Destiny has always played a huge part in the Reds' path to European Cup glory.

Ten years after the Munich air disaster, survivor Bobby Charlton scored twice at Wembley and captained the Reds to the 1968 European Cup win over Benfica in dramatic style.

Another survivor, Bill Foulkes, scored only his second goal of a long Reds career to seal United's passage to that final with a goal in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid.

In 1999, United beat Bayern Munich in Barcelona on what would have been Sir Matt Busby's 90th birthday.

This season Paul Scholes, who missed the '99 final through suspension, scored United's semi-final winner against Barca.

And 2008, of course, has seen the 50th anniversary commemorations of the Munich tragedy.

European success this term has been seen as a fitting and emotional tribute to the Busby Babes who were killed in Germany.

United manager Fergie confessed in February that the burden of honouring the Babes made him nervous.

But the Premiership title success has eased the load.

"Now, we've got there, I feel more relaxed," he says.

"I think winning the league makes you more relaxed. We're going there with good momentum and good confidence.

"I've got everyone fit and I couldn't be going into it in a better frame of mind.

"Fate does play its part. It's a strange thing to discuss because you wouldn't think such a thing was possible.

"But there have been so many coincidences. The Sunday we won the title, for instance, was 25 years since Aberdeen won the Cup-Winners' Cup.

"May 11 is a good day for me and I felt quite confident about that - though I did have to suffer a bit at Wigan.

"And you know another strange thing, it threw it down on both occasions. Think about that."

Chelsea's XI in the Luzhniki is set to overshadow United's final choice in terms of experience.

But Ferguson is convinced his young guns will relish the Moscow stage.
"People ask: Do they have the experience to take opportunities like this?" added Sir Alex.

"But young people aren't afraid. That's the great quality young people have.

"When I was a kid, I used to climb steeples of churches looking for pigeons and go under bridges and all the rest of it. Now, if I look outside a window more than two storeys high, I get vertigo.

"That's what age does to you. When you're young you are fearless.

"So, hopefully the younger ones in the team will be like that.

"I wouldn't expect my players to freeze."