Not for the first time David Beckham came to Manchester United's rescue last night after an night of almost unendurable frustration. With time running out on a disappointing evening, Ruud van Nistelrooy crossed and the England captain shot home the winner from 15 yards.
Until then it had seemed clear why Alex Ferguson has been loath to discuss the possibility of lifting the European Cup as his final act in office. Tempting fate is never wise for a man in his position, and last night Hampden Park on May 15th, 2002, seemed a long way away.
A first clean sheet of the season will be of little consolation to the United manager when he comes to dissect this performance. Ferguson had anticipated "giving us a heart attack" with all the excitement, but there were times here when death by boredom seemed a more likely option.
For better or worse, the United manager tinkered with his system once again last night by deploying Juan Sebastian Veron just behind Van Nistelrooy in attack, with Paul Scholes dropping back to form a midfield axis with Roy Keane. For the time being, at least, Ferguson gives the impression of remaining slightly perplexed about how to maximise his side's attacking prowess.
Lille may have arrived with modest ambitions, but their remarkable story of triumph, rising from the depths of the French second division to the heights of Europe's premier competition, merited both respect and caution.
Dagui Orphie Bakari, a totem pole striker, offered an early indication of their intentions with a marauding run from deep inside his own half and it was quickly apparent that, for all their inexperience at this level, the French side would not be overawed.
United made a lackadaisical start, hardly helped by the sight of Gary Neville being carried off after a clash of heads with Gregory Tafforeau in the eighth minute.
Mikael Silvestre stepped off the bench and, slowly but surely, United began to assert themselves with Scholes coming more into the game and almost opening the scoring with a deflected drive that the Lille goalkeeper, Gregory Wimbee, despite being wrong-footed, saved with his trailing leg.
Unfortunately for United, not all the action was concentrated at that end and Old Trafford reverberated to a collective sigh of relief when, on the half-hour, Fabien Barthez could only parry Bruno Cheyrou's low free-kick and Bakari skied the loose ball.
It was not until first-half stoppage time that Veron and Van Nistelrooy combined with any effect, a neat 1-2 dissecting the French defence, only for Wimbee to save at the Dutchman's feet.
Lille had conceded only three goals in the opening seven matches of their domestic campaign and, with Veron having his most unproductive game yet, United attacking forays seldom carried any serious threat.
Ferguson clearly has much to ponder if his last season is not end in anticlimax.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Barthez, Gary Neville (Silvestre 12), Irwin, Blanc, Brown, Giggs (Solskjaer 74), Veron, Keane, Beckham, Scholes, van Nistelrooy. Subs Not Used: Carroll, Johnsen, Butt, Phil Neville, Yorke. Goals: Beckham 90.
LILLE: Wimbee, Pichot, Fahmi, Cygan, Ecker, Tafforeau (Schmitz 86), Sterjovski (Olufade 90), N'Diaye, D'Amico, Bruno Cheyrou (Boutoille 75), Bakari. Subs Not Used: Allibert, Beck, Benoit Cheyrou, Delpierre. Booked: D'Amico.
Referee: R Temmink (Holland).
