sport news Forget the Nou Camp, THIS was 's greatest comeback

Bring up Manchester United's Treble in 1999 and thoughts spring towards the crowning glory of it all with that one Champions League night inside the Nou Camp.

No, not the 3-3 draw with Barcelona in the group stage, but the final itself. More specifically those crazy last few seconds against Bayern Munich that saw Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turn a heartbreaking defeat into one of the all-time dramatic wins and climaxes to any football match.

But you need to go back to the previous match in the competition to see why United were the greatest team in the world at the time, with what is also arguably their best ever performance in Europe.

(From left) Andy Cole, Jesper Blomqvist, Dwight Yorke, Nicky Butt, Ronny Johnsen, Jaap Stam, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Denis Irwin, Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane line up ahead of the second leg of Manchester United's Champions League semi-final at Juventus

(From left) Andy Cole, Jesper Blomqvist, Dwight Yorke, Nicky Butt, Ronny Johnsen, Jaap Stam, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Denis Irwin, Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane line up ahead of the second leg of Manchester United's Champions League semi-final at Juventus

United had been on the back foot in the tie ever since Antonio Conte fired the Italian champions into a 25th-minute lead in the first leg at Old Trafford

United had been on the back foot in the tie ever since Antonio Conte fired the Italian champions into a 25th-minute lead in the first leg at Old Trafford

Ryan Giggs hit a stoppage-time equaliser on home soil but United still had to score in Turin

Ryan Giggs hit a stoppage-time equaliser on home soil but United still had to score in Turin

Twenty years ago, on April 21 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson's side had their work cut out when they travelled to Juventus for the second leg of their semi-final, having only drawn the Old Trafford clash 1-1 - Ryan Giggs netting in stoppage-time following Antonio Conte's first-half strike.

Juventus had Carlo Ancelotti as manager

Juventus had Carlo Ancelotti as manager

About the only positive for the Red Devils heading into the game was they were facing a Juventus side who were on course to finish a disastrous seventh in Serie A and record their worst top-flight placing since 1962.

But no-one really took that statistic at face value and it was easy to see why when the Bianconeri, who had featured in the three previous Champions League finals, named a starting line-up featuring Zinedine Zidane, Edgar Davids, Filippo Inzaghi and Conte - all managed by Carlo Ancelotti. 

United needed to win - or at least secure a high-scoring draw - to progress but would have to do so without key man Giggs.

The first-leg saviour had picked up a knock in his side's other incredible '99 semi-final a week earlier when the Welsh wizard scored one of the greatest FA Cup goals to dump out Arsenal.

Edgar Davids was part of a star-studded Juve side

Zinedine Zidane was also a key member for the team

Juve had a star-studded squad including Edgar Davids (left) and Zinedine Zidane

Ferguson made few errors inside the Stadio delle Alpi but one glaring one came in the form of being complacent in dealing with Juventus's main attacking threat, Inzaghi.

The United boss once described the striker as 'born offside' yet the Italian poacher had the hosts 2-0 up inside 11 minutes, showing typically predatory instincts to tap home following a far-post cross, then having a little fortune after seeing a shot deflect off Jaap Stam over Peter Schmeichel.

United suddenly were 3-1 down on aggregate, shown to be struggling defensively and needing two goals against a side who were not afraid to rough up the visitors with a few questionable challenges - even by 1990s standards.

Filippo Inzaghi got Juventus off to a perfect start when he scored after just six minutes

Filippo Inzaghi got Juventus off to a perfect start when he scored after just six minutes

The Italy striker then doubled Juventus's lead to give them a 3-1 aggregate advantage

The Italy striker then doubled Juventus's lead to give them a 3-1 aggregate advantage

But United ignored being drawn into needless scraps off the ball, kept their composure and soon dominated proceedings. 

David Beckham in particular looked to have been identified as a target by the Italian side as a weak link mentally, with this match coming less than a year after his petulance saw him sent off for England against Argentina at the World Cup.

The late challenges on the midfielder went 'unrewarded' for the hosts. The midfielder had gained maturity throughout the campaign and refused to react to the roughhousing as his focus was more on starting United's comeback. 

Keane started the comeback for United when he headed home a Beckham corner

Keane started the comeback for United when he headed home a Beckham corner

But the midfielder was then booked for a foul on Zidane, causing him to miss the final

But the midfielder was then booked for a foul on Zidane, causing him to miss the final

Scholes would later suffer the same fate as he is given a yellow card by referee Urs Meier

Scholes would later suffer the same fate as he is given a yellow card by referee Urs Meier

MATCH FACTS

 Juventus: Peruzzi, Ferrara, Iuliano (Montero 46), Birindelli (Amoruso 46), Pessotto, Di Livio (Fonseca 80), Conte, Davids, Deschamps, Zidane, Inzaghi

Subs not used: Rampulla, Tudor, Tacchinardi, Esnaider

Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

Booked: Davids

Goals: Inzaghi 6, 11

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Irwin, Beckham, Butt, Keane, Blomqvist (Scholes 68), Cole, Yorke

Subs not used: Van der Gouw, May, P. Neville, Brown, Sheringham, Solskjaer

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson 

Goals: Keane 24, Yorke 34, Cole 83

Booked: Keane, Scholes

Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)

Attendance: 60,806

Beckham soon got that going in the 24th minute when his typically pinpoint corner delivery found Roy Keane attacking the near post and glancing a header across goal to make it 2-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.

The dream of a Champions League final was back on for United but soon over for Keane, whose late sliding tackle on Zidane earned him a booking and a suspension for the final.

It was perhaps typical of the Irishman's application that he showed minimal reaction to being ruled out the biggest game of his career and would go on to be United's star man in Turin. 

Sheringham and Solskjaer were the heroes in the final but the stand-out partnership in attack during the Treble season was the lethal combination of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole.

Juve could not cope with the duo or their link-up play, so it came as little surprise when Cole's high cross into the box was headed home by his strike partner just 10 minutes after Keane's equaliser. 

Despite conceding two early goals, Stam soon got to grips in dealing with Inzaghi's threat

Despite conceding two early goals, Stam soon got to grips in dealing with Inzaghi's threat

Yorke leaps in the air to celebrate after scoring 11 minutes before half-time, levelling the tie 3-3 on aggregate and giving the Red Devils the overall lead on away goals

Yorke leaps in the air to celebrate after scoring 11 minutes before half-time, levelling the tie 3-3 on aggregate and giving the Red Devils the overall lead on away goals

Cole wrapped up victory on the night seven minutes from time at the Stadio delle Alpi

Cole wrapped up victory on the night seven minutes from time at the Stadio delle Alpi

United, now leading the tie on away goals, still kept on attacking as Cole and Yorke ran rings around the hosts, with the latter hitting the post before half-time.

So rattled was Ancelotti by the hammering his team were taking on home soil, he made two half-time changes, albeit one of them enforced with Mark Iuliano departing injured.

Now it was Juve attacking for much of the second half, but 'Operation Beckham' was still in force judging by a terrible lunge from Davids on the midfielder, which earned him a booking, but one he could have been

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