Manchester United kick start their defence of their Champions League title this evening, taking on Villarreal at Old Trafford.
Last season we had a close to perfect record in the Champions League, winning every match apart from our last group stage game against Roma (before which we had already confirmed our spot as top of the group and played a side that resembled our reserves), our first knock-out round 1-1 draw away to Lyon, and the semi-final 0-0 at the Nou Camp against Barcelona.
Can we do as well this season?
Our first game comes against the toughest competition in the group, Villarreal, who finished 2nd in La Liga last season, ahead of Barcelona.
Nihat Kahveci was their top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions, and was also the 4th highest scoring player in the league.
They missed out on Champions League football last season, finishing 5th in their domestic season the year before. Their UEFA Cup campaign was relatively short though, being knocked out by Rangers in the first round following the group stages.
In tonight’s match, Nihat is missing through injury, as well as former red, Giuseppe Rossi. This certainly gives us a good advantage.
Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov are both ruled out for United, after injuries they picked up against Liverpool. However, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his return to the team, although is likely to be starting on the bench.
What score do you fancy tonight?
Man Utd News 24/7
4-0 to United! Yes, I am optimistic.
thanx red devil you just jinxed us
Too much of hopes
united will win bt not4-0 for sure
Mu will thrash villarreal……Manucho hatrick…….
What do you mean with jinx?
Its a superstition thing, if you say we will win it is less likely to happen, you jinxed us. Its stupid, don’t worry about it. Villarreal is no easy team to beat and I think they will give us some trouble. We have to bounce back and a win against Villarreal would be great going into the weekend. If we can get a good win, give Ronaldo 20-30 minutes, and gain some confidence I will feel better going to the Bridge this weekend. It is hard for me to just focus on today, as this weekend could ultimately define our season. Will we be chasing Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool for the entire year, or can we grab a point away from home and stay amongst them early on.
I am excited, as an American, to possible see Jozy Altidore play in the Champions League and see him take on a top opponent. We will get to see if he is the real deal if he can create anything against United. They are a good team so we need our best to guarantee a win.
I am hoping for a two goal cushion win, and hopefully a clean sheet to give VDS and the defenders some more confidence.
Mu 2-1 Vill
Fletcher Rooney Pires
I cant really see united losing tonight. We should have enough to beat them even without carrick/scholes creating from the middle. This is abit off the topic,but the one concern i do have for us atm is chelsea. After watching them last night (i was amazed i diddnt get bored) we are in for quite a suprise at the bridge. They passed the way we did at the best of times last season,and they were all tacticly astute. I couldnt help but wonder if united could play in a similar style to chelsea. They had Anelka upfront heading the attack,but also dropping back at times creating space (we have berbatov who can do that) then they had malouda on the left,very much a direct winger who cuts inside with the ball (we have CR7/nani who can do that) they had joe cole on the right who is a tenacious diminutive attaker with quick feet and likes to drift into the middle at times (sounds like tevez to me) and they had lampard playing behind anelka. He droped back when needed to and was able to link the midfield to attack and was able to set up chance after chance (i think rooney could do the same job for us,and be better at it)
Kingpin…if you remove all of your positive comments about the chelski pricks, I agree with you, that sounds like a possible formation to try out. However, me personally, I think we should keep one of our 3 strikers on the bench. Look at saturday, its hard to I know, but when we were playing like trash and needing an offensive spark, we had no options in that dept! I think we need to be able to have the option of bringing on a top class striker late in games to help us out. Thats just me. And which one of the 3 that ends up being, I dont know.
And about tonights formation, I hope to see Nani get the start. I think he just needs to find his form and he can only get that by playing. I also hope to see Park get a start on the other wing. Was he even on the bench against Pool? Man, what a kick in the nuts. They increase the bench numbers and then some of our lads like Fletch and Park still cant even make the bench. They must have incredible mental fortitude for that kind of injustice would make me fucking depressed.
Deciding on who should start at CM is a tougher one….I would go with Fletch and Ando to be honest, leaving Hargo maybe to play at right back (or left on the bench). Hargo looked like he was running in sand when he came on at the weekend so throwing him in to start this massively important game at CM worries me. I might advocate putting him at right back though just to prepare for chelski. On sunday i think its obvious that Wes will partner Rio in the center (sorry Evans) leaving right back slot open. And, i apologize for this, but i just dont think Gary should play against them. He should be blooded in slowly against a little lesser opposition, not the kind of quality that chelski will throw at him because against Zenit he just didnt look up to the pace. So for me that leaves Hargo at right back….
As for Ando, i have such high hopes for the lad I just pray he can come in and have a massive game where he controls things. So far, it hasn’t come off for him in the last few matches. Lets have him change that.
And i am praying Wayne gets on the score sheet. please. please. please
Oh yeah, at left back….i think we have to go with O’shea. He doesn’t provide the same attacking threat, but defensively we’ll be in safe hands.
And VdS….please let him come out and shut everyone up. Make all the doubters, including me, eat our words.
Without berba, carrick and scholes…and we ve not exactly been playing well…up top or at the back. so i think even though we’ll win…im going for 2-0 or a 3-1.