Edwin van der Sar has confirmed Manchester United are intent on
securing top spot in their Champions League group in order to avoid
Europe's heavyweights in the first knockout round.
United entertain Valencia at Old Trafford on Tuesday night with
their place in the last 16 already confirmed.
Yet there is still one more task left; collecting the single
point that would allow them to finish at the head of Group C, thus
avoiding Barcelona and Real Madrid in the last 16.
And, while United tend not to express concern about beating
anyone, Van der Sar feels their chances of progress would be better
served by taking a route to Wembley next May that avoids the
Spanish giants.
"It is quite clear," said the veteran Dutchman. are through now
but we want to get top spot in order to avoid any of the bigger
teams in the earlier rounds.
"That is what we need to do against Valencia."
Sir Alex Ferguson's men can certainly approach their mission
with confidence.
After being held in their opening match by Rangers, United have
reeled off four successive wins and are still to concede a
goal.
Victory in Valencia was achieved in September thanks to Javier
Hernandez's impressive late strike, since when clean sheets have
been completed home and away against Bursaspor and in Glasgow a
fortnight ago when Rangers found no way past.
Completing an entire qualification group without conceding would
represent a record, which Van der Sar is quite pleased about, even
if he acknowledges stiffer tests await.
"So far we have not played against the biggest teams in the
Champions League. Maybe that has something to do with it," he
said.
"When you start playing a higher standard of opposition it is
going to become more difficult."
United may head into the contest with a stronger team than
seemed likely following the postponement of Saturday's Premier
League trip to Blackpool.
As his side are not in action again until next Monday, when they
face new leaders Arsenal in an eagerly-awaited clash of the top
two, Ferguson could well view Tuesday as an essential part of the
preparation for his senior players.
Dimitar Berbatov is one of a significant number, which also
includes Van der Sar and Wayne Rooney, who have not featured since
they slammed seven past Blackburn and Ferguson will probably be
dubious about the merits of giving them a second week off before
facing Arsene Wenger's men at Old Trafford.
