5 Of The Greatest Games Between Juventus And Manchester United

5 Of The Greatest Games Between Juventus And Manchester United
11:05, 06 Nov 2018

As Manchester United travel to Turin on Wednesday evening, here’s a look back on five of their most memorable clashes with Juventus and there’s really only one place to start…

Juventus 2-3 Manchester United (April 21, 1999)

The treble, that famous night in Barcelona and the unforgettable “and Solskjær has won it!” line live long in the memory, but for Juventus fans, 1999 is synonymous with another memorable comeback. This one came at their expense in a match with truly had it all. Pippo Inzaghi gave the Bianconeri – who drew 1-1 in the first leg of this semi-final at Old Trafford – a two-goal lead on the night. His first goal was a tap-in with Gary Neville draped all over him, the second a deflection off Jaap Stam that looped over Peter Schmeichel and into the back of the net.

If that was “typical Inzaghi,” what followed was a perfect encapsulation of that great United side. Led by an incredible performance from Roy Keane, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men got back into the tie when the Irish skipper met a perfectly weighted corner from David Beckham to head home and spark the visitors into life.

Their other two goals came courtesy of the telepathic understanding between Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole who each scored once, United finally overcoming a team who had dominated them throughout the previous decade.

Juventus 1-0 Manchester United (September 11, 1996)

The first meeting between the two clubs in the Champions League era came in the 1996/97 competition, Alen Boksic earning a 1-0 win for the Bianconeri during the group stages on a night the visitors will never forget. "Big names, big players, in every respect,” Gary Neville wrote in his autobiography. “We lost 1-0 to them in Turin, but it could have been 10-0. It was the biggest battering I’ve ever had on a football pitch.

"They took us to school, boys against men. We didn’t have a proper chance in the whole match. Manchester United played ninety minutes without a shot, without a sniff of a chance. It’s the only time that happened in my 602 games.”

Thanks to an Alessandro Del Piero penalty, Juventus won at Old Trafford too, although the defending champions would go on to lose that season’s final to Borussia Dortmund in surprising fashion.

Juventus 0-3 Manchester United (February 23, 2003)

After the 1999 clash, the next time Manchester United visited Turin was for this clash in the short-lived “second group phase.” This time there would be no early spark from the home side, but instead a footballing lesson handed out by Sir Alex Ferguson’s men against a surprisingly off-the-pace Bianconeri.

Ryan Giggs' first half brace put United firmly in command before Ruud van Nistelrooy netted a third in the second half to confirm a win that appeared to highlight their superiority as they topped the four-team group. They would lose to Real Madrid in the quarterfinals however, Juve finishing second but beating both Barcelona and Los Merengues en route to a final against AC Milan at Old Trafford.

Juventus 3-0 Manchester United (November 3, 1976)

Having already despatched Manchester City in the previous round, Juventus were drawn against United for the first time ever in the Second Round of the 1976/77 UEFA Cup. At this stage, the Bianconeri were the minnows while the English club had been crowned champions of Europe a decade earlier.

When Gordon Hill put his side ahead in Manchester, it seemed the Old Lady was going to have to wait another year for continental success but the second leg saw her turn the tie completely on its head. A brace from Roberto Boninsegna and a third goal courtesy of Romeo Bonetti saw Juve run out comfortable winners and they would go on to lift the trophy – the club’s first European trophy – by beating Athletic Bilbao in the final.

Juventus 2-1 Manchester United (April 25, 1984)

Just as it was in 1999, a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford ensured this second leg would be a tense affair. Juve jumped out to an early lead at home here too, Polish striker Zibi Boniek putting them ahead in this Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final clash, only to see Norman Whiteside equalise with just 20 minutes left to play.

There would be no fairytale comeback however as 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi bagged a 90th minute winner that put the Bianconeri in the final where they would despatch FC Porto 2-1 to lift yet another trophy.

x
Suggested Searches:
The Sportsman
Manchester United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Premier League
Sportsman HQ
72-76 Cross St
Manchester M2 4JG
We will not ask you to provide any personal information when using The Sportsman website. You may see advertisement banners on the site, and if you choose to visit those websites, you will accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy applicable to those websites. The link below directs you to our Group Privacy Policy, and our Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: [email protected]

All original material is Copyright © 2019 by The Sportsman Communications Ltd.
Other material is copyright their respective owners.