5. Tactical Dominance
Up until Nanis dismissal, Manchester United had dominated the tie in both legs. For 90 minutes in the Santiago Bernabeu, United set up perfectly on the counter attack and despite the attacking talent in Madrid, they couldnt break them down. The same thing happened at Old Trafford. Ronaldo was once again kept quiet and United, despite being at home, set up with a strict defensive line that Madrid just couldnt pick holes in that is, until Nani got sent off. For 160 minutes, United were firmly on top in the tie but it was those critical 20 minutes after the red card when Madrid pounced and won the tie. It was a devastating loss to swallow given how dominant Sir Alex's side had been but, as they say, that is football.