Manchester United of course (if you didn’t know by now) start their Champions League campaign this coming Wednesday away to Portuguese outfit Benfica with fans hoping that it will be the first step on our efforts to claim a fourth European Cup.
Without wanting to jinx this coming European campaign, there’s no harm in looking back in time to the three European Cup/Champions League’s that we have won and seeing how we started each campaign.
1968 European Cup
In the days when only the title-holders of European leagues and the Cup’s holders were allowed to compete in the tournament which was a straight out knock-out contest all the way to the final. United started in the first round and on September 20th 1967 hosted Maltese outfit Hibernians (yes there is another team called Hibs) at Old Trafford.
Two goals from Dennis Law and David Sadler put United firmly in control of the tie. The second leg was drawn 0-0 with United going through 4-0 on aggregate. 252 days later Benfica were defeated in the final of the competition 4-1 aet at Wembley.
1999 Champions League
After finishing second in the Premier League the season before to Arsenal, United had to enter the second and final qualifying round to get through to the group-stages of the Champions League. Drawn against Polish side LKS Lodz, United strolled to a 2-0 win at Old Trafford on 12th August 1998.
Goals either side of half time by Ryan Giggs and Andrew Cole proved the difference on the night and United comfortably moved onto the next round 2-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 draw in Poland. 287 days later United defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Nou Camp thanks to late goals by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer to secure their second European Cup.
2008 Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani returned to their old-stomping ground the Estadio Jose Alvalade, as United started the group-stages of the 2008 competition with an away game against Sporting Lisbon on 19th September 2007. It was a tough game for United and although twinkletoes Ronaldo got the headlines for heading the winner from a Wes Brown cross the star of the night was someone else.
Edwin Van der Sar had an outstanding game in goal and made two memorable saves on the night. It was somewhat ironic how 245 days later in Moscow that he would be the man to win United their third European Cup when he saved Nicolas Anelka’s penalty in the shoot-out in the final at the Luzhnicki Stadium in Moscow.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
