1998: Atlético Madrid come to town...

It's March 1998. John Gregory - Deadly Doug's surprise choice to succeed the recently departed Brian Little has only had his feet under the table for a few short weeks, yet faces attempting to steer Villa into the UEFA Cup semi-final for the first time in the club's history.

It could be a tough ask. Villa had been battered by relentless attacks in the away leg against Atlético Madrid but a fantastic performance by goalkeeper Mark Bosnich had frustrated our Spanish hosts as our back three of Ehiogu, Southgate and Scimeca had struggled to cope with the dazzling skills of Jose Luis Caminero,
Mininko Pantic and Christian Vieri.

Bosnich had looked unbeatable though and only after a crunching challenge by Ian Taylor on Caminero had resulted in a penalty was he beaten. Even then he had managed to parry Vieri's spot-kick but not quite enough to stop it going in.

We start the home leg a goal down with no away goal but in front of an expectant and noisy 39,163 Villa Park crowd hoping for another glorious victorious Euro-glory night.

Despite an roaring rip-roaring atmosphere in the Holte End, the first half is nothing to write home about from a Villa perspective. Villa force only one save worth the name from Molina before the interval, a volley by Mark Draper, particularly painful for me personally as I've backed him for first goalscorer.

Atlético are in control though. forcing a flurry of early corners, one of which Draper heads nervily past Villa's far post, giving the noisy crowd the jitters.

Driven on by the Czech dynamo Radek Bejbl, Atletico double their overall advantage after 28 minutes. Kiko launches an Graham Tayloresque long pass which dips out of the night air to thwack Ugo Ehiogu on the shoulder as he attempts to muscle out a powerful run by Carlos Aguilera. Bozzie charges to the edge of his area to smother the ball but only succeeds in pushing it Caminero. The international, Atlético's penalty winner in the first leg, dodges two challenges before slotting the ball past Stevie Staunton on the line.

The second half is an all together different story.

The contest turns on a bold substitution by the relatively newly installed Gregory. Early in the second half he takes off the unpopular Savo Milosevic, who has not troubled Atlético, and sends on Stan Collymore. Stan's arrival is met with a chorus of raucous approval from the Claret and Blue faithful and the team react superbly.

Villa are now surging forwards but that leaves us open to the counter- attack. Christian Vieri, a thorn in our side in Vicente Calderon Stadium a fortnight earlier, and sub Jordi Lardin shoot wide of Bosnich's goal as what is now effectively a back two gets caught out.

Collymore's arrival breathes new life into Dwight Yorke. The grinning striker delivers a Hot Shot Hamish style  shot which almost takes Molina into the back of the net . Then his header from Wright's cross leaves the cross bar quivering almost as much as the Spanish side's defence.

Those near misses raise excitement levels on the Holte to fever pitch. TIt's almost inevitable that we get back into it. A fizzing Lee Hendrie works his way into the box, finds Joachim who pulls off a lovely lay back to Ian Taylor. Taylor's shot skims off Daniel Prodan and Molina is beaten.

Atlético's once assured back line now looked at sixes and sevens. They are unable to stop Hendrie setting up Stan Collymore who hits one of the most venomous shots ever seen in the Holte End. It fairly rattles home, grazing the underside of the bar but the sheer power of it ensures it goes in. The Holte Enders are ecstatic but the away goal means we need to score again.

We almost manage it too, a powerful shot from Hendrie is only parried by Molina and looks as though it going to fall Joachim but a last gasp Spanish hoof away denies us

In the end, Jose Luis Caminero's away goal seals our fate but we have the scant consolation of being the first side to defeat Atlético in European away fixtures under Raddy Antic's managership. Kiko's late miss, with the goal at his mercy, spared us an aggregate defeat that would have been rough justice

After the match, Gregory begins his press conference by making an apology to his predecessor for not seeing Villa into the semis. "Sorry, Brian. We let you down, mate. We're thinking of you," he says. When pressed over why the game changing Stan Collymore hadn't started the match, Gregory snaps: "If you think that, you're a fool." But he adds: "I've learned a lot about my squad, most of it good."

Score Aston Villa 2-1 Atlético Madrid (aggregate 2-2, Atlético Madrid win on away goals rule)
Competition UEFA Cup Quarter-final 2nd leg
Venue Villa Park
Attendance 39,163

Aston Villa (3-5-2): Bosnich; Ehiogu, Southgate, Staunton; Joachim, Taylor, Draper (Nelson, 53min), Hendrie, Wright; Milosevic (Collymore, 53), Yorke.

Atletico Madrid (2-2-4-2): Molina; Andrei (Prodan, 58), Santi; Vizcaino, Geli; Aguilera (Toni, 81), Pantic (Lardin, 58), Bejbl, Caminero; Kiko, Vieri.

Referee: M van der Ende (Netherlands).