Lippi takes heart from defeat

By Kevin Ashby

After losing seven players through illness prior to tonight's Group D encounter, the Juventus FC coach Marcello Lippi had serious cause for concern when Manchester United FC opened the scoring in the opening minutes of a match in which his captain, Antonio Conte, failed to negotiate the pre-match warm-up.

Difficult proposition
Conte's calf injury aside, Lippi's side answered his call for "strong minds and legs" with a display overflowing with determination. Although their efforts may have proved futile, United running out 2-1 winners, Juventus did enough to suggest that they will represent an altogether more difficult proposition next week when they are able to call on the cadre of players ruled out with 'flu tonight for the return match of this intriguing UEFA Champions League contest.

'Huge heart'
"I didn't even think of those who were absent," said Lippi. "You saw a Juventus side tonight which went out with a huge heart. We undeniably played very, very well. The whole team was self-assured and we created a number of dangerous situations. There are some games in which the result is not important which give the team more strength. The fact that we coped without some players sent a message out that we believe in ourselves."

Brown breaks duck
Having scored 13 goals in their previous four Champions League matches at Old Trafford, United began in a fashion that suggested the impressive tally would soon be increased. Indeed, it took them a mere four minutes to do so. With Paolo Montero contesting the award of a United corner, David Beckham took advantage to pick out Wes Brown, the central defender whom Montero had been detailed to mark, who was not to be denied his first United goal by the dive of Antonio Chimenti, the stand-in goalkeeper.

'Fantastic finish'
Like the majority of the 66,703 crowd, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt Brown's goal would provide the cue for a handsome victory. However, the Scot had to wait until five minutes from the end for maximum points to be assured when Ruud van Nistelrooij, who had previously endured a frustrating evening, got a toe to a Beckham centre after the England captain had conjured an opening with a mesmeric shuffle to escape Pavel Nedved. Both players drew acclaim from their manager, the Dutchman for his "fantastic finish and movement", Beckham for a ball worthy of similar praise.

Team ethic
Yet it was the team ethic that most pleased Sir Alex. "They all worked hard and they had to," he said. "We did not have an outstanding player but players who worked well within the framework of the team. There was fantastic quality from both teams tonight. You have to admire the tradition of Juventus, they had their problems but it didn't stop them coming at us. We showed great quality in the second half and I never thought that we were going to lose the game."

United on brink
Nedved's late goal, a low curling effort from the right touchline, was the least his side deserved on a night in which Juventus were able to preserve second place in the group following FC Basel's 1-0 defeat of RC Deportivo La Coruña in Switzerland - a result which surprised Sir Alex and pleased Lippi. United, though, are looking imperious at the summit and will qualify for another quarter-final by registering a point in their final three matches. "It's an excellent position," said the United manager. "We'll be trying to get it next week."

- Juventus coach Marcello Lippi firmly denied asking UEFA to postpone the match after six senior players were struck down by 'flu. Lippi said: "I want to make one thing clear. Juventus did not ask for the game to be postponed. All that happened was that the situation was pointed out to UEFA and UEFA had an inquiry. Juventus never asked for the game to be postponed."