Man United host a Porto side who hate travelling to the UK

Manchester United/Porto, 7.45pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Manchester United have been granted the best draw they could have asked for in their quest to retain the Champions League but recent defensive frailties threaten to end their run of seven straight clean sheets in two-legged European ties. However, Porto’s dreadful record in the UK means that an upset (9/1 with Ladbrokes) remains incredibly unlikely:

HOME ADVANTAGE
Manchester United’s domestic invincibility may have worn off but there are some pretty significant stats which make them the team to fear in Europe. The holders haven’t lost a Champions League home game since February 2005 and are unbeaten in 21 games in total in the competition. However, while they won all six of their European games at Old Trafford last season, they haven’t been quite as convincing this season. They beat Celtic (3-0) and Inter (2-0) but they failed to find a way past potential quarter-final opponents Villarreal (0-0) or the fifth-best team in Denmark, Aalborg (2-2).

Posted: April 7th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Man Utd face Jose Mourinho and the curse of the holders

Inter Milan/Man Utd, 7.45pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

The football in the last two Sir Alex Ferguson/Jose Mourinho encounters - in the 2007 FA Cup Final and the Community Shield three months later - may have been awful but there is no denying the sense of anticipation brewing as the two great managers prepare to collide once more. Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game:

GRAVEYARD OF THE CHAMPIONS
In each of the last four years, the Champions League holders have been eliminated at this stage of the competition. Inter Milan were the team who started that tradition by knocking out Porto four seasons ago. Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho’s first ever meeting came in the round of 16 five years ago, when Mourinho’s Porto won the home leg 2-1 before holding Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
Manchester United and Inter Milan last came to blows ten years ago at the quarter-final stage. On that occasion, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side played the first leg at home and won 2-0, before drawing 1-1 at the San Siro. On that day Nicola Ventola put the Italian side ahead in the 63rd minute only for Paul Scholes to equalise with two minutes to go.

MOURINHO v FERGUSON

Posted: February 24th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment

Manchester Utd aren’t good at overcoming first-leg deficits

As Jose Mourinho will no doubt vouch…

Besides their incredible comeback against AS Roma in the Champions League quarter-finals two years ago, Manchester United have never overcome a first-leg deficit under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Most of their two-legged encounters have taken place in Europe which means it doesn’t offer a flawless indication of whether they will recover against Derby however on the previous occasion they lost a League Cup first leg they ended up being eliminated by third-tier York City.

An encouraging sign though is the fact that they have only lost the second-leg three times under such circumstances:

Posted: January 20th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment