please log in to view this image please log in to view this image VS please log in to view this image Form guide Any Manchester derby blues were short-lived for United as successive victories over Aldershot and Everton in the Carling Cup and Barclays Premier League provided the perfect repost to defeat against City. The Reds hope to maintain that winning feeling against Galati on Wednesday, having already beaten the Romanians on Matchday 3. Dorinel Munteanu’s side have not won a game in Europe and have struggled for consistency in the league, although a three points against Gaz Metan Medias at the weekend provided a much-needed confidence boost. Ins and outs Captain Nemanja Vidic is suspended following his straight red card at the National Stadium while Chris Smalling (ankle), Darron Gibson (ankle) and Kiko Macheda (elbow) are injured. Ryan Giggs (hamstring), Tom Cleverley (foot) and Ashley Young (ankle) are also major doubts and are unlikely to be involved. Galati have fewer injury problems, but should be without defensive midfielder Ioan Filip (leg), Adrian Sălăgeanu (knee) and Laurentiu Buş (ankle), as well as suspended defender Milan Perendija. Last meeting [video=youtube;Bksr6JtCfO8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bksr6JtCfO8[/video] please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Wayne Rooney scored two penalties as United record an opening win of the 2011/12 Champions League campaign, during which the Reds are reduced to 10-men following Vidic’s second-half dismissal. The result cements Galati to the foot of Group C and promotes United up to second. Top Man please log in to view this image Marius Pena is the only Galati player to have scored in Europe and is undoubtedly their biggest talent up-front, even if he surprisingly started on the bench in Bucharest. However, the striker is likely to be be starved of service at Old Trafford - making Gabriel Giurgiu a more relevant threat. The former Rubin Kazan man was heavily involved in Bucharest two weeks ago and is likely to make a nuisance of himself again on Wednesday. Quote/unquote please log in to view this image “We have to win on Wednesday, without doubt. We're at home and I expect us to win and, if we do that, it's in our hands when we play Benfica at home.” – Sir Alex Ferguson. Any sub-plots? United haven't got off to the best start in Group C - recording consecutive draws against Benfica and FC Basel before narrowly beating Galati in Bucharest. As a result, the Reds almost have to seal the double against the Romanians or face a fight for progression in the final two matches. As a side note, Wednesday’s match is the first at M16 since the Manchester derby. Whistle blower please log in to view this image A PE teacher from Zagreb, Marijo Strahonja has been on the FIFA list since 2005 but is yet to referee a UEFA Champions League match. The Croatian has plenty of experience in international football at U17, U19 and U21 level. Rivals watch please log in to view this image Group C’s other fixture sees Basel travel to Benfica with victory almost a necessity, should the Swiss side harbour realistic hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Elsewhere, Manchester City face Villarreal in Spain. Champ Lge Group C table Position/ Team/ P/ GD/ PTS/ 1/ Man Utd/ 3/ 4/ 8/ 2/ Benfica/ 3/ 3/ 8/ 3/ FC Basel/ 3/ -1/ 5/ 4/ Otelul Galati/ 3/ -6/ 0/ Confirmed lineups Man Utd: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Anderson, Rooney, Nani, Berbatov, Owen. Subs: Lindegaard, Evra, Park, Hernandez, Welbeck, Pogba, Fryers. Otelul Galati: Grahovac, Rapa, Costin, Sarghi, Salageanu, Neagu, Filip, Giurgiu, Antal, Pena, Ilie. Subs: Branet, Skubic, Benga, Iorga, Paraschiv, Frunza, Punosevac. Referee: Marijo Strahonja (Croatia) Odds Man Utd 1/12 Draw 9/1 Otelul Galati 33/1 Full Time Score Manchester United 2 Otelul Galati 0 Live Stream - http://www.firstrowsports.tv/watch/89555/1/watch-manchester-united-vs-otelul-galati.html _____________________________________________ Other Matches Ajax 4 0 Dinamo Zagreb, Group D, FT Bayern Munich 3 2 Napoli, Group A, FT Benfica 1 1 FC Basel, Group C, FT Inter Milan 2 1 Lille, Group B, FT Lyon 0 2 Real Madrid, Group D, FT Trabzonspor 0 0 CSKA Moscow, Group B, FT Villarreal 0 3 Man City, Group A, FT ____________________________________ Live Videprinter GOAL: Ajax 4-0 Dinamo Zagreb : Lodeiro (90+2) GOAL: Man Utd 2-0 Otelul Galati : Rooney (87) GOAL: Inter Milan 2-1 Lille : De Melo (83) GOAL: Bayern Munich 3-2 Napoli : Fernandez (79) SENT OFF: Bayern Munich, Badstuber, Second Bookable Offence (77) GOAL: Villarreal 0-3 Man City : Toure Yaya (71) SENT OFF: CSKA Moscow, Doumbia, Second Bookable Offence (73) GOAL: Lyon 0-2 Real Madrid : Ronaldo (70 pen) GOAL: Inter Milan 2-0 Lille : Milito (65) GOAL: Benfica 1-1 FC Basel : Huggel (64) GOAL: Ajax 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb : De Jong (65) GOAL: Villarreal 0-2 Man City : Balotelli (45+3 pen) GOAL: Bayern Munich 3-1 Napoli : Fernandez (45) GOAL: Bayern Munich 3-0 Napoli : Gomez (42) GOAL: Villarreal 0-1 Man City : Toure Yaya (30) GOAL: Lyon 0-1 Real Madrid : Ronaldo (24) GOAL: Ajax 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb : Sulejmani (25) GOAL: Bayern Munich 2-0 Napoli : Gomez (23) GOAL: Ajax 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb : Van Der Wiel (20) GOAL: Bayern Munich 1-0 Napoli : Gomez (17) GOAL: Man Utd 1-0 Otelul Galati : Valencia (8) GOAL: Benfica 1-0 FC Basel : Machado (4)
right then what time's kick off? and can I make up from surrey to O.T. after work on train? ...... damn I'll have to fly? never mind I'll charge the flight to business expences, throw in some sushi & dim sum along the way! Park to start tonight, having a £5 on him scoring too. that and Rio getting drug tested post match, based on fergie's commnets on the tele - Speed will be the way Rio will move any faster these days
Superb thread berbalicious. Really well done. These gonna be regular from now then? 3-0 United but a harder game than the scoreline suggests.
I may make these a more regular feature. It's a shame this board is so quiet and so the articles don't get a lot of comments. Reporting, stats, spreadsheets, design etc are very much my forte!
Keep them going Berb it will do our board good and the threads are very good Things like this will hopefully get the board busier and if other, the more frequent members, repsond then others maybe more comfotable starting threads. I think Sweats such start another one
Don't know why the board is quiet right now, guess that will be a problem from time to time. Sometimes with work etc I find it a little hard to get on line. But do keep with those type of threads. Very good.
The boards picked up recently, I mean over 200 posts in the banter thread in a day and generally a whole page of threads and posts before you get to the older threads on page 2.
I saw Pogba, Freyer and Cole in the squad. Do you recon the fact that Arsenal are trying to poach Pogba will push SAF to give him more playing time?
Man Utd lineup - De Gea, Evans, Ferdinand, Jones, Fabio, Valencia, Anderson, Nani, Owen, Berbatov, Rooney. A surprise selection from Sir Alex as both Owen and Berbatov start upfront with Wayne Rooney looking likely to be deployed out wide.
I don`t get on much these days due to work but must say the OP has set this thread out well. At home this game should be a walk in the park. At the moment i will settle for a 1-0 win and i don`t even care if it is a dubious penalty. Our start to the season was great, playing some really good football, yet even before the City game we had already seemed to be struggling. Fergie seemed to set us up differently against Stoke and we have not got back in the flow since. Hope we get a result tonight followed by a couple more in the league and the mindset comes back to the lads....
Wish I could have been there tonight. Looks like one hell of an attacking team. Demolition job tonight I think, although hopefully without conceding.
Live stream - http://www.firstrowsports.tv/watch/89555/1/watch-manchester-united-vs-otelul-galati.html
