Two of Europe’s sleeping giants face off this midweek in the Europa League. While both Milan and Man Utd look to be on the rise again, they’re both still way short of the levels they occupied at the time of their last encounter – this week in 2010.
That tie, taking place in the Champions League of course, boasted a thrilling first leg which United won 3-2 in the San Siro thanks to a Wayne Rooney display for the ages. The return leg at Old Trafford was immense and both teams boasted hugely enviable squads littered with star names.
One could almost call these the fallow years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s latter seasons at Man United. The sale of former World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo the previous summer was a challenge the club did not initially embrace. Ronaldo’s replacements came in the form of Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen (blasphemously taking the number 7 shirt from the Portuguese). Even before today’s transfer expectation and inflation, these were desperately underwhelming signings that would now be greeted with fury and bile directed at the owners.
United were without the suspended Michael Carrick for the home leg. The midfielder picked up a daft second booking in Milan and was replaced by the shuttling Park Ji-Sung in midfield. Jonny Evans, who had endured a particularly rocky first half in Italy, was out and Nemanja Vidic was brought in to partner Rio Ferdinand.
Gary Neville came in for Rafael, making what would turn out to be his penultimate European appearance for the club. Finally, Wayne Rooney, in the midst of his most prolific goalscoring season of his career, started up front as Ferguson persisted with his preferred 4-3-3 formation in European competition. Mame Biram Diouf was on the bench.
For Milan, Marco Borriello came in for the electric Alexandre Pato. The Brazilian was suffering from the hamstring injuries that would go on to plague his career in Europe. Both past and future Arsenal man Mathieu Flamini came into midfield in place of the night’s main talking point – David Beckham, who was making his return to Old Trafford.
Leading 3-2 from the first leg, United were keen to extend their lead and stamp their authority on the game in front of the home crowd. Rooney buried a deft header from a cross by Neville, just as he had done ten days earlier in the League Cup final against Aston Villa. Rooney’s remarkable season was marked by a string of headed goals – a new element to the England forward’s game.
Andrea Pirlo tested Edwin Van de Sar with a swerving shot from distance, before Nani’s burst of speed down the left flank set up Rooney’s second of the game. As the reality of the scoreline sank in and Milan’s dreams of further Champions League glory faded, the game was in danger of petering out.
Just on the hour mark, Paul Scholes – 35 at the time – took Flamini out of the game as he feinted to shoot before cheekily setting up Park to slot a third past Christian Abbiati. With the game already wrapped up, substitute Rafael whipped in a teasing ball for Darren Fletcher to head home and send United to the quarter-finals for the fourth successive year.
Headline-maker Beckham was introduced from the bench, to rapturous applause and sarcastic boos from the home fans, as he strutted about the stadium that had been his stomping ground for 11 years. The former LA Galaxy man must havee looked, ponderously if not with envy, at his former teammates – Scholes, Neville and the absent Ryan Giggs. Wondering perhaps ‘what could have been’ if a certain Scottish manager hadn’t booted a boot at him and told him where to go – Madrid being the answer.
But for all of the marvellous football, the oomph and energy that saw the English giants overwhelm the Italian giants, it was Beckham – in classic fashion – that offered the most indelible image of the night. A bleary-eyed Becks left the pitch, applauding the fans in all four corners. As he headed for the tunnel and waved a final goodbye to the Stretford End, a green and gold scarf landed at his feet. He picked it up.
beckham went down tunnel wearimg green and gold scarf. Never let it be said that the man isn’t a PR genius
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKay) March 10, 2010
Manchester United fans were in the midst of a revolt against the club’s ownership by the American Glazer family – these scarves were a symbol and the stadium was littered with them that night. LOVE UNITED HATE GLAZER read the banners and the scarves delivered the same, albeit unspoken, message.
After the match, the former England captain denied that brandishing the scarf was symbolic – but for a man so keenly aware of his image, this doesn’t seem entirely believable. With such a simple gesture, Beckham had become one of very few former United players to lend their voice to any anti-Glazer sentiment. Another was actually the current manager, who joined the protest in 2005 when he became a patron of the Shareholders United group.
This week’s rematch sees both teams far, far away from the Champions League knockout stages. Facing off in the Europa League was never an ambition for these two European powerhouses, but it’s where they find themselves nonetheless.
With stadiums empty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (if you hadn’t heard) there won’t be any protests, nor a green and gold scarf in sight. But perhaps there’s cause for optimism – both teams find themselves second in their respective leagues, just behind their city rivals but certainly on an upward trajectory. Maybe, just maybe, nights like that one aren’t as far away as they seem.
Connor Spake – follow him on Twitter
The post Remembering the 2010 version of Man Utd v AC Milan appeared first on Football365.com.