'The moment Roy Carroll spilled Clarence Seedorf's fierce drive at Old Trafford, allowing Hernan Crespo to give AC Milan the edge, this return trip to Italy always looked ominous. Even Sir Alex Ferguson sounded downbeat beforehand. He seemed a little pessimistic about the size of the task.
No wonder. He knew that this Milan side were better equipped on the back foot than the Juventus outfit famously pegged back in 1999. Falling back, perhaps, on what he knew best, United's manager reverted to his old 4-4-2 system in preference to the 4-3-3 that has dominated the season.
With Ryan Giggs on the left and Cristiano Ronaldo on the right, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy should not have lacked for support. But here's a thought: the legend that is Paolo Maldini was excelling for AC Milan before Rooney and Ronaldo were even born. Twenty one years of expert know-how, four European Cups under the local boy's belt, as an aid to marshalling a defence boasting Alessandro Nesta, the great Brazilian Cafu as well as Jaap Stam, the jilted centre-half formerly of United's parish.
Faced with two of the brightest lights to be found anywhere in Europe and the competition's top scorer in a ring-rusty Dutchman, Milan's back four marked out the territory where this tie would be won.'