Allen Hamilton
Rafael Benitez’s reputation as a master tactician with a magic touch in the Champions League fully took shape with the dramatic comeback victory against AC Milan in Istanbul almost nine years ago which saw his Liverpool side crowned kings of Europe.
However, if that famous night launched Benitez into the top tier of European managers, a night back in December 2004 planted the seed of belief among his players. With the Reds teetering on the brink of elimination from the Champions League, Steven Gerrard thumped home a last gasp long range effort that sent Liverpool through and kept the team on the path to the ecstacy of Istanbul.
Their opponents at Anfield that night? Olympiacos.
Somewhere, amid all the speculation and criticism he has been enduring, David Moyes might smile at that symmetry. Manchester United’s resilient and, at times, electrifying performance against the Greek side in midweek maintained a glimmer of hope for Moyes’ first season at the helm. Robin van Persie’s hat-trick erased the two-goal deficit from a woeful first leg display and sent the English champions into the quarter-final draw. Time will tell whether this proves to be a turning point of sorts.
"I don't want to come out and say: 'This is the moment'", Moyes explained after one of his most memorable nights as United boss. "But I hope it is."
Like Liverpool in 2005, Manchester United find themselves in the last eight of the competition while having little else to play for this season and knowing that their only route into next season’s Champions League is through lifting the trophy this year. The Premier League title became a long shot many months ago and even the most ardent Manchester United fan would concede that a top four finish is now also out of reach. There will be no cup distractions either – at this point, it is Champions League or bust.
Of course, the other seven teams in the draw are irresistible forces, none of whom have stuttered as dramatically as Manchester United over the past six months. The Spanish and German giants are poised to fight it out for top honours and Manchester United are unquestionably underdogs the rest of the way. But so were Liverpool, who found a way to shrug off Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Chelsea before the instant classic against Paolo Maldini’s AC Milan.
An unquenchable desire was the driving force for Benitez in 2005, relying on Gerrard and Jamie Carragher to set the tone and inspire their team-mates. Similarly, Manchester United’s 3-0 second leg victory at Old Trafford was sparked by the work rate of Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck as well as the timeless vision of Ryan Giggs and Van Persie’s eye for goal. That Liverpool team was hardly star-studded all over the pitch – but their key men made the difference, just like Manchester United's.
Though Liverpool’s glorious run nine years ago seems the most relevant comparison, it should not be forgotten that Arsenal reached the final the following year after falling out of the title conversation, dumping out Real Madrid and Juventus. And Chelsea were given little chance of recovering from a damaging first leg deficit against Napoli in 2012, but made amends at home then swept aside Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to win the competition. Strange though it seems, a backs-to-the-wall scenario, with no other distractions, has been a winning formula. Moyes can now keep his strongest line-up fresh for European action, though that approach will be tested by a big upcoming clash with Manchester City.
Should Manchester United fall short in their bid to conquer Europe this season and raise the trophy, Moyes will be faced with an uphill battle to reshape his squad during the summer. Champions League action is such a selling point these days that it is hard to imagine world-class talents accepting even a single season away from that glitz and glamour.
Manchester United’s form this season has been so patchy that Champions League glory would even trump Liverpool’s efforts on the "unbelievable scale". But recent history at least provides a grain of hope for Moyes and his players as they prepare for the final two months of a challenging, draining campaign.
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