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Strength of the draw Bayern meets Man Utd in Champions League quarters
Updated: Friday March 16, 2001 8:51 AM
NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- Bayern Munich gets the chance to avenge the 1999 Champions Cup final loss by beating Manchester United in this season's quarterfinal. Meanwhile, record eight-time titlist and defending champion Real Madrid hopes to make up for last season's European Super Cup loss to Galatasaray. In the other quarterfinals drawn on Friday at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Leeds United faces Spanish champion Deportivo La Coruna and Arsenal meets last season's runner-up, Valencia in another England vs. Spain confrontation. The draw for the UEFA Cup semifinal put the two powerhouse teams, Barcelona and Liverpool, against each other in another Spain-England matchup with Spain's other team, European rookie Alaves, meeting Kaiserslautern of Germany. In Friday's Champions Cup draw, the second-round group winners and runners-up were drawn against each other with the proviso that no teams from the same group would meet. It made for some intriguing matchups April 3/4 and 17/18. Two seasons ago at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Manchester United scored two goals in the last few minutes of the Champions final to snatch the title from Bayern in a dramatic 2-1 victory. The first leg of this season's quarterfinal will be at Old Trafford because the group winners host the second legs. "We had a great final which everyone remembers," said Manchester United secetary Ken Merrett. "It certainly adds some glamor and excitement to the game. Bayern will like to get their revenge. "But we and Bayern are good friends and we also played them in Munich for their Centenary. "It was one of our most exciting days, something which we'll never forget and something our supporters will remember with great affection," Merrett said. "We have good memories of playing with Bayern and other German teams. They are a great club with great traditions so it's two of the great traditional clubs of Europe playing each other." Bayern Munich has its memories, too. "It's a highlight of European soccer," said Bayern Munich chief Franz Beckenbauer. "It's like the final ahead of time. For our team, it's the toughest opponent that was in the draw. The chances are 50-50." "It's a great draw and a huge motivation to do better this time. It will be a soccer celebration for everybody," said coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. "I can't say it's the worst draw as most players wanted to play Man United," said Bayern general secretary Karl Hopfner. "However, this is the most difficult draw because Manchester is the toughest potential opponent. Of course, we can never forget our 2-1 loss to Man U in the final two years ago. But we hope this time we will be the lucky winners." Winner of last season's UEFA Cup for Turkey's first European triumph, Galatasaray went on to beat Real Madrid in the Super Cup in another upset and the Spanish club, currently well clear in this season's domestic title race, will be a strong favorite to reach the semifinal. "They beat us in the Super Cup but I am very confident in our players," said Real Madrid general director and former star striker Emilio Butragueno. "We have the second leg in Madrid at the Bernabeu and that certainly suits us." "It's a second opportunty for Real to advance, a second opportunity for us to beat Galatasary. I'm not saying we'll win, but we're very optimistic," said Real Madrid's international director Jose Luis Lopez Serrano. Galatasary does not seem overwhelmed at the thought of facing Europe's most decorated side. "It's a huge honor to play the title holders," said Galatasaray sports director Mete Razlikli. "Let's not forget, we are the champions of the UEFA Cup. Therefore, our players are also used to victory. Arsenal fans with long memories will recall that Valencia beat the Gunners in the final of the 1980 Cup Winners Cup final in Brussels on a penalty shootout after a 0-0 tie. "You have got to be the best team to get to the final," said Arsenal vice chairman David Dein. "I know we have played Velancia before but we have got to beat them now. "We have also got news from UEFA that, from the season starting 2002, it looks like English football has got an extra place in the competition. We have leapfrogged Germany in the rankings and that means four clubs instead of three." Leeds owner Peter Ridsdale, whose club hasn't been in the final since losing to Bayern Munich in 1975, said his team was just happy to be in the elite eight. "We're very pleased to be going back to Spain and we'll see what we can do in the last eight," Ridsdale said. "We're just grateful to be in the last eight. English football has three representatives so this is putting England back on the map which we're very pleased about." UEFA also made the draw for the semifinal pairings. Leeds or Deportivo will play Arsenal or Valencia, and Galatasaray or Real Madrid meets Manchester United or Bayern Munich. The final is May 23 at San Siro, Milan while the UEFA Cup final is at Dortmund, Germany, May 16.
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