Champions League Preview: Manchester United – AC Milan
Kick-off: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 – 19:45 GMT
Old Trafford, Manchester
Manchester United clash with AC Milan on Wednesday evening as these two powerhouses of European football contest the second leg of their last 16 Champions League tie.
The Red Devils possess the cushion of three away goals following their impressive 3-2 victory at the San Siro last month although Sir Alex Ferguson will certainly take nothing for granted against the side who boast seven European Cup titles to their name.
Having stumbled to defeat against Everton immediately after their triumph in Milan, United have won three on the spin, winning their first piece of silverware and ascending to the top of the Premier League table in the process.
Leonardo’s AC Milan have nursed their Wayne Rooney-inflicted continental hangover by remaining unbeaten in four and are currently hot on the heels of Inter at the summit of Serie A where they are four points behind their fierce city rivals in second.
All eyes will again be on David Beckham with the on-loan Milan star expected to make his first appearance at Old Trafford for an opposition side since he left the Manchester outfit for Real Madrid back in 2003.
Ferguson’s side are chasing a third successive final appearance in the Champions League this season and when you consider that they have never lost a European tie after having won away in the first leg, the odds are substantially stacked against the Rossoneri advancing.
FORM GUIDE
Manchester United
March 6 Wolves 0-1 Manchester United (Premier League)
Feb 28 Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United (Premier League)
Feb 23 Manchester United 3-0 West Ham (Premier League)
Feb 20 Everton 3-1 Manchester United (Premier League)
Feb 16 AC Milan 2-3 Manchester United (Champions League)
AC Milan
Mar 6 Roma 0-0 AC Milan (Serie A)
Feb 28 AC Milan 3-1 Atalanta (Serie A)
Feb 24 Fiorentina 1-2 AC Milan (Serie A)
Feb 21 Bari 0-2 AC Milan (Serie A)
Feb 16 AC Milan 2-3 Manchester United (Champions League)
TEAM NEWS
Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson has declared that Wayne Rooney is available for United and the England striker looks set to start for the Red Devils after missing the weekend’s victory over Wolves with a knee problem.
Wes Brown will definitely miss out with a foot injury so Gary Neville and Rafael will battle it out for the right-back berth.
Ryan Giggs is another absent from the squad with an arm injury while Michael Carrick is suspended having been sent off late on in the San Siro in February.
Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rafael; Park, Fletcher, Scholes, Valencia; Rooney, Berbatov.
AC Milan
Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato has been included in the 22-man Milan squad that arrived in Manchester on Tuesday although doubts remain as to whether he will be able to shake off a thigh injury in time for kick-off on Wednesday.
Marco Borriello returns to the squad having missed the first leg defeat in Italy and could form an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and Pato, depending on the latter’s fitness.
Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati has started the Rossoneri’s last four games since Dida conceded three against United and could once again be preferred to the Brazilian at the Theatre of Dreams.
Possible starting XI: Abbiati; Antonini, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Bonera; Pirlo, Ambrosini, Beckham; Ronaldinho, Pato, Borriello.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United
Young full-back Rafael endured something of a torrid evening the last time the two sides met with Ronaldinho proving more than a handful for the United defender.
With Wes Brown ruled out for around six weeks, Ferguson is once again set to put faith in Rafael and it will be interesting to see how the 19-year-old copes with all the tricks and flicks that his Brazilian counterpart has to throw at him this time around.
AC Milan
Following the departure of Kaka to Real Madrid in the summer, Alexandre Pato has almost inadvertently assumed the role of Milan talisman this season.
Whether the former Internacional striker appears from the start at Old Trafford remains to be seen although having scored four goals in his last four games, Pato is arguably the Rossoneri’s primary goalscoring threat.
PREDICTION
AC Milan should throw everything at United as they search for a way back into the tie and an early goal could be their saving grace as they aim to haul back a 3-2 deficit.
That said, the Red Devils are always a threat on their own patch and the Italian side’s success at stopping Wayne Rooney could ultimately prove the difference between success and failure.
Manchester United 2-1 AC Milan