK
Bobby Charlton was once described as "not a great scorer of goals, but a scorer of great goals".
Maybe that mantle should now pass to Paul Scholes.
Now I'm off to re-grow my fingernails.......
Colin, Wokingham, UK
United played less exciting footbal and got to the final instead of exciting football and going out in the quarters or semis. It never did Liverpool any harm in the distant past. Arsenal and Chelsea haven't made it to a final playing either way.
Mark, Lytham, uk
Follow, Follow, Follow, coz United are going to MOSCAWWWWWW .
May the BEST TEAM (us) WIN .. Best of luck Fergie in the Final.
Davie Jones, Llangefni, Anglesey
Fantastic perfromance by United, this game was one of the best displays of football I have seen. Barcelona were ferocious in attack but all respect to Rio,Wes Brown and the whole united team in getting back to defend. I really hope liverpool get through as that way im gonna be torn between a winner
Tom Davis, birmingham,
I think Chelsea will be the winner
Michael, Shanghai, China
D.Dent you need to get a life, you've slagged off United on every article published this morning. Sour grapes perhaps ?
Utd deserved to win over 2 legs, created more clear-cut chances last night and definitely defended better than Barcelona.
Stephen, Greenwich, London,
Richard Block, London - yes Barcelona looked just like Arsenal and will end the season in the same way - winning sweet FA.
Phil Daniels, Newcastle,
Why is there no coverage in todays hard copy of the times??
I'm a night worker and like to read the papers when I get home from work at 5am, but nothing mentioning last nights fantastic match ... not even in the results sections.
What gives???
Silver, Cornwall,
If Manchester United have to face Chelsea, they should bring their own bottled water and food, as they will be up against the Kremlins secret service as well :)
Adrian, aldershot, England
90 minutes. 22 men. One goal. ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Brett Page, Melbourne, Australia
Its funny how all the back stabbers and negative writers still maintain their bias against the team that won. How can the sports press rattle on on how Messi was the only man to beat?
If a Man Utd player has a great game and Utd loose the headlines read.....United Loose...and nothing else...
Barry Ornzitt, Manchester, UK
Why do you signal this item with a deep-dunce "reaction shot" picture with someone with a wide-open mouth instead of showing a picture from the action of the game?
Richard Barrett, Calgary, Canada
Manchester United played Italian football, while Barcelona played exciting football. The difference is one team tries to play and the other tries to stop the other from playing. What heroes! United looked like other Italian teams - Chelsea and Liverpool. Barcelona looked just like Arsenal.
richard block, London, uk
long live and glory man utd. this was the best early morning of my life..great great goal and it was so fitting for thegreat scholes. supporting them for 30 years now and this perhaps was their grittiest performance. GO GO UNITED
nava, kuala lumpur , malaysia
Fantastic advertisement for Champions League football it was last night between two great sides.
Don't think United care who they play in the final although as a spectator i'd prefer Liverpool. It does'nt come bigger than the two North-West giants pitting it out against each other.
Quentin, VDBP, Pretoria, South Africa
Well done Paul Scholes. Here is hoping that the F.A. show some gumption and deduct points if Utd players are found to have been fighting with Chelsea officials.
As in 1990, such conduct has to be discouraged and Utd have form.
Perhaps both Chelsea and Utd should be docked three points!
Damien, Monchengladbach, Germany
A local commentator here summed it nicely....."barcelona were the better side, but Man United were the more dangerous". Those words echoed as I leapt about the house! I swear Tevez was smiling all through the match....he seemed to relish the stage. It augers well for the "big" stage.
phil , mckenzie, australia
Hey Tractor Boy, what do you mean Chelsea have it over United? Give me a break, United only lost on a dodgy penalty call and after Chelsea were lucky enough to clear two clear goals off the line. As SAF says, it doesn't matter who they meet in the final, my money will be on UNITED!
Mike, Warrenton, USA
Marvellous stuff. A couple of years ago someone here, I think Simon Barnes, evocatively compared Sir Alex's champions' league squad to "a band of weary everest summiteers...who have managed to scale the heights just once..." 50 years on from Munich, who will begrudge them victory in Moscow?
Peter Foster, Almaty, kazakhstan
Even if United do not complete the double, I still feel the real winners are Utd fans who have enjoyed one of the most entertaining and exciting seasons since 1999.
al, Ealing, UK
Forget Ronado and Rooney I know I would want in a battle... TEVEZ... magnificent tonight
Norman, Javea, SPAIN
Utd have it over Liverpool, and Chelsea have it over Utd...
No question who Utd would rather face.
Come on Chelsea!
D.Dent, Ipswich,