And then Manchester United walked into the greatest force of all, an AC Milan team playing a brand of football several streets ahead of anything the three English semi-finalists had managed.

United went two goals behind in the opening 30 minutes to Kaka and Clarence Seedorf, the outstanding Milan players of the two games and performers a class above anything their opponents possessed.

Alex Ferguson gambled on Nemanja Vidic and it didn’t come off. More embarrassing for a manager of his experience was the unravelling of his game plan. Setting up his side with Cristiano Ronaldo on the left and Ryan Giggs on the right, United quickly found themselves outnumbered 5-3 in midfield.

Yet Ferguson did nothing until the 40th minute, when they had already been trailing 2-0 for 10 minutes. Despite the overpowering evidence of Milan’s superiority, he put too much faith in the attacking qualities of his own side. Fergie believed their fearless, gung-ho football would again see them through.

But credit to Ferguson the man. As ever, he was at his best in defeat, applauding Milan as he said: “They were better prepared, sharper, quicker to the ball and they pressed well. They were good winners.”

And so Athens and Europe is spared the terrifying prospect of a Liverpool-United final and 70,000 Englishmen descending on the Greek capital. Instead it will be a re-run of the epic 2005 contest when Rafa Benitez’s Reds came back from the dead to lift the trophy after a penalty shoot-out. What a prospect we have in store with eight of that night’s Milan side still plying their trade for the Rossoneri, all hellbent on revenge.

A night that had started with so much hope saw United out-thought, out- manoeuvred and, worst of all, outclassed. And that by a team all Italians, quick to ridicule extravagant claims of English club dominance in Europe, will point out are trailing in third in Serie A.

Tonight's second leg semi-final, that at Old Trafford provided so much drama and beauty, is breathtakingly poised. Although their first-choice centre backs, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, both did travel, they have not played together since the stonebuilt Serb dislocated his shoulder at the end of March. In eight subsequent matches, United have kept one clean sheet and conceded 11 times.

Ferguson must believe that Milan, who require the archetypal Italian scoreline, a 1-0 home victory, will score. Having seen Patrice Evra and Gabriel Heinze collide to provide Kaka with an open route to what should have been a decisive second goal, throwing in Vidic seems like an acceptable risk. Ferdinand, who has broken down with a groin strain in successive matches, is another matter. His susceptibility to aggravating the injury might play on his already suspect but improving concentration.

It came at the cost of the loss, through suspension, of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane for the final. Should either Scholes or Cristiano Ronaldo be booked, they will suffer the same fate and so, incidentally, will Paolo Maldini.