Manchester United vs Roma Betting Tips

Man Utd suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since late 2005 when Portsmouth beat them at the weekend, which followed a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Roma. Now, on Tuesday evening, Sir Alex Ferguson's charges must regain their composure and bounce back when the Serie A outfit visit Old Trafford for the crunch second leg. Losing at the Stadio Olimpico last week was no disgrace, especially as they were reduced to 10 men after 34 minutes when Paul Scholes was dismissed, and they managed to get the crucial away goal which their manager had demanded in the build up to the game. The goal was all the more significant given that it was scored by Wayne Rooney, who finally ended his European hoodoo. The boy wonder, who has been frequently reminded by the media in recent weeks that he is not scoring with the regularity expected of a player of his ability, netted his first goal in the tournament since his debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce in September 2004. That strike will have given the 21-year-old a much-needed boost, and I reckon he'll open the scoring on Tuesday night. To my mind, the 11/2 on offer with ladbrokes about Rooney in the first goalscorer market is simply too good to miss. With just 3800 Roma fans dwarfed by the United faithful in what is likely to be a capacity 76,000 crowd at the Theatre Of Dreams, Luciano Spalletti's men will find themselves firmly on the back foot from the moment the curtain is raised at 7.45pm. Admittedly, there are quite a few negatives surrounding United, as Scholes's sending off in the first leg means that he is suspended, while the absence of Neville, Silvestre and Vidic equates to limited defensive options. And Saha's failure to recover from a hamstring injury in time for this encounter leaves just two match-fit strikers, Rooney and veteran Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Added to the selection headaches Sir Alex has been suffering, is the defeat at Fratton Park on Saturday - hardly an ideal preparation for this match. Indeed, in the back of the players' minds will be the vision of Chelsea snapping at their ankles in the title race. However, the Red Devils possess enough quality, experienced players available to weather the storm. But the positives are more compelling. The away goal puts United in a strong position as just a 1-0 victory in this return leg would ensure their passage through to the semis in which they would probably face AC Milan. Winners of 21 of their 24 in all competitions in their backyard where they have averaged over 2.4 goals per game this season and are unbeaten in their last 20 at home. Roma's fortunes away from home in the Champions League this term have been mixed, with a defeat against Valencia followed by a victory over Olympiakos. And then a shock reverse at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk before dumping French champions Lyon out of the competition with a 0-2 win. It will be interesting to see how the visitors approach this game from a tactical perspective. In contrast to their hosts, Roma's coach is able to pick from a virtually full-strength squad. Francesco Totti was one of a number of players rested during the victory over Catania on Saturday. Meanwhile, the absence of Simone Perrotta through suspension is offset by the return of David Pizarro; the Peruvian midfielder was ruled out of the first leg with suspension. However, for all that Roma are a high-class side, I cannot envisage them getting anything from this clash. If ever their is a lead they should not sit on, it's the advantage they carry into this game. But the balancing act they need to perform is a tough one: too much attack and they'll be punished on the counter, while if they play too deep the pressure United will apply will eventually prove overwhelming. Either way, I am confident the Premiership champions-elect will eventually break Roma down, and sail through to the next round. If put on the spot, I'd predict a 2-0 United win. Verdict - 1pt Wayne Rooney in the first goalscorer market @ 11/2 (ladbrokes)