UCL : Sporting Lisbon vs Manchester United
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vs 
UCL : Sporting Lisbon vs Manchester United
Thursday morning, 20th September 2007
Live on Channel 24, Star Sports
Time: 01:00 AM - 04:45 AM (according to starhub online programme guide)
Match starts at 2:45am -
Nani and Ronny would be eagerly anticipating this match.
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Rooney set to face Sporting
Wayne Rooney is likely to feature in Manchester United's UEFA Champions League tie with Sporting Lisbon.
Sir Alex Ferguson resisted the temptation to pick Rooney against former club Everton on Saturday, with the striker only back in training for a week after a foot injury.
But Ferguson admits the England international should be involved in the club's opening Champions League group game with Sporting on Wednesday.
"He will be fit for Wednesday, we have taken medical advice and he only started training on Monday," said Ferguson.
"And after only five days he is a bit short of fitness, he trained today and will train again tomorrow, and through until Wednesday." -
Sporting Lisbon
Are they any good?
Runners-up in the Portuguese league for the past two seasons.
Sporting's world-renowned football academy has produced Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.
Stadium: Sporting play their home games at the Estádio José Alvalade, which was purpose-built for the 2004 European Football Championship. The venue has a capacity of 52,000 and was acoustically engineered as a venue for major concerts. Its official opening was on 6 August 2003 when Sporting played United. They beat the Reds 3-1.
Manager: Paulo Bento won 35 Portuguese caps before retiring at 34 to become youth team coach at Sporting, the last club he played for. After much success with the SportingÂ’s academy he was promoted to manage the senior team and steered them to second place in the domestic league in 2005/06 and 2006/07. He also won the Portuguese Cup. He is now considered one of the top coaches in the country, and has been likened in management style to compatriot Jose Mourinho.
Star player: Without doubt, Sporting Lisbon’s star player is front man Liédson. The 30-year-old Brazilian striker arrived from Corinthians in 2003 and is known for his pace. What he lacks in height - he’s 5ft 9in - he makes up for with commitment and he has no problem in finding the net if given the chance. To date he’s bagged 57 goals in 93 appearances for the club. This season he’ll be partnered up front by new £1.3 million signing Serbian Milan Purovic. The towering 6ft 3in forward comes from Red Star Belgrade.
Last seasonÂ’s Champions League results: Sporting didnÂ’t get past the group stages last term having been draw against European giants Internazionale, Bayern Munich and Spartak Moscow. Unsurprisingly, they finished bottom of the group with only five points. Perhaps the lowest point came when Spartak ended a record 22-match run without a victory in the Champions League by beating Sporting 3-1 in their final Group B match.
Last time we met: The last time these two sides clashed competitively was in the 1963/64 Cup Winners Cup quarter-final. Having been fairly spanked 4-1 at Old Trafford, the second leg was a stunning comeback, in which the home side ran out 5-0 victors, before going on to win the final against MTK Hungaria FC. -
muwahaha, my holiday starts on thrusday
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i holidays since last week alreadyOriginally posted by sand king:muwahaha, my holiday starts on thrusday -
Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:i holidays since last week already
so goot! wtf!
im getting lack of sleep. -
erm, i saw the advert on star sports, they said the match is 1am?
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Originally posted by sand king: so goot! wtf!
im getting lack of sleep.
having exams this few days? -
kinda weird, but never mind, will stay up that nightOriginally posted by omgukilledkenny:erm, i saw the advert on star sports, they said the match is 1am? -
nope, my exams in decemberOriginally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:
having exams this few days?
haha sian all the higher nitec holis i still got to drag my heavy bottom halfway around the country to go to school -
Originally posted by sand king:nope, my exams in december
haha sian all the higher nitec holis i still got to drag my heavy bottom halfway around the country to go to school -
Vidic eyes strong start in Europe
UnitedÂ’s goalscoring hero against Everton Nemanja Vidic says itÂ’s vital the Reds get off to a good start in the Champions League on Wednesday when they take on Sporting Lisbon.
The squad fly out to Portugal on Tuesday morning to prepare for the match at Sporting’s Estádio José Alvalade.
Vidic came to UnitedÂ’s rescue on Saturday with an 83rd-minute headed winner to secure a vital three points at Goodison Park, and now the Serbian defender is eyeing victory in the opening Group F match.
“It’s really important that we get off to a good start in the Champions League,” Nemanja told MUTV. “We know Sporting Lisbon will be difficult to play against,” he added. “They are technically very good and they know how to keep possession of the ball, which makes it difficult. But we want to start the tournament well and get a good result.”
The Reds began last seasonÂ’s European campaign with a win on Portuguese soil - Louis Saha grabbing the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Benfica.
Although the Reds needed to beat the Lisbon club at Old Trafford in the final group game following surprise defeats to FC Copenhagen and Celtic, United improved as the tournament progressed and went on to reach the semi finals, only to be stopped by the eventual winners AC Milan. -
Double injury boost for Reds
The Reds will have Wayne Rooney and Owen Hargreaves back in action for the trip to Lisbon this week.
United have been without Rooney since the opening day of the season when he suffered a metatarsal fracture in his left foot, while Hargreaves has been troubled by a knee injury.
Rooney had been expected to play a part in Saturday's 1-0 win over his former club Everton, but Reds boss Sir Alex opted to rest the 21-year-old striker, who instead trained over the weekend in preparation for Wednesday's visit to Portugal.
"They'll both be ok for Wednesday," Sir Alex told MUTV after the victory at Goodison Park.
"We took medical advice on Wayne and as he had only started training on Monday, we felt that five days' training was maybe a bit short.
"But he trained on Saturday morning, Sunday and he'll train right through until Wednesday. By that point he will definitely be available for the match against Sporting Lisbon." -
gonna end up stone on thursday morning for work.. >.<
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where's neville..........
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Hargreaves' fitness doubts
Earlier in the day Sir Alex Ferguson spoke of his optimism that Hargreaves might be available for the clash.
But the England international, who has been struggling with a thigh strain, is less confident of his chances.
"I have never really had this injury before so this is new territory," Hargreaves told the Manchester Evening News.
"I can't say for certain but it looks as though I won't be ready for Wednesday because I have not trained (on Monday)." -
Nani nervous about going home
Nani, who does not yet know if he will be in tomorrow's starting line-up, said that both he and Cristiano Ronaldo feared there might be one or two nerves when they faced their old team.
“It's going to be emotional going back,” the young star said.
“My heart is in Lisbon but, as a pro, I want nothing other than a United win.
“I've spoken to Cristiano and we both feel there could be a few early nerves about returning home. But if we can score first the pressure will be on Sporting and having Wayne and Cristiano back gives us an extra edge.
“Wayne's recovery is a real positive, particularly with two huge battles coming up against Sporting and then Chelsea on Sunday.” -
Duo sit out Lisbon tripOriginally posted by lpx88:where's neville..........
Owen Hargreaves and Gary Neville have failed to recover from injury in time for Wednesday's Champions League opener against Sporting Lisbon.
The England internationals, both sidelined with thigh strains, were missing from United's travelling party as it left Manchester Airport on Tuesday morning.
Wayne Rooney, however, was on board, having made a startling recovery from the broken foot he sustained on the opening day of the season.
The England striker is likely to play some part against Sporting, although with Sunday's clash with Chelsea looming large, Sir Alex Ferguson may use him sparingly.
Mikael Silvestre, Darren Fletcher, John O'Shea, Ji-sung Park and Ben Foster are United's other senior absentees. -
The scoreline doest matter, i'm just hoping for a win.
Our away games in the CL have been woeful these past few seasons. -
Reds land in Lisbon
United touched down in sunny Portugal at midday on Tuesday for the Reds' opening Group F Champions League qualifier against Sporting Lisbon.
United attract attention wherever they go, but scenes at Lisbon's Portela airport were feverish as local press jostled in the arrivals lounge for glimpses of the players before a police escort whisked the United party to its headquarters.
The last time the Reds were in Portugal, a Louis Saha goal was enough to give United a 1-0 win over Benfica in the Estadio da Luz. Sir Alex will undoubtedly be pleased with a similar result tomorrow as the Reds seek a positive start in Group F.
United's Reserve team also made the flight to Lisbon, with a friendly match against Sporting Lisbon Reserves due to take place on Wednesday morning.
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=472096
seems like whole man utd team + the reserve team is in lisbon -
Who would you play up front?
1)Rooney and Tevez
2)Rooney and Saha
3)Tevez and Saha
I'd go for Tevez and Saha. -
Originally posted by omgukilledkenny:
3)
[b]Who would you play up front?
1)Rooney and Tevez
2)Rooney and Saha
3)Tevez and Saha
I'd go for Tevez and Saha.
[/b]
Rooney still no match fitness leh. Maybe can let him try out IF we winning... -
heh, just hope he plays Giggs at the left, i never liked him playing as a striker.
I got a feeling Nani wont start though. -
Fergie's response to who should play up front.......
Sir Alex Ferguson has yet to decide whether to unleash fit-again Manchester United hitman Wayne Rooney on Sporting Lisbon this week.
"It is not an easy one because none of our three strikers are at 100% of the level you would want for European football," he said.
"Carlos is getting better but he will only reach the level we want by good training. We are trying to gauge Louis. He has been out for eight months, so the plan was to ease him in the way we are doing.
"And Wayne has only had one game, which is a month ago now.
"Basically, I have to decide whether to start with Wayne, or do what I did on Saturday by playing Carlos with Ryan Giggs and then bring Wayne and Louis off the bench. I want to get it right because I want to win the game."