UNITED's: 11 MOST MEMORABLE EUROPEAN MATCHES

            1/10/97

European Champion Clubs' Cup Quarter-Final Second-Leg

Wednesday 18 March

Man Utd (0) 1 AS Monaco (1) 1
Solskjaer 53; Trezeguet 6.
Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G. Neville (Berg 32), Irwin, Johnsen, Beckham, Butt, Cole, Sheringham, P. Neville, Scholes (Clegg 46), Solskjaer. Subs Not Used: Pilkington, May, McClair, Thornley, Curtis. Booked: Butt, Solskjaer.

AS Monaco: Barthez, Djetou, Dumas, Diawara, Collins, Benarbia (Carnot 66), Trezeguet, Leonard, Sagnol, Konjic (Da Costa 74), Ikpeba Nosa (Henry 60). Subs Not Used: Porato, Pignol, Spehar, Cristanval. Booked: Collins, Da Costa. Agg (1-1)
Att: 53,683 Ref: Helmut Krug (Germany).

Real Madrid (0) 3 Bayer Leverkusen (0) 0 Agg (4-1)

Borussia Dortmund (0) 1 Bayern Munich (0) 0
After Extra Time AT 90 mins 0-0 Agg (1-0) After Extra Time

Dinamo Kiev (0) 1 Juventus (1) 4 Agg (2-5)

4th March 1998

27th Nov 1997 REDS Qualify for the Quarter Finals!

Group B
Kosice 0-3 Manchester United
Juventus 5-1 Feyenoord
Feyenoord 2-0 Kosice
Manchester United 3-2 Juventus
Manchester United 2-1 Feyenoord
Kosice 0-1 Juventus
Feyenoord 1-3 Manchester United
Juventus 3-2 Kosice
Feyenoord 2-0 Juventus
Manchester United 3-0 Kosice
Juventus 1-0 Manchester United

Alex Ferguson's post match reaction to the 3:0 defeat of Kosice at Old Trafford.
Real Audio format - 60 seconds   Download

Gary Pallister, Peter Schmeichel and Teddy Sheringham give their thoughts on
qualifying for the Champions Cup Quarter Finals. Real Audio format - 55 seconds   Download

He said: "The media will now make us favourites to win the group now, but we have to make sure we don't waste this result.
"I think we have to win our next three games to have any chance at all, because I can see Juventus taking full points from their next three games before we meet again.
"We have got to make sure that we still have an advantage when we go to Turin and if we can win the three games leading up to the game then the pressure will switch to Juventus."

United found themselves on the wrong end of five 1-0 defeats during last season's Euro campaign - including two against Juventus - before bowing out in the semi-finals to eventual winners Borussia Dortmund.
But rather than capitulate following Del Piero's opener, they hit back through Teddy Sheringham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs before Zinedine Zidane's injury-time free-kick brought a degree of respectability for the beaten and bowed Italians.
And Schmeichel added: "We have showed that we learned from the whole European experience last year and, for me, that was the best thing about beating Juventus.
"We showed great determination, character, discipline and patience to get back in the game.
"And didn't lose our heads after getting it back to 1-1. At no time did we commit more men forward that was absolutely neccessary."

Sheringham, whose magnificent header brought United level, admitted that he was waiting to be ruled offside when Scholes burst through to put United ahead, just two minutes after Didier Deschamps' 67th-minute sending off for two bookable offences.

He said: "The referee probably didn't think I was interfering with play.
"I don't know how he worked that one out, but fortunately for us the goal counted."
He added: "It was a bit of a shock when they scored, but things aren't going to go smoothly all the time and thankfully it all came right for us in the end.
"It is a great result. It looks good for us now, but none of that will matter if we lose the next game, so we'll just have to keep our finger on the button."
And David Beckham added: "It was all about hard work, grit and determination - and I think every one of our players showed that.
"The early goal was a bit of a shock, but the crowd got right behind us and we were able to come back."

Phil Neville, a second-half substitute for thigh strain victim Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, revealed that Juventus' physical approach backfired on Marcello Lippi's men.
As well as having Deschamps sent off, the Italians had three other players booked.
And Neville said: "There were a lot of tackles flying in and that fired us and the crowd up, in fact that's the loudest I've heard the crowd at Old Trafford.
"It was a great battle. The early goal knocked us down, but the crowd lifted us back up again, got right behind us, and I thought we deserved to win it.
"Hopefully, this will give us confidence for the return in Turin and the games against Feyenoord and Kosice."

Dossiers:
FC Kosice:
The squad:1. Ladislav Molnar (G) 12.09.60 2. Marek Spilar (Hun) (M) 11.02.75 3. Andras Telek (D) 10.12.70 4. Ivan Kozak (D) 18.06.70 5. Peter Dzurik (D) 29.12.68 6. Vladimir Janocko (F) 02.12.76 7. Rusian Lubarskij (Ukr) (F) 29.09.73 8. Dusan Toth (D) 08.02.71 9. Jozef Kozlej (F) 08.07.73 10. Robert Semenik (F) 13.01.73 11. Vladislav Zvara (M) 11.12.71 12. Branislav Benko (G) 17.01.67 13. Miroslav Sovic (M) 09.03.70 14. Lubomie Faktor (M) 18.03.67 15. Marian Bochnovic (M) 03.03.70 17. Radoslav Kral (D) 08.08.74 18. Albert Rusnak (F) 14.01.74 19. Ivan Lapsansky (F) 06.11.73 20. Milan Cvirk (M) 14.09.76 21. Roland Moder (M) 12.03.76 22. Jozef Majoros (M) 21.03.78 23. Pavol Kamesch 09.12.74

There is no other side in the Champions' League this season about which less is known than the surprise Slovak representatives, First Football Club Kosice, who pipped Spartak Trnava for the title last spring.

On the last day - Trnava had been top since mid-autumn - the 'Brewers' needed a point at Rimavska Sobota, and Kosice had to beat neighbours Lok, where their coach, Jan Kozak, had been in charge for 10 years before moving to FC in January 1996.

Kosice won and Trnava lost a highly controversial game, to give the Eastern Slovak metropolis its first title in nearly 100 years of football. The club began at Kassa, in the Hungarian part of the Monarchy, but was reformed in 1992 and is still supported by the successful East Slovak steel works.

Kosice have successfully challenged three-time Slovak national champions Slovan, now in decline and in financial difficulty, and 'the new orange might' have money to spend, a rare commodity in an otherwise woefully funded League.

The increase in clubs, decided on three years ago, means many modest and veteran players are getting an unexpected chance to play at the top level. Consequently, there has been a clear decline in standards, made worse by so many of the national side leaving for Western Europe.

Only Kosice have the money to buy, admittedly at relatively reasonable fees, such players as Ladislav Molnar from Slovan and libero Andras Telek from Ferencvaros. Both are key men, the former a commanding goalkeeper, the latter skilled at being the last man at the back as well as good at getting forward.

A further strength is the midfield three of Zvara, Spilar and Faktor, while up front Kozlej, signed from Viktoria Zizkov, and Semenik average nearly a goal a game in domestic League and Cup competitions.

Coach Jan Kozak was in the Czechoslovak squad that took a bronze medal at the 1960 European Championships in Italy, won two caps and terminated a successful career, mainly spent with Lok in Kosice, with spells in France at Bourges, in Belgium with the now merged Seraing club, and with St Polten in Austria. He has strong tactical sense but can be hot-headed.

Kosice play at the All Sport Arena, where renovation is still to be completed. In the last days of the Czechoslovak republic it housed nearly 30,000 for a qualifying match with Romania and local crowds are, to say the least, enthusiastic.

The stadium still has to be covered and an estimated 16,000 seats will be available on Champions' League nights. Visitors from the West can expect a warm welcome in one of the most hospitable parts of Europe, where Slovak, Hungarian and Ukrainian cultures merge.
Since the above was written, we know that Kozak is no longer the manager and that Kosice are playing their home games at Lok's stadium

Ajax (0) 1 Juventus (2) 2
Ajax: Van der Sar; F de Boer, Blind, Melchiot; Witschge (Dani 69); Musampa (Bogarde 28), Litmanen, Scholten (Wooter 76); Overmars, R De Boer, Babangida. Subs: Grim, Juan.
Juventus: Peruzzi; Pessotto, Montero, Ferrara, Porrini; Jugovic, Deschamps, Zidane, Di Livio (Tacchinardi 68); Vieri, Amoruso. Subs: Rampulla, Conte, Juliano, Lombardo. Booked: Di Livio, Tacchinardi, Jugovic. Referee: L Nieto (Spain).

QUARTER FINAL 2nd leg   Wed 19th March 97    RED DEVILS
                                                             Click Here for Alan's 16 Pics "live" from Porto
                                         Draw 0-0 and cruise to the semi's!

QUARTER FINAL 1st leg     Wed 5th March 97  Home to Porto
                 Tremendous game RED DEVILS slaughter Porto

VIENNA 4th Dec 96:
UNITED win away!

A TICKET TO PORTO IN THE QUARTER FINALS!

  Juventus Home :       Lose at Home to the Euro Champs  20th Nov 96
  Fernabache Home:  Lose Their 40 Year Unbeaten Run in Europe  30th Oct 96
   Istanbul Away to Fernabache:  16th Oct 96
   Rapid Vienna Home:  21st Sept 96
   Juventus Away:  11th Sept 96

Click Guide:

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You are Red no     since Sept 1996.

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