It was billed the "battle of giants", a game of skill and excitement between the dominant European teams, Bayern Munich and Manchester United. But soccer fans on Tuesday night were left feeling a little cheated. It was a "disciplined performance" with few highlights and nothing really inspiring.

Going into the game, Manchester's spirits were soaring. They were nearly certain of a good performance after their 2-0 victory against Leicester City over the weekend. Their momentum and motivation were strong and Bayern was worried about a home-front defeat, but the game on Tuesday showed the British mates still have a long way to go.

Initially the team from England started out strong, proving they had the tactics to overcome Bayern, but it wasn't until the 73rd minute that they managed to score a first goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy. And then with only four minutes left, Bayern's Paulo Sergio sneaked in a drive home.

"A late goal like that is very disappointing," said Manchester manager Alex Ferguson. "It's a game I think we should have won."

Bayern didn't prove much better on Tuesday either. Stefan Effenberg, the man whose skills and raw determination had inspired Bayern to their first European Cup triumph last year, was below par and had to be substituted in the second half.

When Effenberg, who had been side-benched for three months following a foot injury, failed to turn out the necessary stellar performance, Bayern coach Franz Beckenbauer swapped him out. The fans booed and jeered as Effenberg left the field.

Teammate Ottmar Hitzfeld referred to the fans' reactions as unfair. "Stefan still needs time... he is precious to the team."

The two teams are on equal footing for now following Tuesday's game, but the memory of the historic rivalry continues. In 1999 Manchester snatched the European Cup away from Bayern in the last minutes of the game, and in 2000 Bayern defeated ManU both home and away to wipe them out of the Champions League. But the two teams will have to wait until March to face each other again on the playing field.