United Wary Ahead of Chelsea Clash
- By Lewis Doe on April 5, 2011 07:40 GMT
Manchester United will be looking to keep things tight and secure in a repeat of the 2008 Champions League final.
United will go into the game full of confidence after a win against West Ham United in the Premier League after being 2-0 down. United also saw off their opponents in the last round Marseille with a solid second leg performance.
The major worry for Sir Alex Ferguson in relation to this game is that it was only last month when United lost to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. The importance of this game and the fact there will be a second leg match could force the United boss into putting out a much more cautious team.
On the defensive side of things it’s a big lift to have club captain Nemanja Vidic back in the side and fit enough to play a second game in just four days. Chris Smalling should join Vidic in defence with Patrice Evra and one of the Da Silva brothers playing in the other full back position.
A five man midfield is the most likely option that United will go for in this contest. Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs could all play central roles in the side. Darren Fletcher is pushing for a place but the match may come too soon for him as he’s still carrying a slight injury problem. Park Ji-Sung and Nani should play down either flank.
Park is going to have a massive role to play in the side because of his work rate and enthusiasm for the United cause. He offers the full back on either side of the pitch a great deal of protection because his fitness means he can press and the chase the ball constantly throughout a game when United do not have possession.
Wayne Rooney is the striker who should start on his own up front for the match. Rooney is fit, strong and good enough to carry the side for the 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge. He also played very well in that league loss at Chelsea last month, grabbing one of his few Premier League goals of the season.
It will be tempting for United to go with a two man attack but the problem with a 4-4-2 is that it will give Chelsea more space to exploit. The home side in this game will not want to go to Old Trafford with no form of advantage. It’s very important for United to keep the match level and to try and get an away goal on the score board.
