Veteran Manchester United Legends Thrash Bayern Munich in Charity Rematch

Manchester United might’ve been a fading force in recent times, but even by their usual standards, this 2018/2019 season has proved to be one of their worst since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down…

If not the worst (yes, I am taking into account David Moyes’ season)

This 2018/19, we saw a series of highs and lows that wouldn’t pale in comparison to that tidal wave in The Tsunami.

• Jose Mourinho’s sacking, which would’ve been unthinkable just a few months back considering how he guided the Red Devils to a hard-fought 2nd placed finish in the 2017/18 season, and three silverware in the season before that
• Ole Gunnar’s Solskjaer’s appointment as caretaker manager
• His seemingly miraculous presence, which emphatically guided the poor-form Red Devils to a six-match winning run in the Premier League
• Making a near-impossible comeback against powerhouse Paris St. Germain, progressing to the quarterfinals in the process
• Ole, rather fittingly, lands a permanent 3-year contract
• Almost instantaneously, the Red Devils begin to dip in form
• They finish the season at 6th place in the Premier League, with zero silverware to add to their table

Yeah, it gets pretty complicated.

But while the current team has struggled for form (and results) of late, their predecessors, particularly those present in the legendary 1998/99 team, have begged to differ.

The Legends Reunite

Just yesterday (26 May), the club’s home ground, Old Trafford, saw multiple players from the treble-winning 1998/1999 squad reunite on the pitch to face off against FC Bayern Legends in an anniversary match.

And unlike the current team of late, this batch of seasoned veterans didn’t fail to impress…

With a convincing, whopping 5-0 thrashing.

Form is temporary; Class is permanent

Twenty years ago yesterday (26 May), Manchester United clinched a last-minute stoppage-time winner to defeat Bayern Munch in the 1998/99 Champions League final, securing the Champions’ League trophy and completing the coveted treble.

And while our winners have since aged (like everybody else), they proved one notion right:

Form might be temporary, but class is permanent.

Lest you haven’t caught the match, here’s a rough breakdown of what happened, courtesy of my 17-year obsession with the Red Devils:

• Sir Alex Ferguson’s helming the Red Devils for this match. Oh, my word
• Solskjaer subs on for Andy Cole within the first 5 mins of the match. That’s fast
• Solskjaer positions himself tactically and scores right after he was subbed on. That’s the baby-faced super sub for you. Also, again he’s haunting the Bayern Munich defence
• Bayern Munich has their fair share of chances, but efforts seem lacklustre, half-assed even
• Hans Jorg Butt, the keeper for Bayern Munich, is De Gea-level though
• Peter Schmeichel, the keeper for Man Utd, is as dominating as ever
• Dwight Yorke delivers a wonderful volley to make it two
• Nicky Butt scores a third with an almost floaty finish
• Scholes is as good as ever
• Someone give Beckham another contract. Those crosses look delicious.
• Gary Neville struggles for goal yet again
• Saha makes it four with a close finish
• Beckham rounds things up with a lovely finish from close range

But of course, nothing beats the actual video itself (not even my awesome commentary), and so… enjoy.

Netizens are scrambling around in the comments section

After the match, Netizens were quick to post what they thought of the match.

And while tributes to the usual suspects were present…

It seems that the majority focussed on one aspect:

And also;

And though I’m not there to see their expressions while they type these comments out, I won’t be surprised if it’s something similar to this:

All’s well that ends well

Following the match, Man Utd boss Solskjaer was reportedly pleased with the result.

“It’s unbelievable the support for Manchester United Foundation and we have to thank the supporters for supporting us.”

“I think everyone here on the pitch knows how much it means to play at Old Trafford in front of everyone at the Stretford End. This badge means so much more than just turning up; it’s such a big part of our lives.”

Incidentally, this was the first United team Sir Alex Ferguson managed since his retirement back in 2013.

“Twenty years on you recap the memory of that particular day; I think mainly what are the players like, how they progress in life and what they are doing now. Age catches everyone, but they’re all looking pretty good,” Sir Alex said.

“But the purpose of the game is Manchester United Foundation; they do fantastic work, they really do, particularly throughout Manchester.”

While Man Utd fans would surely have been entertained by the match prospects, they’ll be glad to know that the match has done a lot of goodwill as well, with over £1.5 million raised and going to the Manchester United Foundation, which will assist the young people across Greater Manchester.

Well, it seems that if there’s one thing…

It’s that the hard-fought battle 20 years ago, has truly spurned out some really good results. 🙂