MANCHESTER UNITED have a golden opportunity to become the first English team in a dozen seasons to reach the European Cup final. To enhance this prospect Alex Ferguson's team must tonight (Network 2, ITV, 7.30) deny an experienced, wily and multi-talented Borussia Dortmund side the sort of result which would enable German ambitions to rest easy before the second leg of the semifinal at Old Trafford in a fortnight.
A win for United, though far from impossible is unlikely. A scoring draw would be a highly-acceptable alternative. Even a narrow defeat would not be a disaster, but United do need an away goal.
After their impressive performances against Porto in the quarter-finals, when an outstanding 4-0 victory at home was followed by a composed, competent performance in the scoreless return game, United's stock in Europe is as high as it was low following the two defeats by Juventus with Fenerbahce's apocalyptic win at Old Trafford in between.
It would be as well not to get too carried away. Even if United dealt similarly with Dortmund they would probably find themselves renewing acquaintances with Juventus in the final in Munich on May 28th. And as Ferguson has already observed: "Juventus are the most powerful side in Europe, and everyone knows that they're the team to beat."
Certainly a bad result for the European champions against Ajax in Amsterdam tonight would heighten the sense of expectation at Old Trafford two weeks from now, provided United have not given away the sort of goals they conceded in losing 3-2 to at home to Derby County on Saturday.
In that game United defended more in the spirit of the free sheet than the clean sheet which they have managed to preserve in European away matches since losing 1-0 to Juventus in their opening match.
"The players got a reminder on Saturday, - a timely reminder, that you can't defend the way we did in any game of football, let alone the semi-finals of the European Cup," Ferguson said yesterday. David May, badly missed against Derby, will be back tonight, and Denis Irwin and Ole Solskjaer will be on at the start.
To Roy Keane and, probably, Ronnie Johnsen will fall the task of preventing Andy Moller setting cup damaging lines of communication with Karl Heinz Riedle and the Swiss striker Stephaine Chapuisat. United will hope to approach this match in the time-honoured fashion: sit tight for 20 minutes or so and then look for opportunities to counter-attack through Ryan Giggs, Solskjaer and Eric Cantona.
Unlike Ferguson, Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Dortmund coach, has selection problems. Matthias Sammer, his sweeper and inspiration, is suspended, Ibrahim Tanko and Julio Cesar are unfit, and Juergen Kohler, Riedle and Molter, are struggling to shake off injuries. It will be surprising, however, if the last three do not recover in time. Sammer's role will go to the Austrian Feiersinger or Stefan Reuter.
Dortmund are a high-scoring team and have failed to find the net in only three of the 34 Bundesliga and European games they have played this season. But their domestic form has recently been erratic, with a 4-1 defeat at Stuttgart followed by Moenchengladbach's 3-1 win in the Westfalenstadion. At present they are lying second in the league, three points behind Bayern Munich.
"The level of performance we achieved against Porto would give us a good chance," said Ferguson, "but Dortmund are a very experienced team. Sammer may be more important to them away from home, but I don't think they have a player like Keane."
Trying not to look like Goering reaching for his revolver or Thatcher her handbag, the United manager also spoke of Dortmund's "different culture and the need for firm, consistent refereeing from the Russian Nikolai Levnikov. Six of United's likely starting line-up are on yellow cards and Ferguson is clearly worried about diving.
"I think it's important the referee doesn't fall for the European culture of going down every time a player is touched," he pleaded. "That's where the referee has to be strong tomorrow. There's no way I'll be telling my team not to tackle."
Holders Juventus will have midfielder Didierj Deschamps and defender Paolo Montero back ford their semi-final first leg with Ajax in Amsterdam. Deschamps will replace Alessio Tacchinardi with Montero, who scored and was sent off for Uruguay last week, ousting Sergi Porrini from the side that put six past AC Milan at the weekend. A groin injury has ruled out striker Alen Boksic and his place goes to Christian Vieri.
Ajax coach Louis Van Gaal will move Ronald de Boer into the middle of his forward line in the absence of Patrick Kluivert, who must undergo an operation on his right knee today. Winger Marc Overmars, who missed Sunday's 3-0 win over Volendam with a calf injury, is expected to start.
