Late goal seals it as United ride luck

That United qualified, and did so deservedly, was no surprise. That it took them so long to wrap up this Champions League quarter-final clash against Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium last night, thanks to an 88th minute equaliser from Paul Scholes, was the mystery.

In the end, United won this tie, thanks not only to their superior organisation but thanks also to the folly of Inter Milan's decision to play a patently unfit Ronaldo.

While the Brazilian was on the field, United cruised. When he was finally and thankfully removed, then United were in trouble. Manchester United may well now go on to the final of this competition; but, given the difficulties that an incoherent disorganised Inter posed for them for a long period in the second half, then one wonders if the English league leaders are quite good enough to go all the way and win the Champions League.

Those of us familiar with this current Inter side had always suspected that the decision to field a half fit Ronaldo could backfire spectacularly. He gave a performance of staggering ineptitude, treating the United penalty area as a recently discovered minefield to be avoided at all costs.

Playing to all intents and purposes with 10 men and only one striker, in Chilean Ivan Zamorano, Inter Milan inevitably had to look to others than Ronaldo to conjure up some semblance of danger for the composed United defence. Argentine Diego Simeone created the first scare, when sending Zamorano through in the 16th minute.

The Chilean did well going past Norwegian Henning Berg, before steaming straight at United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who seemed to bring him down in the ensuing clash. Before we had time to speculate as to whether Roberto Baggio or Ronaldo would take the penalty kick, French referee Gilles Veissiere had waved play on.

So much for the concern expressed by United manager, Alex Ferguson, re "a home town referee". From that moment on, one had the suspicion that this was not going to be Inter's night and that view was further enforced when Argentine Javier Zanetti hit the post following a corner kick six minutes later.

That corner kick, too, had come from one of the best Inter moves of the game, following a great through ball from Baggio to Zanetti, whose well struck cross was brilliantly cleared off the line by Berg.

By the end of the first half, United seemed in total control, looking occasionally dangerous in attack and nearly always comfortable in a defence that was buoyed by the 2-0 aggregate lead that they brought into the second leg of the tie.

Just when we were expecting United to hit the killer blow early in the second half, Inter re-found some fighting spirit, if not a coherent game plan.

Even Ronaldo revived, venturing into the unknown territory of the United penalty area in the opening minutes of the second half, to first miss a clear chance and then, minutes later, fall on his backside and appeal for an unlikely penalty following a challenge by Gary Neville.

Things, all too predictably, got much better for Inter and worse for United, when Ronaldo was finally substituted on the hour, being replaced by Nicola Ventola. Just to prove the point, about the folly of playing Ronaldo, the new man had the ball in the back of the net within minutes, making the most of a little through chip from Frenchman Benoit Cauet, to score a 63rd minute goal that set us up for a grandstand finale.

Brazilian Ze Elias, who had come on as a first half substitute for Simeone, Cauet and Ventola all had chances to take the game to extra time, but failed. Inter probably did not enjoy the fairest of refereeing, either here or at Old Trafford but in the end the better team ran out the winners and go on to the semi-final.

Manchester United are now 2 to 1 favourites to win the European Cup and 11 to 1 to complete the treble with William Hill, who make Juventus 5 to 2 second favourites with Bayern at 11 to 4 and Kiev at 100 to 30.

Inter Milan: Pagliuca, Colonnese, Silvestre, Bergomi (Moriero 69), West, Zanetti, Simeone (Ze'Elias 32), Cauet, Baggio, Zamorano, Ronaldo (Ventola 59). Subs Not Used: Frey, Galante, Djorkaeff, Winter. Booked: Bergomi, Ze'Elias, Silvestre, Colonnese. Goal: Ventola 63.

Manchester Utd: Schmeichel, G Neville, Irwin, Stam, Berg, Keane, Johnsen (Scholes 77), Giggs (P Neville 82), Beckham, Cole, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Sheringham, Blomqvist, Brown, Solskjaer. Booked: Johnsen, P Neville. Goal: Scholes 88.

Referee: Gilles Veissiere (France).