Treble Winners 1998-1999 - congrats lads!

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MATCH REPORT FROM SKYSPORTS

It took Teddy Sheringham 80 seconds to make an impact on the FA Cup Final against Newcastle - though it took just over twenty minutes in the European Champions Cup Final, his influence was even more telling as he scored one and set one up in the dying minutes of a dramatic clash in Barcelona. Alex Ferguson's two substitutes, Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, broke German hearts and secured a place in footballing history by snatching a miraculous victory with goals in the 91st and 92nd minutes. When captain Peter Schmeichel came up for a corner in the last minute, the game looked lost - Bayern had struck the woodwork twice and peppered Schmeichel's goal throughout the game. Alex Ferguson admitted that his team like to make things difficult for themselves: what an understatement. The dream of United came true, and on the anniversary of Matt Busby's 90th birthday, the poignancy was lost on no-one. Though they went behind to a fifth-minute Mario Basler free-kick, few United fans were worried. After all, against Bayern earlier this season, and also Barcelona and Juventus, United have recovered from losing an early goal. But those games were not European finals - and didn't the difference show. Nerves were clearly apparent when Ronny Johnsen brought down target man Carsten Jancker on the left 25 yards from goal. Mario Basler, who scored a spectacular winner in the semi-final to defeat Dynamo Kiev, stepped up and silenced the United support. Basler's low strike curled past the six-man wall and left Schmeichel - playing his 398th and final game for United - wrong-footed. 1-0 to the Germans. Ottmar Hitzfeld's tactical nous kept Bayern in charge for most of the first half, as they switched from a 3-5-2 formation to 4-4-2. The experience of Lothar Matthaus, seen by United as a possible weak link, was telling as he dropped deep when United attacked down the flank, and pushed up as an extra midfielder when the ball was played through the middle. With Effenberg keeping Butt in check and Babbel and Tarnat restricting the runs of Irwin and Neville, United looked to David Beckham to provide some inspiration from his new central midfield role. He conjured up some trademark long passes, but Giggs and Cole were unable to capitalise on them. United were only creating half-chances: a Beckham free-kick from 35 yards bounced past Kahn's far post. Giggs had a shot deflected off Sam Kuffour for a corner and then had a weak header easily saved. The cutting edge in the first half was definitely coming from the Germans. Jancker's strength made Stam look uneasy while Jeremies' energy was never-ending. Zickler had a snap-shot on six yards that sliced wide, and he dragged a 25-yard shot off target. But the opportunities were coming thick and fast, and Alex Ferguson was probably relieved to hear the half-time whistle blow. United slowly eased their way back into the game in the second half as the role of Giggs became more prominent. He forced a corner in the 50th-minute that was headed over by Johnsen and five minutes his tantalising cross was spooned over by Jesper Blomqvist. When Oliver Kahn collided with his own defender and spilled the ball, no red-shirted striker was close enough to pounce. Was it to be one of those nights? It seemed so when Stam had another chance from a corner and pinged his header over the bar, even more so when Basler had the cheek to attempt a 50-yard lob over Schmeichel. Cole then had time and space but shinned an overhead kick wide. Ferguson's 68th-minute switch was the key to the game - replacing Blomqvist with Sheringham, it allowed Beckham to return to the right flank, Giggs to the left, and Sheringham, with his aerial power, to take up his dangerous floating role in the final third. United pressed forward but still could not create a clear-cut chance - unlike their opponents. On the break, Jancker set up Effenberg whose high shot was wonderfully saved by Schmeichel. Five minutes later, Basler's tricky run set up substitute Mehmet Scholl to lob Schmeichel. The Danish keeper was grateful to see the ball rebound off the post into his arms. It certainly kept them in the game, and gave them ten minutes to snatch an equaliser. They nearly did when Sheringham fashioned United's best chance of the night - his clever flick allowed Butt to run through the defence and chip the ball across the face of the goal. From the resulting corner, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer flashed a header at the near post, but it was well held on to by Kahn. Bayern were still pushing to kill the game off and they thought they had done when Effenberg - again - was left with time to shoot powerfully low to Schmeichel's right. But again United's captain kept his side in it, pushing the shot round and seemingly injuring his wrist in the process. He made no effort to claim the resulting corner, from which Jancker cannonned a fierce overhead kick against the underside of the bar. It was another massive let-off. Again United couldn't make it pay - Solskjaer's back-heel released Sheringham who shot tamely at Kahn. On 87 minutes, Neville's cross fell to Yorke who mis-kicked horribly, and a minute later Solksjaer had another header held by the solid Kahn. Just when time was ticking away though, Sheringham popped up to side-foot home Giggs' low drive from the edge of the area. With the Germans on the ropes, United sensed their destiny was taking shape. When Sheringham's flick-on was toe-poked in by Solskjaer, the dream became reality. So the adventure has come to an end, and what an end. Peter Schmeichel's United career ends in him going up for a corner, and minutes later, lifting the most famous trophy in European football. And Ferguson? Well, he'll be telling anyone who's listening that his two substitutions changed the course of English football history for ever. Bayern Munich: Khan, Babbel, Kuffour, Matthaus (Fink 79), Effenberg, Basler (Salihamidzic 89), Jeremies, Tarnat, Jancker, Zickler (Scholl 70), Linke. Subs Not Used: Dreher, Helmer, Strunz, Daei. Booked: Effenberg. Goals: Basler 6. Manchester Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Stam, Beckham, Butt, Cole (Solskjaer 81), Giggs, Blomqvist (Sheringham 67), Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, May, P. Neville, Brown, Greening. Goals: Sheringham 90, Solskjaer 90. Attendance: 90,000 Referee: P Collina (Italy).