
15 years ago today, Manchester United met Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League Final in Barcelona. The two sides had earlier met that season in the group stage, with both games finishing in draws. Bayern took an early lead in the Final from a Mario Basler free kick, with the German side striking the woodwork twice in the second half. With United about to give up hope, Teddy Sheringham tied the game in second-half stoppage time, and roughly 100 seconds later, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer directed a David Beckham corner into the net to give MUFC a famous 2-1 victory. The Red Devils became the first English club to win the prestigious Treble, having won the Premier League and FA Cup in the same season as well.
15 years later, the game still has a place in history for its dramatic finish. Italian referee Pierluigi Collina, who also officiated the 2002 World Cup Final, said it was the most memorable match he oversaw, partly because the noise from United supporters was comparable to a “lion’s roar” following Solskjaer’s winner. The club’s official television channel, MUTV, spent most of today airing old highlights from the Treble season.
Here’s a unique angle of the last three minutes from the Final, taken behind the goal (video uploaded on YouTube by SDJP):