And it came just at the right moment as Inter threatened to take the tie into extra time. But that would have been unjust on United who passed surely the club's greatest test of nerve in the oppressive fervour of the San Siro stadium.

United may not have recorded their first win on Italian soil, but they did overcome all the dirty tricks that the Italians could throw at them on a night of high drama. The Italians dived, they clutched their faces in theatrically-feigned injuries, they threw the ball away and did everything they could to intimidate United's young side.

At times, it was a soccer hell, but United stood firm, and English football can be proud of our most famous club side. At the end, the volatile Italian crowd rained cans, bottles and vegetables down on their fallen stars whose season now lies in ruins.

For United, however, in the end it was an Italian job well done. It takes United to within 180 minutes of their first European Champions' League final for 31 years - and the prospect is as mouthwatering as it would be historic. The bookies immediately installed them as 2-1 favourites to win the trophy.

And you can't overstate the achievement of United in holding their nerve on a night crackling with Italian passion and raw with incitement on and off the field. United had failed to win in six European matches in Italy. That was the size of their task - but this was the night when Fergie's babes turned into men.

Roared on by 10,000 fans, shoehorned into one segment of this towering stadium and separated from the Italians by a 40-yard no-go zone and several ranks of carabinieri, United were quite simply magnificent. Yes, they lived on their nerves and their wits, and it took a string of fabulous saves from Peter Schmeichel to ensure the draw. But they deserved it. Seconds before the kick-off goalkeeper Schmeichel had gone round each United player and punched fists.

And that was the attitude they took into a game which ended with Inter's bad-tempered Brazilian Ze Elias flicking his elbow into Phil Neville's face. The Milanese had come hoping the return of Ronaldo, who made only his second start in two months, would rescue a season which was dying on its feet - out of their domestic cup, languishing eighth in Serie A and torn apart by in-fighting.

They prayed for a miracle - but the brilliant Brazilian, struggling with tendinitis and crippled by migraine in past weeks, was a pale shadow of the man who not so long ago was indisputably the best player in the world. United had begun in a calm and assured manner, their sharp passing pressing Inter back, and they could have taken the lead in the 13th minute.

Andy Cole fed Ryan Giggs, whose swirling cross eluded the Inter defence, but Dwight Yorke, stretching at the back post, was unable to turn the ball into the net. But then came six dramatic minutes in which Inter could have turned the tie.

First Benoit Cauet broke down the left and flashed across a fizzing cross which evaded both Schmeichel and Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano.

In Schmeichel's attempt to retrieve his position, he sent Zamorano flying and United's fans held their breath as French referee Gilles Veissiere seemed set to point to the penalty spot. He ruled the clash accidental, but it was a warning of Inter's determination and penetration. A vicious Javier Zanetti cross then sliced across United's goal, producing a superb, flicked goal-line save from Berg.

And United came closer to going behind in the 21st minute when Zanetti struck Schmeichel's right-hand post with a thunderous shot from 25 yards with the United 'keeper beaten.

The pace was increasingly frantic, and one thundering collision between David Beckham and his World Cup tormentor Diego Simeone, a clash for old time's sake perhaps, ended with Simeone limping off in the 29th minute to be replaced by Ze Elias. The first half-hour had seen nothing of Ronaldo, but the Brazilian, even in his fragile physical state, is always a threat.

He exploded with a blistering trademark turn in the 32nd minute to leave Jaap Stam trailing, and it was fortunate for United that Berg was on hand to block the Inter star's left-foot shot. With Zanetti getting the better of Denis Irwin down United's right, it seemed only a matter of time before Inter would score. But this Inter side is not of the compact and clinical Italian variety. It leaves huge gaps down the flanks which Giggs was striving to exploit.

Strangely, it was Ronny Johnsen who split the Inter defence just before half-time, sliding a superb cross over for Cole who should have done better than push his side-foot shot high over the bar. United had done the first half of their job with perfection, but immediately after the interval, Ronaldo again burst from his general lethargy to threaten.

Roberto Baggio fed him a superbly-disguised ball in the penalty area. Ronaldo was on it in a flash, turning to explode a fierce right-foot shot which Schmeichel saved low down to his left.

The Brazilian was saving his energy for penalty-area action only. And that included the dirty tricks of which Ferguson had warned, Ronaldo's blatant dive in the 49th minute when he tangled with Gary Neville being punished with a free-kick. The French referee dealt even more severely with Ze Elias, booking the Brazilian when he blatantly dived to try to win a spot-kick under Roy Keane's challenge.

The desperation was beginning to show as Inter coach Mircea Lucescu replaced Ronaldo with substitute Nicola Ventola in the 58th minute. It was inspired for within four minutes Ventola had given Inter a lifeline. As Inter pressured, the ball's high bounce eluded Roy Keane and left the Italian winger, unchallenged deep in United's penalty area. He seemed to have all the time in the world to pick his spot and fire a left-foot shot past Schmeichel.

It set up a pulsating last half-hour, which saw Ze Elias drag a left-foot shot wide when he should have scored. But United kept their emotions in check and made Inter pay two minutes from time. Neville crossed for Cole to lay the ball into the path of Scholes who was the coolest man in the stadium as he steered his shot past Inter goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca.

There were five bookings - Giuseppe Bergomi, Ze Elias and Mickael Silvestre, Francesco Colonnese for Inter and Ronny Johnsen and Phil Neville for United. But United overcame the intimidation and the provocation of Inter's tactics in style. English football should be proud of them.