Steve Bruce relives Manchester United's 1994 nightmare at the Nou Camp

Sir Alex Ferguson can make himself a Champions League legend in Rome.

But if Pep Guardiola's Barcelona are conquered in the Stadio Olimpico, the Nou Camp boss may reflect that he was part of the team that helped make Manchester United what they are.

While Ferguson's first triumphant European night at United saw Barca vanquished in the 1991 Cup Winners Cup Final, perhaps the most significant evening of his Old Trafford career came in Catalonia three years later.

United travelled to Barcelona hoping to prove their ability to live in elite company only to be destroyed by Johan Cruyff's "Dream Team", who took advantage of the turmoil caused by UEFA's "three plus two" rule on non-English players to claim a 4-0 victory that only hinted at their superiority.

Steve Bruce was among the men on the receiving end as Ferguson's champions, "got our backsides kicked" by a side including a young Guardiola.

Yet as Bruce recalled, that thumping was in many ways the making of Ferguson and United, as it forced the change of approach that leaves the Scot in the verge of a third European crown.

"I always say that the '94 team, even now with this team and the quality they have, was the best," said Bruce. "That team was good enough to win against anybody, we thought.

"But when we went to the Nou Camp we had to play without Schmeichel or Cantona because of the foreigners rule that applied then. "It was one of those nights and we were totally battered by them. Gary Walsh was in goal but it wasn't down to him.

"We had a nightmare against Hristo Stoichkov and Romario. We were left open at the back and they destroyed us, led us a right merry dance all game.

"There were a lot of great nights for me at United but that one, which was one of the worst, really stands out still.

"I remember looking up at one point and seeing 120,000 Barca fans waving the white hankies and screaming 'ole' as they passed it around. I've never had a game in which we had our backsides kicked like that."

The Barca strike pair each netted before the break as Bruce and Gary Pallister were twisted inside out by the movement, with the Bulgarian adding a third before Albert Ferrer finished United off.

Bruce added: "When you're playing big games you need your big players and we didn't have them. We might have lost with Schmeichel and Cantona in the team but we had no chance without them.

"But the upshot of what happened was Fergie realising he had to go with a different formation in Europe and that was where it changed.

"It was the start of the end of the idea of playing a traditional 4-4-2 when you played against big teams, because it left you far too open. You can't play with just a central two in midfield like we always did, with two out and out wingers.

"When you play against top foreign teams who flood the midfield and just keep the ball all night, you have to be able to match them shape-wise, otherwise they will simply pass round you.

"Normally he was quite good in defeat but we were all left in a bit of a state of shock, because that didn't happen to us and it had just done so. It was total disbelief.

"It taught him that we needed to be more aware. He remembered what happened that night and started to evolve the team."

Bruce was a victim of that evolution, ruefully reflecting that "by 1995-96 half of us were gone" as the next generation led by Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers emerged.

Yet the Geordie helped build the platform for what has become a footballing dynasty, playing his part not only in the first two titles of the Ferguson era, but also that initial European success in Rotterdam in 1991.

"You've got to remember a lot of us hadn't played that much outside England," Bruce pointed out.

"We'd missed five years of European football because of Heysel and we had to get used to playing foreign teams all over again.

"The draw was kind to us and we could hardly believe it. We played Wrexham, some Mickey Mouse Hungarian team and we really had a clear run. Barcelona were the other outstanding team in the draw and we avoided them until the Final.

"I will never forget that night in Rotterdam. I think the United fans outnumbered the Barcelona supporters by five to one.

"And I still think I scored, too. Sparky nicked it off me. It was my goal. I nodded home from a corner and I remember just after the goal I looked up at the scoreboard and it said "Manchester United 1 Barcelona 0; Hughes 63".

"I had the shock of my life and thought 'what the Hell happened there?'. I'm still claiming it to this day. If you look at the video all the rest of the team ran to congratulate me and Sparky just forced it over the line to make sure.

"But what people forget is how Fergie played a master-stroke that night. He told Brian McClair to man mark their centre-half, Ronald Koeman, to stop him coming out with the ball and spreading it about to get them playing.

"Chocky did it brilliantly and it helped give us the edge on the night."

Bruce hopes the Scot comes up with a plan to give United the edge again in Rome. He added: "The one thing I was amazed by when I watched Barca at Chelsea was how good they were at getting the ball back.

"The back four do seem a bit questionable but the team works so hard to win the ball back. Chelsea have good players but Barca didn't let them have much possession. United have to be aware of that and do something about it.

"But the one thing I can see is goals. United and Barcelona both have the same philosophy, the same traditions and history and that means they both have to go and look to win matches, with players who light up the stadium, special players."

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