Thursday, October 1, 1998

Before the match manager Alex Ferguson had said his side might suffer for
their inexperience but for the Germans to score so early and in the manner
they did was bitterly disappointing.

Stefan Effenberg was in splendid isolation just inside United's half when he
splayed a raking 40-yard pass which skittled past numerous legs before landing
right at Elber's feet.

The Brazilian was still reassuringly wide of the box but transferred
the ball instinctively to the man mountain known as Carsten Jancker.

With that body, which was made for Gridiron rather than Champions League,
the Luton Town reject held off Jaap Stam and played a one-two with Hasan
Salihamidzic.

By the time Jancker nudged a pass into the path of the sprinting Elber, the
Brazilian was offside but referee Marc Batta, and his linesman, missed the call.

With one sweeping application of Elber's right foot the ball was curled past
Peter Schmeichel who had only been able to watch the instant mayhem in the
territory surrounding him. Space had opened up for Effenberg and the
punishment had been of the blitzkrieg variety.

Ferguson had pinpointed the imposing blond as the guy who had more fun
for Bayern than anyone else. Effenberg seems to conduct his life as if he
has anunshakeable thirst for bad publicity but, unlike Paul Gascoigne for
example, he has conserved his talent.

In the minutes which followed the goal United continued to play with
comfort but Effenberg, when the mood took him, caused problems.

One superb cross to the back post found Salihamidzic free from Phil Neville's
attentions but he failed to score while, bored with the long ball, Effenberg
followed that up with an audacious nutmeg of Jesper Blomqvist in midfield.

Teddy Sheringham, picked to counteract some of Munich's aerial ability
and to hold the ball up, glanced a header inches past after Stam had knocked
Beckham's corner across goal.

Scholes was playing deeper than is his forte but he did much tactical covering,
Sheringham easily justified his inclusion in the first half and, most noticeably,
Blomqvist rose to the occasion.

More than once he drove down the left where the presence of Giggs was
missed much less than might have been anticipated.

With each teasing run United won not only yards but confidence. What
began to be apparent was that Lothar Matthaus, footballing maestro although he
remains, was not having a comfortable night.

When Sheringham hoofed a massive penalty box clearance it was Matthaus'
mistake which allowed Yorke to gather and then feed Blomqvist. The Swede
hoisted in a nasty cross which was rewarded with a corner, but Matthaus
was clearly rattled.

From the corner only a superb save from Oliver Kahn stopped Sheringham's
vicious shot and moments later Beckham curled another of his free kicks
narrowly wide.

The tide was turning and Matthaus was booked, eliminating him from Bayern's
next match against Barcelona, before he gave the equaliser away.

The 37-year-old gave possession straight to Beckham in the 29th minute.
Beckham combined with Sheringham before beating Kahn and Linke with a
cross which Yorke headed in.

Beckham was not long in following Matthaus into the book and he, too, misses
the next match, in Copenhagen, which will be a big loss on his current form.

Schmeichel emulated Kahn's earlier brilliance with an instinctive stop when
Effenberg sent Elber away and Salihamidzic volleyed a shot which looked
as if it must score.

Instead, United did, only three minutes after the break, with that quite
remarkable solo goal which left Ferguson's team with only their manager to
impress.

All they had to do was counteract his accusation of immaturity by defending
better than they had done when leading at home against Barcelona.
© Soccernet

GROUP D             COUNTRY   P   W   D  L   GF  GA   PTS
Barcelona           Spain     2   1   1  0   5    3    4
Brøndby             Denmark   2   1   0  1   2    3    3
Manchester United   England   2   0   2  0   5    5    2
Bayern München      Germany   2   0   1  1   3    4    1