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Manchester United snatch sensational last-second victory

Manchester United snatched a heart-stopping 2-1 last-second victory over Bayern Munich yesterday to win the European Champions Cup and seal a historic treble.

Goals by substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in injury time turned an already lively final around into a sensation, putting the club back atop European football after their only other lifting of the coveted trophy in 1968.

Bayern grabbed an early lead when a sixth-minute free-kick by Mario Basler rounded the United wall. Then the Germans were largely outplayed until a desperate final spell by both sides, when they several times came close as United tired and Bayern twice hit the aluminium.

But the stars of coach Alex Fergusson never gave up - and a fine effort by 33-year-old Sheringham who flicked the ball home from close range in the 91st minute had everyone looking at extra time - before Solskjaer struck a minute later.

The Norwegian hit home with another crucial flick off a loose ball from a corner to complete the 30,000 Bayern fans' unbelieving misery - and send a similar number of United fans in the 90,000 Nou Camp crowd into equally unbelieving ecstay.

"It's incredible,'' said a beaming Fergusson of the fairy-tale turnaround. "We've got this great quality that we never give in. I really thought we'd lost - but that's football. I feel for Bayern - they have a very decent coach in Ottmar Hitzfeld, and it's hard on him.''

Fergusson, who finally steps out of the shadow of fellow Scot, the legendary late Sir Matt Busby who guided the team through its earlier heyday, added that this aspect was ''unimportant'', and that ''I'm just happy to be doing what I'm doing.''

Hitzfeld said: ''I can only congratulate Manchester United - it's a great victory for them.'' But he shook his head at the defensive errors that brought Bayern's defeat.

''I think the team was simply shocked by the equaliser - they just didn't rally like they should. They needed a few minutes to recover - and they never got that.''

Hitzfeld, who two years ago won the trophy as coach with Borussia Dortmund, added that ''all the hectic action that was involved simply has to be forgiven under the circumstances. We were so near - I've got only sympathy with my side, and theirs was a great performance.''

United key midfielder David Beckham could not hide his glee: ''It can change so easily and quickly - you think it's all over, and then that happens. We had a bit of luck, but with our fans there and that atmosphere - it was really something special.''

Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer said: ''Manchester deserved to win - but I've never seen such an unfortunate defeat in my entire career. But United deserve the label of team of the year.''

Poor marking by Bayern left them only themselves to blame at the end of a match of high drama which had seen an increasing number of chances on both sides towards the end, but few for the rest of the time.

The defeat left Bayern still with their own domestic double to complete next month when the play the German Cup final - and left United with a treble, unique in English football, and achieved before in Europe only by Glasgow Celtic (1967), Ajax Amsterdam (1972) and PSV Eindhoven (1988).

The true drama came as first Sheringham and then Solskjaer struck in injury time, two substitutes producing what will go down in history as one of the great finals, and perhaps unique in that the winners both came in injury time.

While the Bayern players sprawled - still unbelieving - on the pitch, the jubilant United squad ran over to their fans and then on to the presentation of the huge cup to their captain Schmeichel by UEFA president Lennart Johansson.

AP