Manchester Utd v Millwall
The FA Cup Final
Millennium Stadium
22 May 2004


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Dennis Wise v Roy Keane


Who triumphs in this private battle in the centre of midfield will almost certainly decide the destination of The Cup as well.

Keane, five years younger than Wise, and, having been rested by Sir Alex Ferguson during the season to keep him fresh for the big games, will start as the clear favourite.

But the United captain will not be foolish enough to underestimate the rejuvinated Wise.

The former Chelsea favourite is one player Keane will not be able to bully. Some Millwall players might be intimidated but Wise, playing in his fifth FA Cup Final, will not be one of them.

Tactically neither of them will stray far from the centre of the pitch. Gone are the days of them rampaging into the opposition's penalty area.

Both Keane and Wise can now be found sitting in front of the back four, snuffing out any trouble and starting attacks with a simple pass.

Neil Harris v Wes Brown


The bad news for Neil Harris is that Wes Brown looks to be back to his best.

Brown struggled to replace the suspended Rio Ferdinand on his return from injury at the start of the year, but has since proved, especially against Arsenal in The FA Cup Semi-Final, he has the positioning, pace and tackling to deal with any striker.

The United defender will discover tomorrow afternoon that Neil Harris is an industrious striker with a knack of sniffing out chances.

He can be clinical in the penalty area and is just seven short of a century of goals for Millwall.

Harris moves along the forward line well and looks for short balls played from midfield or knock downs from his striking partner.

Darren Ward v Ruud van Nistelrooy


A lot rests on the shoulders of Darren Ward at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow.

If the Millwall central defender can stop Ruud van Nistelrooy, he could be making his way back to South London with a winners' medal in his back pocket.

However, should Ward falter and be overwhelmed by the occasion, it could get ugly for the Lions.

Defenders with far more experience than the Millwall man have failed to subdue the Dutchman.

A total of 106 goals in 132 games, including ten goals in just five FA Cup starts over the last three years, tells you that.

Ward will simply have to play the game of his life, one where he keeps close to van Nistelrooy at all times and never gives him any space to turn and get a sight of goal.

Tim Cahill v Paul Scholes


Sir Alex Ferguson and his coaching staff will have pinpointed Tim Cahill as Millwall's most potent threat.

The Australian midfielder has outscored the club's strikers so far this season with 12 goals, the most important being the winner against Sunderland in The FA Cup Semi-Final at Old Trafford.

It is crucial United's midfielders track Cahill as he makes his way up the pitch and into the box.

The Aussie international has said he's modelled his game on the player he faces, Paul Scholes. The 29-year-old England midfielder is still the best in the business when it comes to timing runs into the box and scoring goals.

Scholes scored in United 1999 FA Cup Final win over Newcastle and also scored United's winner against Arsenal in The FA Cup Semi-Final.