Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Back from the dead, and now for revenge

After Macheda’s stunning cameo, Ferguson has a new bounce in his step
Champions League,quarter-final 1st leg
.Man United v Porto
.MANCHESTER — Federico Macheda is on everyone’s lips at Old Trafford right now, after the 17-year-old Italian’s last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on Sunday sent Manchester United back to the top of the English Premiership.
.United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is approaching tonight’s (tomorrow morning, Singapore time) Champions League quarter-final first leg against Porto confident his side’s mini-slump is over.
.The defending European champions looked dead and buried at2-1 down to Villa with 10 minutes to go, but just when Liverpool thought the title momentum had swung to Anfield, Cristiano Ronaldo and debutant Macheda struck to revive the Red Devils.
.Ferguson recalled the dramatic late rallies that characterised their Treble-winning season of 1999, when he said: “We’ve had a blip but we’ve recovered and we’re where we want to be at the top of the league. And through this result the season could change for us.”
.Ferguson could have had the Villa match switched to Saturday, but preferred to give his players more time to recover from last week’s international fixtures, leaving only 50 hours from the end of the game to kick-off against Porto.
.The United boss will know his side cannot afford to defend as badly as they did against Villa in their remaining games, starting with Porto.
.But they have Nemanja Vidic back from suspension, although regular central defensive partner Rio Ferdinand is not expected to recover from a groin injury. Striker Wayne Rooney and midfielder Paul Scholes will also be available to face Porto after suspension.
.“I don’t think any of the injured players will be back,” Ferguson revealed. “But we do have the suspended players back which is good. Vidic will play alongside Jonny Evans at the back with John O’Shea moving to right-back.
.“Rooney and Scholes are also available which will give us a bit more penetration and experience, and Park Ji Sung will also be ready so I’ve got some good options.”
.Ferguson would not be drawn on whether Macheda would play any role against Porto, only saying: “It’s important that he keeps his feet on the ground because he’s going to get a lot of publicity now, and he needs to handle that.”
.Porto manager Jesualdo Ferreira, meanwhile, will welcome Colombia midfielder Freddy Guarin back from an ankle injury, but captain Pedro Emanuel and left-back Nelson Benitez are ruled out with injury. The Portuguese champions enjoyed a rather more straightforward victory on Saturday, beating Guimaraes 3-1 to maintain a four-point lead at the top of the table.
.United are unbeaten in 21 European ties and start as favourites, but Porto were similarly unfancied five years ago when they eliminated the English giants in the last 16 en route to the title, thanks to a last-minute goal at Old Trafford.
.That prompted their then-manager Jose Mourinho’s famous sprint of celebration along the touchline, something that still rankles at United.
.Beating Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the last round helped lay that demon; revenge over Porto would complete the task. source Agencies

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