Red Devils Reign on Juventus
Posted: Wednesday April 21, 1999 05:22 PM
Manchester United rolls into Champions League final
TURIN, Italy (AP) -- Andy Cole rolled in the winner six minutes from the end as Manchester United downed Juventus 3-2 on Wednesday to advance to its first Champions League final in 31 years and stop the Italian titlist from making it four appearances in a row.
Juve, winner in 1996 and runner up the last two seasons, tossed away a two-goal lead provided on strikes by Filippo Inzaghi in the first 11 minutes as scores by Roy Keane and Dwight Yorke brought Manchester United level before halftime.
United twice hit the Juve post and Inzaghi had another goal disallowed for offside in a thrilling game before 65,000 fans at the Delle Alpi stadium.
After a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, United appeared to be going through to the May 26 final on the away goals rule before Cole made sure and ended Juve's 4-year unbeaten home record in European competition in the 84th minute.
Yorke got clear and round goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi who brought the Tobagan striker down and the ball rolled on to Cole who steered it into an empty net from an acute angle.
"It's a very proud moment for me," said United manager Ferguson, who has been at the club since 1986 and guided the team to a Cup Winners Cup triumph in 1991 and four league titles.
"My players were absolutely fantastic, they were magnificent. We gave them a start, didn't we," Ferguson said of the two Inzaghi goals. "But the players kept their composure and they deserve to be in the final."
The Italian champion charged into a two-goal lead inside the first 11 minutes and appeared in complete control of the game.
Zinedine Zidane swung over a cross following a short corner from the left and Inzaghi beat Gary Neville to the ball at the far post to prod the ball home for his fifth goal in 10 Champions Cup games and 21st for Juve this season.
Five minutes later he struck again although this time with a big slice of good fortune.
The little striker collected a pass from Gianluca Pessotto and was challenged by Jaap Stam as he shot left-footed. The ball took a deflection off the Dutch defender and bounced over the head of goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel into the net.
Yorke fired too high from 12 yards after a good interchange with Cole before United hit the target in the 21st minute.
The Juve defense failed to spot Keane making a run to meet a left-wing corner by David Beckham and the Irish international midfielder scored with a glancing header inside the far post.
Stam headed off the line after Schmeichel was deceived by another leftwing cross from Zidane before United drew level in the 34th minute, Yorke scoring with a diving header from a well-flighted cross from Cole.
The chances continued at both ends and, after Schmeichel had blocked a close range shot from Inzaghi, Yorke hit the foot of the Juve post from 25 yards with Peruzzi beaten.
Six minutes into the second half Inzaghi got clear again and Schmeichel blocked his first time shot with his boot. At the other end, Cole was put clear but his first touch was too clumsy and the chance was wasted.
Inzaghi had the ball in the net again but from a clearly offside position, and then United defender Dennis Irwin fired a 20-yard shot against the foot of the Juve post as the chances continued to flow.
Daniel Fonseca entered the game as a substitute in the 79th minute and the Uruguayan striker's first contribution was to clear a goalbound header off the line as United threatened again.
The only negative for United was that Keane and Paul Scholes collected yellow cards, their second of the competition, which means that they will miss the final in Barcelona.
"It's just one of those things," said Irish international Keane, who would have captained the team in Barcelona. "It doesn't really matter, to be fair. What's important is that the club has got there."
