The line-up for the UEFA Champions League last 16 draw
is now complete - with seven possible opponents for United.
The Reds could play any of the group stage
runners-up apart from CSKA Moscow, who finished second behind Sir
Alex Ferguson's men in Group B. The Russians leapfrogged Wolfsburg
with a closing 2-1 win at Besiktas.
The seven possibilities include some big guns,
notably Bayern Munich and the two Milan clubs, but Sir Alex is
confident the thrice European champions can prosper in
February's two-legged tie.
“It doesn’t matter who we play at Old Trafford, we always feel
we have a chance," said Sir Alex. "And our away record over the
last three years has been fantastic, so hopefully that helps us
too.
“We'll have to face a big team at some point. Last season we had
Inter in the last 16 when they were top of Serie A. You take who
you get and you have to trust the quality of your own players and
the experience they’ve gathered over the years."
United's opponents in the 1999 final, Bayern
Munich, booked their place in the draw with an
impressive comeback to beat Juventus 4-1. Last season's
quarter-final foes Porto are also through after
beating Atletico Madrid this week, while Milan
finished their group campaign by drawing 1-1 with FC Zurich.
Internazionale's qualification was only confirmed
on Wednesday night when Jose Mourinho's men beat Rubin Kazan
2-0 at the San Siro. The same evening was also important for
Bundesliga strugglers Stuttgart; Christian
Gross' team are in the hat after beating Unirea Urziceni
3-1.
The other two sides United could face are
Olympiakos, following their 1-0 win over a young
Arsenal side in Athens, and Lyon, who were pipped
to first place in Group E when Fiorentina inflicted a
last-gasp defeat on Liverpool at Anfield.
Fiorentina are therefore among the group winners whom United will
avoid in the draw, the others being Arsenal, Barcelona, Bordeaux,
Chelsea, Sevilla and Real Madrid, for whom Cristiano Ronaldo scored
two goals against Marseille in midweek, including a trademark
spectacular free-kick.