That, though, was to ignore the astonishing, steely strength running throughout the side. Because back came United like only they can. Andy Cole had a superb overhead effort saved on the goal-line and, then, Dwight Yorke was hauled down on the edge of the penalty area - a clear foul, somehow missed by the incompetent referee.

Unpeturbed by their lack of luck, the treble-chasers continued to pour forward. And their reward soon followed when from a Beckham corner, skipper Roy Keane rose brilliantly in front of Peruzzi and two Juventus defenders to direct a powering 24th minute header. It was the Irishman's third goal of the European campaign and by far the most important as it meant United where right back in it and had something to build on. Now United were on fire - and ten minutes on, they were level on the night and on aggregate - but, crucially, ahead for the first time in the entire tie, courtesy of a second strike on their travels. It was a truly wonderful move too. Cole, back to his best after the recent barren patch, produced a pin-point chip into the six-yard box where his strike partner-in-crime Yorke loomed large indeed.

The £12.5million Trinidad and Tobago man had not scored in eight games, if you include the blank 90 minutes against Jamaica at the end of last month. But there was no mistake this time with Yorke diving horizontally to plant a powerful header into the same corner Keane found - the striker's 27th of a prolific season. The one sour and ultimately tragic incident of an otherwise fantastic 45 minutes of action was the booking of Keane. His trip on Zidane in the middle of the park warranted a yellow card, and, sadly ruled the midfield inspiration out of the Nou Camp final where he would be sorely missed. Keane, like a true professional didn't let it bother him and selflessly got on with getting his team-mates to the final - even though he would not be able to play in it.

Stam was magnificent, so too Irwin. On the odd occasion the Serie A side did find a way behind the rearguard, they were confronted by the huge frame of Schmeichel. Never more so than midway through the second half when his long right leg prevented Inzaghi's low drive squeezing inside the near post. Far from being one-way traffic, United kept up the pressure at the other end. Cole should have done better with Beckham's superb cross, mis-controlling with only the keeper to beat, while Irwin could have done little more as he watched his right-foot drive cannon off the upright.

When Paul Scholes was sadly booked barely a minute after replacing Jesper Blomqvist, joining Keane on the suspension list for the final, one wondered if United might be about to come unstuck with the finishing line in sight. We should have shown more faith. For in the 84th minute Yorke went for the Juventus jugular. Bursting into the area, he side-stepped Peruzzi and, was sent crashing to the floor. But before the referee could blow for the penalty who was there but his pal Cole to tap in the loose ball from an acute angle. Game, set and match to United. Only the men from Munich, who they drew with twice in the Group stages, could now halt Fergie's high-fliers from landing the biggest prize in club football.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Schmeichel, Irwin, G Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Beckham, Blomqvist (Scholes), Keane, Butt, Yorke, Cole