2Slick
04-12-2006, 21:25
For the second season running, Manchester United FC face SL Benfica in their final group match with a place in the last 16 at stake. Last year, Benfica upset the odds by knocking United out of Europe so Sir Alex Ferguson's men will be doubly determined to avoid history repeating itself when these old rivals meet at Old Trafford.
• United start as favourites given they hold a two-point advantage and need only a draw to secure their progress. Level on nine points with leaders Celtic FC, they will take first place in Group F if they can better the Scottish champions' result at FC København. As for Benfica, only a victory will do.
• For United, the race for a place in the knockout stage has gone to the wire because of successive 1-0 defeats at København and Celtic. After losing in Denmark on Matchday 4, they succumbed to Shunsuke Nakamura's 81st-minute free-kick at Celtic Park on 21 November.
• By contrast Benfica have revived their prospects with two consecutive home victories. After beating Celtic 3-0, Fernando Santos's side overcame København 3-1, sweeping the Danes aside with an impressive first-half performance that brought goals for Léo (14 minutes) and Fabrizio Miccoli (16, 37).
Saha strikes
• Benfica's previous home match in the group had brought a 1-0 defeat by United on 26 September, Louis Saha the scorer on 60 minutes. That loss was sandwiched by a goalless draw at København and 3-0 reverse at Celtic.
• United's Matchday 2 success in Lisbon was the second of three successive wins. They opened their campaign by beating Celtic 3-2 and on Matchday 3 defeated København 3-0.
• When these sides squared off in Lisbon on 7 December last year, United took a sixth-minute lead through Paul Scholes but Benfica replied through Geovanni (16) and Beto (34). That put Benfica two points clear of United and on course for the quarter-finals, as their opponents missed out on the knockout stage for the first time since 1994/95.
Summer of '68
• United won the sides' five other past meetings, most famously their 4-1 triumph in the 1967/68 European Champion Clubs' Cup final at Wembley. Bobby Charlton - now a club director - opened the scoring and despite Jaime Graça's late equaliser, Matt Busby's team became England's first European champions thanks to three goals in seven extra-time minutes from George Best, Brian Kidd and Charlton again.
• United's home record against Portuguese opposition is excellent, with six wins and a draw from seven matches. Their most recent success came against Benfica in September 2005, when Ryan Giggs and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored either side of a Simão free-kick.
• Benfica's ten visits to England have brought eight defeats and only two wins. However, they did beat Liverpool FC 2-0 - Simão and Miccoli the scorers - on their last visit in March this year.
http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=2357/match=1116404/index.html
• United start as favourites given they hold a two-point advantage and need only a draw to secure their progress. Level on nine points with leaders Celtic FC, they will take first place in Group F if they can better the Scottish champions' result at FC København. As for Benfica, only a victory will do.
• For United, the race for a place in the knockout stage has gone to the wire because of successive 1-0 defeats at København and Celtic. After losing in Denmark on Matchday 4, they succumbed to Shunsuke Nakamura's 81st-minute free-kick at Celtic Park on 21 November.
• By contrast Benfica have revived their prospects with two consecutive home victories. After beating Celtic 3-0, Fernando Santos's side overcame København 3-1, sweeping the Danes aside with an impressive first-half performance that brought goals for Léo (14 minutes) and Fabrizio Miccoli (16, 37).
Saha strikes
• Benfica's previous home match in the group had brought a 1-0 defeat by United on 26 September, Louis Saha the scorer on 60 minutes. That loss was sandwiched by a goalless draw at København and 3-0 reverse at Celtic.
• United's Matchday 2 success in Lisbon was the second of three successive wins. They opened their campaign by beating Celtic 3-2 and on Matchday 3 defeated København 3-0.
• When these sides squared off in Lisbon on 7 December last year, United took a sixth-minute lead through Paul Scholes but Benfica replied through Geovanni (16) and Beto (34). That put Benfica two points clear of United and on course for the quarter-finals, as their opponents missed out on the knockout stage for the first time since 1994/95.
Summer of '68
• United won the sides' five other past meetings, most famously their 4-1 triumph in the 1967/68 European Champion Clubs' Cup final at Wembley. Bobby Charlton - now a club director - opened the scoring and despite Jaime Graça's late equaliser, Matt Busby's team became England's first European champions thanks to three goals in seven extra-time minutes from George Best, Brian Kidd and Charlton again.
• United's home record against Portuguese opposition is excellent, with six wins and a draw from seven matches. Their most recent success came against Benfica in September 2005, when Ryan Giggs and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored either side of a Simão free-kick.
• Benfica's ten visits to England have brought eight defeats and only two wins. However, they did beat Liverpool FC 2-0 - Simão and Miccoli the scorers - on their last visit in March this year.
http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/FixturesResults/Round=2357/match=1116404/index.html