So it's Manchester United facing off against Real Madrid in tomorrow morning's UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd Leg encounter at the Theatre of Dreams. Winner takes all and advances to the quarter-finals. The tie is delicately poised at 1-1. Anything could happen.
When I think of this match, it somehow brings back memories of fascinating, enthralling games in this great competition. Images of Luis Figo at his imperious, right-wing best, tormenting (and I mean tormenting) the life out of Chelsea when he was playing for Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Ronaldo (the Brazilian version) playing the match of his life against Manchester United at Old Trafford, knocking the bloody stuffing out of Sir Alex Ferguson's English warriors (including a long-haired David Beckham) years back. Zinedine Zidane and his iconic left-foot, swerving volley in the final against Borussia Dortmund (I think it was) at Hampden Park. How about John Terry's towering header over Carles Puyol to send Jose Mourinho's Chelsea (inspired by one of the greatest-ever Champions League performances by Frank Lampard) past Barcelona and into the quarter-finals, in what has been billed in DVDs as 'The Greatest Game'? And of course, Liverpool's spell-binding penalty shoot-out win over AC Milan after resurrecting from a 0-3 deficit in Istanbul in 2005.
The point is this: in a few hours' time, we could be witnessing a moment like these, a memory made and created in football heaven, a memory that will last forever. Now how could you miss a game like that? I'm ready.
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