Manchester
United and Montpellier were paired in the Quarterfinals of the 1990/91 Cup
Winners Cup.
The
English Club Manchester United, managed by Alex Ferguson, were along with Aston
Villa, the first English clubs to play in Europe after the Heysel ban in 1985.
They
were led by the injury prone skipper Bryan Robson and contained players such as
Irish defender Dennis Irwin, Welshmen Clayton Blackmore and Mark Hughes,
Scottish forward Brian McClair and solid reliable defender Steve Bruce.
They
had qualified with relative ease from their opening two Rounds. The Hungarians
of Pecsi were defeated home and away (2-0 and 1-0 respectively), and Welsh
squad Wrexham were also defeated home and away (3-0 and 2-0 respectively).
They
were lagging behind in the League and Europe was their only chance for any
silverware.
The
little known French side of Montpellier was the surprise team of the
Tournament.
They
were a mid-table team in the League, but still contained many talented players.
The
team was managed by the Polish Henryk Kasperczak and was led by skipper and
rising star Laurent Blanc.
The
foreigners on their books were Colombian star Carlos Valderrama, Dutchman
Wilbert Suvrijn and Polish Striker Jacek Ziober.
They
had surprised everyone by eliminating in the first two rounds, two recent
former European Champions, the Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven (1-0 Home, 0-0
away) and Romania’s Steaua Bucharest (5-0 Home, 3-0 away).
The
first leg, on March 6th, was played at Manchester’ Old Trafford Stadium.
Manchester
United were missing regulars in defense through injury: Steve Bruce and Dennis
Irwin.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Patrick Colleter and Clayton Blackmore) |
In
their place Lee Martin and Mal Donaghy started.
International
midfielder Neil Webb was also missing through injury.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Mark
Hughes between Der Zakarian and Blanc)
|
Montpellier
were missing Carlos Valderrama and naturally adopted a defensive set up for this
away match.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Laurent
Blanc and Bryan Robson)
|
Manchester
United scored right at the first minute. Lee Sharpe attacked from the left
side, after a give and go with Hughes, he crossed for McClair to score.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Brian
McClair and Mark Hughes in front of the Montpellier goal)
|
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Daniel
Xuereb’s late chance in front of Les Sealey)
|
But
in the 8th minute, Ziober crossed from the left and Martin scored an
own goal, even though they were no Montpellier players around him.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Mark
Hughes and Jacek Ziober)
|
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2346, March 26, 1991
(Pacal
Baills walking off after being sent off)
|
In
the 48th minute, Mark Hughes had an entanglement with Lemoult and as
he got up, Pascal Baills pushed him and he was sent off.
Pascal
Baills was sent after Mark Hughes.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Michel
Der Zakarian heading)
|
Manchester
United did not take advantage fully of their man advantage at home despite
having more chances.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2344, March 12, 1991
(Jean-Claude
Lemoult and Mark Hughes)
|
Daniel
Xuereb nearly snatched a winner for Montpellier towards the end.
At
this point it seemed Montpellier had the upper hand in the tie, with home field
advantage coming up.
March 6, 1991
Manchester United Football Club (England) 1- Montpellier-Hérault Sports Club (France) 1
Cup
Winners Cup- Quarterfinals, First Leg
Venue: Manchester-Old Trafford
Attendance: 41,950
Referee: Pierluigi Pairetto (Italy)
Goalscorers: (Manchester United): Brian
McClair 1’
(Montpellier): Lee Martin (own goal) 8’
Lineups:
Manchester
United:
1-Les
Sealey, 3-Lee Martin (12-Danny Wallace 60th), 4-Mal Donaghy
(Northern Ireland), 6-Gary Pallister, 2-Clayton Blackmore (Wales), 5-Mike
Phelan, 8-Paul Ince, 7-Bryan Robson, 11-Lee Sharpe, 9-Brian McClair (Scotland),
10-Mark Hughes (Wales)
Coach:
Alex Ferguson (Scotland)
Booked:
Bryan Robson 31st
Team
Captain: Bryan Robson
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Shirt
Sponsor: Sharp
Uniform
Colors: Red Shirts, White Shorts, Black Socks
Montpellier:
1-Claude
Barrabe, 2-Pascal Baills, 5-Laurent Blanc, 4-Michel Der Zakarian, 3-Franck
Lucchesi, 6-Jean-Claude Lemoult, 7-Wilbert Suvrijn (Holland) (12-Regis Brouard
88th), 10-Patrick Colleter, 8-Vincent Guerin, 9-Clement Garcia
(15-Daniel Xuereb 85th), 11-Jacek Ziober (Poland)
Coach:
Henryk Kasperczak (Poland)
Booked:
Garcia 58th, Vincent Guerin 70th
Sent
Off: Pascal Baills 48th
Team
Captain: Laurent Blanc
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Shirt
Sponsor: Air Littoral
Uniform
Colors: White Shirts, Orange Shorts, Blue Socks
The
second leg, on March 19th, was played at Montpellier’s Stade La Mosson.
For
Montpellier, Carlos Valderrama was back in the squad.
Defender
Michel Der Zakarian was out injured; it turned out he had played most of the
first leg carrying an injury. Thetis came in his place.
Brouard
took the place of the suspended Baills. Vincent Guerin learned very late from a
letter by UEFA that he was suspended from this match.
His
booking in the first leg was the second in the competition.
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 27, April 1991
(Team captains Laurent Blanc and Bryan Robson) |
The
suspensions of Baills and Guerin weakened Montpellier’s right side.
In
contrast Manchester United were nearly in full strength as Irwin and Bruce were
back in.
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 27, April 1991
(Jean-Claude
Lemoult between Mark Hughes and Paul Ince)
|
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, April 1991
(Bryan Robson and Clayton Blackmore after the
first goal) |
The
turning point of this match occurred in the injury time of the first half.
Clayton Blackmore’s took a free kick that Claude Barrabe let slip through his
hands.
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 27, April 1991
(Claude
Barrabe committing his fatal error on the first goal)
|
The
devastated Barrabe was consoled at halftime by his Manchester counterpart Les
Sealey who said ‘I’m Sorry’.
Early
in the second half, Colleter fouled Blackmore in the penalty area and Bruce
converted the kick.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2346, March 26, 1991
(Clayton
Blackmore and Jacek Ziober)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 27, April 1991
(Thetis
being sent off)
|
Montpellier
had no way back and in the entire match had two chances.
Thetis
also was sent off after an altercation with Hughes.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2346, March 26, 1991
(Mike
Phelan and Patrick Colleter)
|
 |
Photo
From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 27, April 1991
(Mike
Phelan and Wilbert Suvrijn)
|
The
volatile Montpellier owner Louis Nicollin was absolutely furious with Barrabe
after his error and said that he better do his job properly in the League,
otherwise he ‘ll return to Reunion (the island that Barrabe hailed from).
Manchester
went on to the semifinals and after eliminating Legia Warsaw met Barcelona in
the Final.
The
triumph over Barcelona paved the way for two decades of unprecedented success
under Alex Ferguson.
March 19, 1991
Montpellier-Hérault Sports
Club (France) 0-Manchester
United Football Club (England) 2
Cup
Winners Cup- Quarterfinals, Second Leg
Venue: Montpellier-Stade La Mosson
Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Hubert Forstinger (Austria)
Goalscorers: (Montpellier): None
(Manchester United): Clayton Blackmore 45’+4’,
Steve
Bruce (Penalty Kick) 51’
Lineups:
Montpellier:
1-Claude
Barrabe, 5-Laurent Blanc, 2-Regis Brouard (15-Daniel Xuereb 57th),
4-Jean-Manuel Thetis, 3-Franck Lucchesi, 6-Jean-Claude Lemoult, 7-Wilbert
Suvrijn (Holland), 8-Patrick Colleter, 10-Carlos Valderrama (Colombia),
9-Clement Garcia, 11-Jacek Ziober (Poland) (14-Patrice Garande 69th)
Coach:
Henryk Kasperczak (Poland)
Booked:
Wilbert Suvrijn 24th, Thetis 76th
Sent
Off: Thetis 78th
Other
Subs:
12-Jean-Jacques
Nono
13-Franck
Rizzetto
16-Phillipe
Flucklinger
Team
Captain: Laurent Blanc
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Shirt
Sponsor: Air Littoral
Uniform
Colors: White Shirts, Orange Shorts, Blue Socks
Manchester
United:
1-Les
Sealey, 2-Dennis Irwin (Republic of Ireland), 4-Steve Bruce, 6-Gary Pallister, 3-Clayton Blackmore
(Wales), 5-Mike Phelan, 8-Paul Ince (14-Lee Martin 50th), 7-Bryan
Robson, 11-Lee Sharpe, 9-Brian McClair (Scotland), 10-Mark Hughes (Wales)
Coach:
Alex Ferguson (Scotland)
Booked:
Bryan Robson 34th
Other
subs:
12-Danny
Wallace
13-Gary
Walsh
15-Mal
Donaghy (Northern Ireland)
16-Mark
Robins
Team
Captain: Bryan Robson
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Shirt
Sponsor: Sharp
Uniform
Colors: Red Shirts, White Shorts, Black Socks
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