AS Roma will be aiming to avenge the 1-7 defeat Manchester United inflicted on them in last year’s quarterfinals when both teams lock horns Monday night.
AS Roma will be aiming to avenge the 1-7 defeat Manchester United inflicted on them in last year’s quarterfinals when both teams lock horns tonight
MANCHESTER: AS Roma returns to Old Trafford to face Manchester United less than six months after the hosts dominated their Italian opponents 7-1 in a Champions League quarterfinal game marred by fan violence.
“Losing in the way we did was hard to take,” Roma captain Francesco Totti said. “Now Roma is a ... very competitive, a very strong side that could go all the way. We are among the favourites and rightly so.”
Security will be high for Tuesday’s game after both quarterfinal matches last season were plagued by violence off the pitch. AS Roma won the first leg in Italy 2-1, but some United fans were injured before the game after attacks from Roma fans.
Inside the stadium, Italian riot police fought with English fans.
The 7-1 scoreline in last season’s second leg prompted United manager Alex Ferguson to describe it as his greatest night of European soccer.
United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who won the 2001 competition with Bayern Munich, watched that match from Germany. He could make his European debut with United after recovering from a thigh injury that has sidelined him.
“Those results possibly happen once every three or four years in the entire competition,” Hargreaves said. “It is just not going to happen again. I am sure they will try to come and avenge what happened last season but I expect us to win the game.”
But the problem haunting United is scoring goals. United, second in the Premier League behind Arsenal, has scored 11 fewer goals than at this stage in last season’s victorious campaign.
Ferguson is confident of more goals now that attacking players Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez are
playing together.
Inter aiming to bounce back
High-flying Inter Milan will be aiming to repeat their impressive domestic form on the European stage when they host PSV Eindhoven.
Inter won 4-1 at Roma on Saturday in a victory which propelled them two points clear in the Italian championship after six matches.
Their start to the European campaign has not been so good, however. Inter, missing a number of key players including injured pair Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira, struggled under constant pressure from Fenerbahce, losing 1-0 in
Istanbul in their opening Group G game two weeks ago.
Ronaldinho wants to prove critics wrong
Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho, back in the squad for Group E tie at VfBStuttgart, wants to prove the doubters wrong after enduring a difficult start to the season.
The Brazilian has missed the last three matches with a calf strain and suffered criticism about transfer speculation and media reports on his private life.
“I’m annoyed but life isn’t always perfect. In moments like these I concentrate on my work and will give my response on the pitch,” Ronaldinho told sports daily Mundo Deportivo on Monday.
“I feel at home in Barcelona and that’s due to the people here. I am looking forward to returning to action to prove I am happy and that I want to stay for many years.”
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