Patrice Evra knows at first hand the damage complacency could do
to Manchester United's bid to reach the Champions League final.
Only a heavy defeat to Schalke at Old Trafford next week can end
their hopes of playing in a third final in four years after their
2-0 win over the German side in Gelsenkirchen on Tuesday night.
It seems highly unlikely yet Evra knows the improbable can
sometimes turn out to be possible, as his own career shows.
"In football you never know," said the France defender.
"I remember playing for Monaco in the 2004 quarter-final and we
played in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and lost 4-2.
"Real thought they were going into the semi-final. They thought
they were there already. But in the second leg we won 3-1 and went
through."
Evra believes that tie provides a valuable lesson and will
ensure his team-mates do not get too far ahead of themselves and
start dreaming of a Wembley date with either a Real Madrid side
containing United old boy Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona, who gave
them a footballing lesson during the 2009 final in Rome.
"We have to be as professional next week as we were on Tuesday
night and keep going," said Evra.
"We have to win at Old Trafford. But I must say if we don't go
through to the final now then it would be a disaster for Man
United."
Providing United retain the same mentality, Evra is certain they
will make it.
Certainly, there was little evidence last night of a team
capable of going to Old Trafford and making a game of it, even if
the 5-2 win at Inter Milan in the previous round shows what Schalke
at capable of.
"We just have to do our job," said Evra.
"We are very near to the final now but we have to complete the
task we have started.
"I am not surprised we did well and the game was one-sided
because we showed Schalke so much respect. We respected them a
lot.
"Before the game we just said we play the semi-final and that it
didn't matter who our opponents were.
"That was important in playing the way we did."
Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, meanwhile, believes it would have
taken a third goal to ensure there was no need for a second
leg.
Even with a two-goal cushion, most observers cannot envisage
United failing to reach their third Champions League final in four
years.
But despite the one-sided nature of Tuesday night's game and a
scoreline that points only one way, Van der Sar is refusing to take
anything for granted.
"Probably people think we are at Wembley now but we cannot take
anything for granted," said the veteran Dutchman.
"Yes we played great but there is no celebrating in our dressing
room because it is only half-time.
"If we had scored a third goal that would have made the second
game unnecessary but we have to focus on Arsenal on Sunday
now."
Van der Sar will be appearing in a record 14th Champions League
semi-final next week as he enters the final weeks of a stellar
career.
He will do so as an integral part of a defence which managed to
complete its entire away programme without conceding a goal.
Not that the former Ajax man wanted to take too much of the
credit.
"Our clean sheet record is all right," he shrugged.
"The midfield played well. It is good to be behind those
players."
Van der Sar was appreciative of the performance of Manuel Neuer,
who has been touted as a potential replacement for the
Dutchman.
It now appears Neuer is bound for Bayern Munich instead but Van
der Sar said: "Neuer played really well.
"I haven't seen a lot of him because I don't get to see much of
German football on TV but, according to all the reports, it is
nothing new."
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