good luck, leverkusen....beat Man Utd...
Champions League Semi-Final Preview: Manchester United V Bayer Leverkusen
Manchester United - Bayer Leverkusen | News Archive
With Keane and Beckham injured, Juan Veron is a vital cog for Man United (Allsport)
04/23/2002. AT STAKE
The Champions League could be the last chance saloon for the Old Trafford gunfighters of Manchester United. Out of both domestic cups in England, they currently lie third in the Premiership and are in need of Arsenal and Liverpool slipping up in the handful of games which remain, leaving them in the very real situation of collecting no silverware for the first time since 1998 and only the second time in ten seasons.
The Champions League has been their saviour this season as they stuttered through the league campaign. They eased through the two group phases without ever looking as though they were comfortable, and then went into overdrive against Deportivo in the quarterfinals to win home and away – a feat which had worked against them when the clubs met in the earlier group phases.
The feeling is now that United have more or less resigned themselves to a domestic disaster as far as trophies are concerned, and that they are concentrating primarily on the Champions League. Victory at Hampden on May 15th would make their fans forget about home defeats against Bolton, West Ham and Middlesbrough, not to mention the Teesiders knocking them out of the FA Cup. However, before the dream of Champions League success becomes reality, the matter of the Bundesliga Champions elect awaits them – and it will not be easy.
Anyone who believes that Bayer Leverkusen have made it to the penultimate round of the world' s most challenging club competition by virtue of luck is guilty of doing Klaus Toppmoeller's side a severe injustice. The German league-leaders will be the first to admit that they are going into the semifinal showdown against mighty Manchester United as heavy underdogs, but the up-and-coming club from the industrial Rhineland are anything but flukes.
Though the Leverkuseners have never even been crowned kings of Germany in their 98-year history, they are currently poised to grant their long-suffering fans an overdose of ecstasy. Bayer theoretically have a one-in-four chance of conquering Europe, are odds-on favourites to beat Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title, and are slated to lock horns with Schalke 04 in the German Cup final on May 11. Nothing is in the proverbial bag yet, however, and there is a genuine fear felt by the Bayer community that a campaign that promises to flood the streets of Leverkusen with champagne, could instead see the bubbly replaced by tears.
Pessimism aside, what exactly has been the secret of success for Bayer this season? To answer that, one need look no further than coach Klaus Toppmoeller, who has had no less than a Midas-effect at the club since arriving from the relative wilderness of second division Saarbruecken during the off-season. Under Toppi's expert guidance, Bayer have developed a style similar to that which the Argentinean national team are so widely admired for – the optimum marriage between South American flair and European discipline. "The perfect balance between silk and steel," as Sven Goran Eriksson would put it.
Toppmoeller, himself, is cautiously optimistic of his side's chances of progressing to Glasgow at the expense of the Red Devils. "If we manage to survive at Old Trafford, then we'll have a good chance to book our place in final," he said. "After we beat Liverpool, United must be on alert with us. Besides, Beckham and Keane are missing. I think United's weakest point is their defense and we'll try to take advantage of that."
CURRENT FORM
Man United (all comps – oldest results first): LWWWWW: Since losing at home to Middlesbrough a month ago, a result which could well have hammered the final nail into their Premiership coffin, United have been unbeatable, if not unstoppable. The two QF victories against Deportivo have been intertwined with league successes at Leeds, Leicester and Chelsea and it's worth noting that in the calendar year of 2002, they have lost just three of 23 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen last 6 matches (all competitions): WLWWTL
Bayer were a shade of their true self during their loss at home to Werder Bremen on the weekend. The recent glitches against Werder and Hamburg, however, can be attributed to the exhaustive demands of their jam-packed schedule. Toppmoeller characteristically put a positive spin on the disappointment of Saturday, by philosophizing: "The relentless nature of our schedule has never permitted us time to relish our successes and thankfully now it won't give us time to dwell on the slipup against Bremen."
TEAM NEWS:
United are missing arguably their two most influential midfield stars, with Roy Keane ruled out for the season, although there is talk that he'll play in the final should they get there, and David Beckham's highly publicised foot injury which dominated the front pages last week, keeping him sidelined for up to eight weeks. On the plus side, Juan Sebastian Veron will return after missing the Chelsea game on Saturday, whilst Paul Scholes is also available after missing the second leg of the quarter final through suspension. Ronny Johnsen is missing from the heart of the defence, however Wes Brown made a welcome return at Stamford Bridge at the weekend and is likely to replace the Norwegian.
As has happily been the case for the overwhelming majority of Bayer's season, Toppmoeller has few injury concerns going in to Wednesday's match. Fringe Germany striker Thomas Brdaric is the only confirmed absence, while diminutive speed-demon Oliver Neuville will have to sweat on the results of a late fitness test. Bayer are expected to lineup in a cautious yet flexible 4-5-1 formation in Manchester, with Bulgarian star Dimitar Berbatov being deployed as the lone striker. Ze Roberto, Schneider, and Basturk will be focused on lending Berbatov support in attack, Ballack will operate as a pure centre midfielder, while Ramelow especially will be obsessed with disrupting United's mesmeric midfield rhythm.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Man United: Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman's first season in England has been a roaring success with 30 goals for United, including eight in Europe. This fearsome record makes him one of the most potent strikers in the game at present and it's all the more remarkable that he won't be at the World Cup this summer.
Ryan Giggs: When we hear of the all great stars who have never played in a WC Finals tournament, Giggs' name will always be in the list (unless Wales surprise us all in the next decade). The left-winger has once again been in stunning form this season and has shown a new side of his game when asked to play upfront as a partner for Van Nistelrooy.
Bayer: Please see our in depth Leverkusen player-by-player guide at:
http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/d7472.html
POSSIBLE STARTING XI's
Man United (4-4-2): Barthez, Neville (G), Blanc, Brown, Silvestre; Scholes, Butt, Veron, Giggs; Solskjaer, Van Nistelrooy
Bayer Leverkusen (4-5-1): Butt - Sebescen, Lucio, Nowotny, Placente - Schneider, Ramelow, Bastürk, Ballack, Zé Roberto - Berbatov
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