UEFA CL - Manchester United vs Roma - Apr 9

• zocoss

  2 Apr 08, 20:02

    

   

    VS

   

  Manchester United vs Roma 

  Champions League:  QFs, Leg 2

  Wednesday, 10 April 2008

  02:45 AM - (Live) - (Thur Morning)

  Channel 23 - ESPN.

  

  Manchester United :

  Van der Sar, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Evra, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Hargreaves, Ronaldo, Park, Scholes, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Eagles, Rooney, Saha, Simpson, Tevez, Neville, Foster.

   

  

  Doni, Philippe Mexes, Matteo Ferrari, Cicinho, Vitorino Antunes, Rodrigo Taddei, David Pizarro, Alessandro Mancini, Ahmed Barusso, Francesco Totti, Mauro Esposito, Christian Panucci, Ludovic Giuly, Mirko Vucinic, Daniele De Rossi, Juan, Julio Sergio, Adrian Pit, Max Tonetto, Simone Perrotta, Matteo Brighi, Gianluca Curci

• omgukilledkenny

  6 Apr 08, 22:49

  Totti set to miss out again

  Roma captain Francesco Totti is likely to miss Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final return at Old Trafford with the thigh injury that kept him out of the first leg.

  The 31-year-old striker is yet to return to full training and sat out the Giallorossi's 3-2 home win over Genoa in Serie A on Saturday.

  Coach Luciano Spalletti, who would have been desperate for his talismanic skipper to return as the Italians seek to overturn a 2-0 deficit, admitted: "I would be happy to have him back next weekend."

  Totti has 14 league goals to his name this season and was conspicuous by his absence at the Stadio Olimpico last Tuesday, when United took a giant stride towards a semi-finals thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

• zocoss

  7 Apr 08, 10:55

  

  RIO INJURY WORRY FOR UNITED

   

  Rio Ferdinand has given Sir Alex Ferguson another defensive headache after leaving the Riverside with his foot in a protective case following Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough. United can ill afford to lose Ferdinand for long with fellow centre-back Nemanja Vidic out for three weeks and some crucial matches coming up in the Premier League and Champions League.

  The draw with Boro sees United just three points ahead of Chelsea, and they have to face Arsenal next weekend before going to Stamford Bridge on April 26. Ferdinand limped off during the match and left the stadium with his foot in a plastic case, as a precaution.

  Ferguson said: "Hopefully it's not serious with Rio but he was limping for too long. "The danger was to keep carrying on with him when he was limping he was not playing at his full performance level."

  It looks unlikely that Ferdinand will play in the Champions League second leg against Roma, especially with Gerard Pique impressing Ferguson as a replacement for the England defender. "Pique came on and did absolutely terrific, he was absolutely marvellous and I think that helped us actually," added Ferguson.

  United had taken the lead at an icy Riverside courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo's 37th goal of the season but two goals from Brazilian striker Afonso Alves put Boro ahead. It was left to Wayne Rooney's late deflected effort to secure a share of the spoils.

• omgukilledkenny

  7 Apr 08, 22:44

  Its confirmed, Totti's out.

  We need all the luck we can get if Rio cant make this match.

  Roma squad: Antunes, Aquilani, Brighi, Cassetti, Cicinho, Curci, De Rossi, Doni, Esposito, Giuly, Juan, Mancini, Mexes, Panucci, Perrotta, Pizarro, Taddei, Tonetto, Vucinic, Zotti

• lolxzxz

  7 Apr 08, 23:00

  i think we'll take this 1 nil.

• a-Lost-9uY

  7 Apr 08, 23:03

  will Rio be back for Roma 2nd leg?

  if not, O'Shea cum Brown as CBs will be disaster le

• sand king

  7 Apr 08, 23:09

  Draw... 1-1

• omgukilledkenny

  7 Apr 08, 23:26

  If Rio's unavailable, I think he'll go for.

  Oshea/Owen   Pique       Brown      Evra

• soccerbest

  8 Apr 08, 04:32

  Pique given his chance as Rio is ruled out

   

  Rio Ferdinand is out of Manchester United's Champions League tie with Roma on Wednesday but could yet figure against Arsenal on Sunday — and alongside Nemanja Vidic.

  Ferdinand went for a scan on Monday after limping off at Middlesbrough and leaving the ground with his injured left foot in a protective casing.

  Results allayed fears of any break, but the bruising is too severe for him to face the Italians and 21-year-old Spanish defender Gerard Pique is expected to step in.

  'Rio went for a scan on Monday and we can confirm that he has not suffered any break,' said a club statement.

  The England captain has a good chance of recovering in time for the crucial Barclays Premier League match against Arsenal and Vidic, originally ruled out for three weeks with a knee injury, is making sufficient progress to be under consideration too.

  Pique, who has been linked with a return to Spain in the summer, came on as a 69th-minute substitute for Ferdinand at Middlesbrough and helped title-chasing United claim a draw from the jaws of defeat. Now he is determined to help United secure a Champions League semi-final place and hopes it will be against his former club Barcelona.

  Pique said: 'I'm ready. I've waited a long time to get a chance in games like this. It's what I dreamt of when I left Barcelona. It's been frustrating because the manager told me in the summer that I would figure in his plans but Rio and Vida have been playing so well that I haven't had a chance.

  'We are more mature as a team this season. People said we struggled last year when Rio and Vida were injured and we were knocked out of the Champions League by Milan but I think we are stronger now.'

  Pique is unlikely to be facing Roma talisman Francesco Totti, who has been left out of their squad once again with a thigh injury. Pique said: 'I am not afraid of anybody. Although Totti is not supposed to be in the squad, if he is fit to play I'm more than happy to face him. In fact, I look forward to it.

  'Sir Alex Ferguson was fantastic with me after the match with Middlesbrough. He told me I had done well and made me feel good. It made me feel important again.

  'The dressing room was quiet after the game. We were annoyed with the way it went but so many things happened in terms of losing a goal and then injuries after we'd made substitutions. We felt that we had come through a real test. You have to have a state of mind, whatever happens don't lose.

  'Normally there'd be a lot of shouting but the manager was quite philosophical. He was happy overall with the way we played and we believe we can still win the title and the Champions League.'

  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=557909&in_page_id=1779&ito=newsnow

• sand king

  8 Apr 08, 08:06

  Pique to score against Roma!

• zocoss

  8 Apr 08, 09:36

  Oh man... like that we are going to have a central defensive pair of Brown and O'shea... along with Owen on the right back slot...

• iceFatboy

  8 Apr 08, 10:15

  oh no, it seems deva ju again like when MUFC played Milan..

  hopefully, we can still sail thru and Rio and Vidic can recover well.

• jonchao72

  8 Apr 08, 18:01

  i worry for pique leh... tho he got lots of potential, he still not good enuf as compared to other players ard his age like richards

• Sienx

  8 Apr 08, 19:29

  manutd to draw 1-1 with roma this time..pique i nt scare he got pace only he lacks experience...i scare oshea..plays..he screwed up at the  middle's match with poor marking..brown centre with pique hargreaves right back

   

  anderson carrick ronaldo park rooney tevez to start maybe rooney lone striker and anderson carrick scholes

• trendz

  8 Apr 08, 23:06

  i think 1-1 luh. Pique is a good defender. I hope it'll be Pique & Brown centre. Left Evra, Hargo/O`Shea RB, Anderson, Carrick centre, Giggs left, Park right, Rooney & Tevez. Ronaldo, Scholes on the bench to rest.

• zocoss

  9 Apr 08, 11:07

  After beating Roma in the Olympic Stadium last week and facing Luciano Spalletti's team five times in the last year, Ferguson knows that the greatest danger at Old Trafford is likely to come from within. Despite Rio Ferdinand undergoing a fitness test on his injured foot this morning, United are expected to be without both him and his regular central defensive partner Nemanja Vidic.

  The scale of that problem cannot be overstated. Statistics show that United's win ratio drops by 50 per cent when the two men do not play. Presuming Ferdinand misses out, United will have to rely on the talented but unpredictable Spaniard Gerard Pique to fill one of the holes, with Wes Brown and John O'Shea — both poor in the draw at Middlesbrough on Sunday — competing to play alongside him.

  Gary Neville and Mikael Silvestre are both in Ferguson's squad, and while the England veteran has little more than an outside chance of starting Silvestre is expected to play at left back in place of fellow Frenchman Patrice Evra.

  'We made two mistakes on Sunday at Middlesbrough,' said Ferguson, acknowledging his defensive concerns. 'It was a surprise to lose goals like that. But it shows what can happen. When I see opponents playing I'm always looking for chinks in their armour and Spalletti will have been looking at that game for chinks in ours.

  'Football can change in an instant. We started well at Middlesbrough, scored a goal and should have been a couple up. 'But a couple of decisions didn't go our way and all of a sudden we were scrambling around and losing 2-1. Things can happen but we have to make sure it doesn't happen on this occasion. 'We have one foot in the semi-final and in order to get there we have to go out against Roma and approach the game in the proper fashion.'

  Roma arrived in Manchester suitably realistic about their chances. With captain Francesco Totti back in Italy and midfielder Alberto Aquilani also struggling with injury, Spalletti was at pains to apologise for comments made about Cristiano Ronaldo after the first game.

  Ronaldo was accused of showboating at the Olympic Stadium last Tuesday but Spalletti said: 'The things said by our club were in the heat of the moment. 'Our comments had the bitterness of defeat in them, and we said things we normally would not.

  'Ronaldo is an excellent player. He is an exuberant player and a fair player. 'He is a very correct player.'

  PROBABLE LINE-UP
  MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-1-1): Van der Sar; Brown, O'Shea, Pique, Silvestre; Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson; Giggs; Rooney.
  

  ROMA (4-2-3-1): Doni; Cicinho, Mexes, Juan, Cassetti; Pizarro, De Rossi; Taddei, Perrotta, Mancini; Vucinic.
  Referee: Thomas Henning (Norway).

• zocoss

  9 Apr 08, 11:53

  I am only worried that Pique, is like our Philippe Senderos or some arsenal fans would like to call Cygan...

  They both have quite a number of similarities... They are Tall, Young, Promising, Inexperience... Only thing is Cygan oopps... Senderos i mean has more experience and played in the World Cup already... Pique, we all saw how he performed against Bolton didn'e we... must be worrying...

• zocoss

  9 Apr 08, 14:04

  

  PAUL SCHOLES will play his 100th Champions League game tonight.

   

  The Manchester United midfielder, 33, joins just eight others who have reached the landmark including Ryan Giggs, Raul and David Beckham.

   

  Boss Alex Ferguson said: “He was out for 3½ months earlier in the season.

   

  “It took him a few months to get his rhythm back but recently he has been absolutely fantastic.”

   

  Skipper Gary Neville makes his comeback in what will be his 99th Champions League game.

   

  But asked if Scholes would be handed the armband, Fergie quipped: “Paul would regard that as punishment!”

• sand king

  9 Apr 08, 22:06

  NEVILLE PLEASE PLAY! IM WAKING UP LATER JUST FOR YOU!

• omgukilledkenny

  9 Apr 08, 22:09

  Rio having his late fitness test now. I just saw on SportsCenter.

  Fingers crossed!

• 4getmenot

  9 Apr 08, 22:15

  frankly i wud love to see park play in place of Giggs, Giggs hasn;t being himself lately and although we got a 2 goal away cushion, we cannot be complacent given the woeful state our defence was in the last fixture with bourough...we need someone who can pace up and down and get another goal or more, Park can do that while giggs can't due to his age and current stamina, Saf can give giggs the start after we have a one goal or two goal lead in place of someone who aren;t performing.. no times for sentiments here now.. we still can achieve a double if we still maintain our ruthlessness.. and now is the time to show..wat we are made of and why we are called.. THE RED DEVILS xD

• Master -_-

  9 Apr 08, 22:17

  IM CALLING ON ALL MAN UTD FANS TO SUPPORT OUR LADS TONIGHT! WOOOO

• zocoss

  9 Apr 08, 23:35

  Originally posted by Master -_-:

  IM CALLING ON ALL MAN UTD FANS TO SUPPORT OUR LADS TONIGHT! WOOOO

  
  SUPPORT UNITED ! ... SUPPORT UNITED !

• Sagara

  9 Apr 08, 23:49

  giggs n scholes showing their age liao...

  go park !! XD

   

• I-like-flings(m)

  9 Apr 08, 23:59

  Originally posted by Master -_-:

  IM CALLING ON ALL MAN UTD FANS TO SUPPORT OUR LADS TONIGHT! WOOOO

  
  ok i will do that in my dream ok.. no cable and i'm sick... dying leh... may the force be with u......v