ALEX FERGUSON believes his Manchester United teams should sometimes come with a government health warning.
Late goals, drama, comebacks, now add clinging on by their fingernails as they put their fans through the wringer.
But they are through to the semi-finals after becoming the first English team to win in Porto in 13 attempts, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo cracker
Next up are Arsenal in the semi-finals, but they are determined to be the first club to successfully defend the Champions League.
Fergie knew he had to win or get a high- scoring draw after the 2-2 at Old Trafford, so he went with an adventurous line-up which at times looked like 4-2-4.
Dimitar Berbatov and Ronaldo took up the central roles with Wayne Rooney wide on the right and Ryan Giggs on the left.
It meant Rooney and Giggs were having to put in a fair shift to help out the midfield and defence — not a problem for the England ace, 23, but harder on Giggs at 35!
United had been distinctly off the boil in the first leg — even though they very nearly nicked it. Mariano’s late goal ensured the teams went into this match with Porto having the advantage with the two away goals. But there is rarely an advantage when you have 90 minutes against Fergie’s men.
The holders have had a blip of late, allowing Liverpool and Chelsea back into the title race and offering a carrot to Porto. But in the first half last night they showed once again they can find form in an instant.
With only six minutes gone, Ronaldo stepped up to fire a sensational winner.
He was always expecting the bird from the home fans following his spell at rivals Sporting Lisbon. But of late, he has admitted he quite enjoys being booed because he then knows he is doing something right.
He certainly did that with a memorable strike. Picking the ball up inside the Porto half, he was allowed to run on a few steps and take aim from 40 yards.
Even for this wonderful player it seemed he was too far out — but Ronaldo does not believe in the impossible when he has the ball at his feet. So he unleashed a right-foot drive that flew through the air with speed and spin and left keeper Helton helpless.
The Portuguese wing ace charged off to the side of the pitch staring up to a section of the main stand from which he had no doubt been getting a bucketload.
The United players engulfed him and those on the bench burst from their seats. As Ronaldo continued to pose, the Porto fans booed — but the 2,700 United fans were singing his name.
His 21st goal of the season fired his team-mates and Michael Carrick decided to have a go from distance on 12 minutes but was just wide.
The goal had far from killed the tie, however, as Porto knew one for themselves would put them back in the box-seat.
They almost had it too, when a Carrick foul gave the home side a free-kick 25 yards out.
Centre-half Bruno Alves took it and sent a curling drive just wide of the left post with Edwin van der Sar at full stretch.
Captain Lucho had a go when he chested the ball down, turned and volleyed straight at Van der Sar but soon after hobbled off injured. United responded with a deep cross from Berbatov that found Giggs and the Welshman’s far-post volley stung Helton’s fingers.
Bruno Alves got forward to force a header just wide. Then, a minute before the break, United should really have gone two up.
Nemanja Vidic loves to get forward and score from set-plays. But when Giggs swung the ball in and John O’Shea headed on, the Serbian somehow stretched and fired over from three yards out.
It started to become tense in the second half.Just two minutes after the break, Raul Meireles had a shot which flew over the angle. Then, when Meireles crossed, Mariano’s header went across goal with no one there to turn it in.
Next, when Evra charged into Mariano, Hulk hit a stinging free-kick into Van der Sar’s grateful arms. But unlike Porto 2004, there was no late leveller and heartbreaking exit this time.
