Leeds manager David O'Leary now knows miracles do happen as United's Champions League prayers were answered in one of the world's great footballing cathedrals at the San Siro.

It was the result both sides wanted as Leeds gained the point they needed to reach the second phase of the competition, and with it an extra £10m windfall, not forgetting the small matter of a £25,000 bonus for the Leeds players.

For Milan, the draw was also ideal as it allowed them to finish top of Group H, and so send one of the pre-tournament favourites, Barcelona, crashing out.

No-one gave Leeds a chance of reaching the last 16 when the draw was made, least of all O'Leary, who claimed it would be ''a miracle'' if his side achieved such an astonishing feat.

After the 4-0 hammering in Barcelona in the opening game, and as the injuries piled up over the following weeks, it looked as if it would be easier to part the Red Sea for O'Leary than for his side reach the next stage.

But Leeds have consistently dug deep into their reserves of spirit, courage and faith to pull off five remarkable results since, and in the midst of many a traumatic moment.

The build-up to what was the club's most important match for 25 years was again sadly overshadowed by the stabbing of a fan, harking back to the sad events just seven months ago in Istanbul.

On that occasion, on the eve of the first leg of United's UEFA Cup semi-final, supporters Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were murdered.

This time, 31-year-old Lee Dyson from Barnsley, a member of the Leeds Supporters' Club, sustained ''non life-threatening injuries'', although he required two operations after being stabbed 13 times in a city-centre incident.

Club chairman Peter Ridsdale admitted the latest events had brought unwelcome memories of Istanbul flooding back and left him feeling ''fairly drained''.

Trouble, though, sadly seems to follow Leeds around Europe as a further four fans were handed suspended six-month sentences and banned from Italian grounds for life.

All four had been quickly dealt with at a Milan magistrates' court after being charged with drunkenness, resisting arrest and assaulting a policeman in a separate incident on Tuesday night.

It is why Ridsdale had pleaded for the remainder of the 6,000 Leeds fans - the biggest number to follow the club abroad since the 1975 European Cup final - to be on their best behaviour as he felt ''the reputation of English football and Leeds United'' was ''on the line''.

Unlike in Istanbul, when the murders clearly affected the performance of the players who watched the sickening events unfold on television in their hotel rooms, the club ''tried to shield the team'' from this latest incident.

That was achieved, although Leeds were still involved in a phoney war given the rumours surrounding the 'incentive' scandal, in which it was claimed Barcelona had offered Milan a £600,000 sweetener for victory.

With Milan having already qualified, the observation was that their hopes of overall success would be best served with Barca's exit.

The claims were categorically denied by Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani, but it had the desired effect of stirring Italian pride - at least in terms of team selection.

Coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who would arguably have preferred to have rested one or two of his stars, was forced to field his strongest line-up.

O'Leary, in contrast, was able to welcome back skipper Lucas Radebe, reclaiming the armband from Gary Kelly, and Danny Mills to the centre of his defence.

Both were a risk as Radebe had played just 45 minutes in the last five weeks after previously suffering concussion twice in the space of 17 days, while Mills had missed the last three matches with an ankle injury.

But Radebe proved all his problems were behind him as twice in the first half it was an outstretched leg which deflected shots from Andrii Shevchenko over the bar.

Inbetween came the Ukrainian's penalty miss after Denmark referee Kim Milton Nielsen had contentiously pointed to the spot when it appeared Serginho's cross was a case of ball to the hand of Kelly, rather than handball.

But Nielsen showed little hesitation and up stepped Shevchenko to send Paul Robinson the wrong way.

But to the delight of the Leeds fans massed behind the goal, the ball hit the right-hand post and trickled away to safety.

Then on the stroke of half-time came a goal worth millions, with Dominic Matteo heading home a near-post corner from Lee Bowyer for his second strike since a £4.5m move from Liverpool in August.

It was only the second time Leeds had scored a goal on Italian soil, having failed in five of their previous six matches, and this one was priceless.

Dare one say, though, Milan had appeared to have been going through the motions in the opening 45 minutes as their football was played at a reasonably sedate pace.

But it was a different story after the break as Milan showed they were in no mood to let Leeds become the first English team to beat them in a European game at the San Siro after six wins and four draws in their previous ten matches.

The pressure was relentless, with Leeds camped in and around their own area as Serginho, Leonardo and Oliver Bierhoff all came close to the equaliser before the inevitable happened.

Milan had found another gear and it was their man of the match Serginho who went on another surging run, leaving Kelly on the seat of his shorts, before a powerful sidefooted shot beyond the advancing Robinson.

But that was it from the Rossoneri as they then played out the final 23 minutes as they had done in the first half. Their job was done.

However, after the last-gasp goal at Elland Road two weeks ago from Barcelona superstar Rivaldo which denied Leeds their passage on that occasion, there can be no denying their joy this time.

l Manchester United are third favourites to win the Champions League after they squeezed into the last 16 of the competition last night.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who could only muster a 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford, are 5-1 shots to regain the trophy they won in 1999 but let slip last year. Real Madrid have been installed as 7-2 favourites to retain their crown, while Sven-Goran Eriksson's Lazio are 9-2 according to Ladbrokes