CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Giggs' Equalizer Saves United
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
MANCHESTER, England (April 7, 1999 7:38 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - A last-gasp equalizer from Ryan Giggs gave Manchester United a 1-1 draw with Juventus at Old Trafford on Wednesday, keeping United's European Cup semifinal on a knife's edge.
Juventus, weathering a late United storm that saw a Teddy Sheringham header disallowed for offside with four minutes to play, appeared to have done enough to win a pulsating first-leg clash.
The Italians had seized the lead through Antonio Conte's 25th-minute goal that he scored after finding time and space in the heart of United's defense.
But with United seemingly heading for defeat for the first time in 21 cup and league matches since December, it launched one last desperate attack that ended with Giggs crashing the ball into the roof of the net from close range after the Juve defense failed to clear a back-header from Paul Scholes.
In the end the result was a fair reflection of a match that Juventus, looking for a fourth successive appearance in the European Cup final, dominated for the first half but that increasingly tilted United's way as the second half developed.
With greater accuracy in front of goal, Juventus would have established an emphatic lead by halftime.
With Edgar Davids dominating the midfield alongside Zinedine Zidane, who looked to be fully fit despite a heavily strapped right thigh, Juventus dictated the pace of the game and always looked more composed and dangerous coming forward whereas United appeared hurried and flustered.
After only two minutes Zidane tried to chip Peter Schmeichel from 65 feet and 15 minutes later Filippo Inzaghi tested the giant Dane's reflexes with a powerful shot on the turn that Schmeichel saved well.
Then after Conte had put Juve ahead -- scoring against Schmeichel for the second time in 11 days after beating him with a header when Italy played Denmark in Copenhagen on March 27 -- defender Gianluca Pessotto, marauding unmarked in open space wide on the left, shot high and wide with only Schmeichel to beat after 37 minutes.
Zidane then set Inzaghi up with a clear scoring chance in stoppage time at the end of the half, but after again escaping from United's tormented defenders, he put his shot the wrong side of Schmeichel's left-hand post from close range.
United's best chances in the first half came when David Beckham went close with a 23rd minute free-kick and Andy Cole headed over the bar seven minutes later.
United replaced Henning Berg with Ronny Johnsen in the center of its defense after the break and began to make more impression.
It threatened to score four times in the opening 15 minutes of the second half through Cole, twice, Scholes and Giggs, who forced Peruzzi into his one real save of the night from his 58th minute glancing header.
Until United lifted its tempo even more in the last 15 minutes, Juventus never really looked like conceding a goal, and if Zidane had not sent a hurried shot across goal late in the game, the Italians would have taken an almost unbeatable lead home for the return leg in two weeks' time.
As it is, it will be without defender Zoran Mirkovic, suspended after picking up a second yellow card, and knows that it faces a huge battle to overcome the English team.
