FORM GUIDE
Manchester United
LOST 2-1 (h) Chelsea (Premier League, April 3)
LOST 2-1 (a) Bayern Munich (Champions League, March 30)
WON 4-0 (a) Bolton Wanderers (Premier League, March 27)
WON 2-1 (h) Liverpool (Premier League, March 21)
WON 3-0 (h) Fulham (Premier League, March 14)
Bayern
WON 2-1 (a) Schalke (Bundesliga, April 3)
WON 2-1 (h) Manchester United (Champions League, March 30)
LOST 2-1 (h) Stuttgart (Bundesliga, March 27)
WON 1-0 (a) Schalke (DFB Pokal, March 24)
LOST 2-1 (a) Eintracht Frankfurt (Bundesliga, March 20)
TEAM NEWS
Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson has a number of long-term injury concerns to
consider going into this encounter, including Michael Owen,
Anderson and Wes Brown. Owen Hargreaves is slowly making his way
back towards the first team but is ineligible for Europe.
Some reports have given Wayne Rooney a chance of making the bench,
though that looks highly unlikely, while Jonny Evans and John
O’Shea are both rated as doubtful.
Probable Starting XI: Van der Sar; Neville, Vidic, Ferdinand,
Evra; Fletcher, Carrick; Valencia, Park, Nani; Berbatov
Bayern
Much of the talk surrounding FCB has been about Dutch winger Arjen
Robben, who is set to travel with the squad to England after
missing the first leg through injury. If he is fit to complete an
hour, expect to see him start.
Bastian Schweinsteiger missed the first leg through suspension and
will certainly be involved in some capacity at Old Trafford.
Probable Starting XI: Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten, Demichelis,
Badstuber; Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel; Robben, Mueller, Ribery;
Olic
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United
With no Wayne Rooney to call upon, Dimitar
Berbatov must prove his worth on Wednesday evening. Signed
from Tottenham Hotspur amid much fanfare for a massive transfer
fee, there is a feeling that the Bulgarian has never truly lived up
to his potential at Old Trafford. If he is to silence his critics,
now is the time for the former Bayer Leverkusen forward to
shine.
Bayern
FCB don’t need to score to progress; they simply need to keep a
clean sheet. To that end, coach Louis van Gaal will look to
Mark van Bommel to dominate the midfield as much
as possible, shutting down the United attacks before they are even
allowed to reach the back four. The 32-year-old has vast experience
at the highest level, but this will prove one of his greatest
tests.
PREDICTION
Perhaps lacking a little in firepower, and winded after their
weekend loss to Chelsea, it will be tough for United to overturn
the deficit they face. Bayern tend to thrive when their backs are
against the wall, and they of course have this historical
stranglehold over the Red Devils. It would be a magnificent
achievement if the Bundesliga club could maintain their advantage,
but United should sneak this one.
Manchester United 2-0 Bayern Munich
