Alfredo di Stefano, Bobby Charlton, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Raul, Luis Figo.
This fixture has had everything. Here’s a quick look at the matches between the two sides before the latest clash on Wednesday night.
1957 EUROPEAN CUP SEMIFINAL
First leg – April 11, 1957: Real Madrid 3 Manchester United 1: More than half of the team that
United fielded would lose their lives in the Munich disaster a year later. Hector Rial, Alfredo di Stefano and Enrique Mateos got on the score-sheet for Madrid and Tommy Taylor’s goal was just enough to make the second leg interesting.
Second leg: April 24, 1957: Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 2: Taylor scored again in this match, but it wasn’t enough to avoid an aggregate defeat. Bobby Charlton also scored, but these were only after Rial and Raymond Kopa had put Madrid in sight of the final.
1968 EUROPEAN CUP SEMIFINAL
First leg – April 24, 1968: Manchester United 1 Real Madrid 0: This was the era of George Best and the only time United have made it past Madrid on aggregate. Best scored from a John Aston cross and the goal would eventually be the difference between the two teams.
Second leg – May 15, 1968: Real Madrid 3 Manchester United 3: Pirri, Francisco Gento and Amancio Amaro put Real Madrid 3-0 up but this night was supposed to be the classic United comeback night. An own goal and a strike each from David Sadler and Bill Foulkes made sure that there was nothing stopping United that season. They won 4-3 on aggregate and Bobby Charlton wept on the pitch — United were one win away from lifting the European Cup — 10 years after the Munich disaster. And they did go on to win it.
2000 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL
First leg – April 4, 2000: Real Madrid 0 Manchester United 0: This has been the only goalless draw between the two teams and Alex Ferguson has already said before tonight’s match, “This won’t be a 0-0. There will be goals.”
Second leg – April 19, 2000: Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 3: If the first leg was a drab draw, the second was a brilliant match. United were supremely confident of defending their record of 16 months unbeaten at home. But a Roy Keane own goal and a Raul brace put Madrid 3-0 up. United fought back, with David Beckham and Paul Scholes scoring — but Madrid advanced.
2003 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINALS
First leg – April 8, 2003: Real Madrid 3 Manchester United 1: The Galacticos were at their peak when United visited in 2003. Luis Figo scored once to justify his price-tag and Raul added a third. But Ruud van Nistelrooy put one away to give some hope to United.
Second leg – April 23, 2003: Manchester United 4 Real Madrid 3: Van Nistelrooy cancelled out Ronaldo’s early strike, but the Brazilian was relentless that night. He completed his hat-trick before David Beckham came on with a stitched-up eyebrow and scored a brace (one of them a stunning freekick which left Iker Casillas in awe) and an Ivan Helguera own goal gave United a win. However, it wasn’t enough to go through.
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