Best of enemies

By Patrick Hart

This week sees the fourth edition of one of European football's classic matches, as Real Madrid CF entertain Manchester United FC in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

Glory hunters
There could be no more enhancing a context to this game between two of the tournament favourites. Defending champions Madrid are chasing a tenth European Champion Clubs' Cup. United, meanwhile, aim to complete a hat-trick of wins in the competition when Old Trafford stages the final on 28 May.

Know your history
As well as pitting hosts against holders, the tie also brings together two pioneers of continental cup football. "It is a beautiful match with almost 50 years of history," said Alfredo di Stéfano, the legendary Madrid player of the 1950s, now the club's honorary president. "The fact United are bidding to play the final at home makes this tie doubly dangerous for Madrid," he added.

Madrid success
Di Stéfano was in the Madrid team that overcame United in the 1957 European Cup semi-finals, scoring once in the 3-1 home victory which prefaced a 2-2 draw in Manchester. Sir Bobby Charlton remembers the tie, and its star performer, well. "I was with the party when we went there the first time, and I couldn't keep my eyes off this player [Di Stéfano] who ran the show," he said.

Revenge trip
The clubs next met in the 1968 semi-finals. By now, Madrid were six-times winners, although only winger Francisco Gento remained from their all-conquering days. United won the first leg, but were soon behind at the Bernabéu. "We won 1-0 at Old Trafford which wasn't a lot to take to their place," Charlton said. "We were 3-1 down at half-time and thought our dreams were over, but suddenly Dave Sadler scored and then Bill Foulkes slotted one in. It was one of the greatest games I played in."

United breakthrough
A 4-3 aggregate triumph took Sir Matt Busby's men through to the Wembley final where they beat SL Benfica to claim their first European Cup. United had just claimed the trophy a second time when they ran into Madrid as defending champions in the 2000 Champions League quarter-finals. Sir Alex Ferguson's team looked set to progress after a stalemate in Madrid, but were undone by two Raúl González goals in a 3-2 reverse at Old Trafford.

Likely winners
Madrid went on to defeat Valencia CF in the final, and Denis Law, who played against Madrid in the '68 semi-final, said that "whoever wins this tie will probably go on to win the competition". "It was a shame Madrid got drawn against United. To have had them meet in the final at Old Trafford would have been great," he added.

Close relationship
Law was a spectator when Madrid lifted a fifth consecutive European Cup in 1960, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in Glasgow. "Watching them win the final at Hampden Park was probably the best game I have seen," he recalled. That year, Madrid president Santiago Bernabéu sent over a team to play United in a charity match, aimed at lifting a club still recovering from the Munich air disaster of 1958. "There has been a great friendship between the clubs down the years," 'Paco' Gento said. "I am a Madrid fan first but a United fan second because of my memories of playing against them."

Hard to predict
A more recent player, Madrid sporting director Emilio Butragueño, joined the mutual appreciation society when he said of this week's fourth encounter between the teams: "Both have extraordinary players. Both are very offensive, with tremendous weapons, so it is not easy to predict the outcome."