What: UEFA Champions League Quarter-final (second leg)
Who: Manchester United (1) vs (0) Chelsea
When: Tuesday 12th April, 2011, at 19:45 UK time
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England

One Foot in the Last Four

Sir Alex Ferguson wore the smile of a confident man at the final whistle last week – and with good reason. Manchester United had ended a run of nine years without a victory at Stamford Bridge and, most importantly, earned the upper hand in the tie.

Wayne Rooney’s goal, brilliantly conjured by Ryan Giggs, puts United in pole position for a place in the semi-final and the return of Rio Ferdinand alongside Nemanja Vidic was a huge boost. The job is only half-done but all the pressure will be on Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Despite the constant stream of injuries to his back four, Ferguson will have a strong squad to pick from, including a rested Rooney, who sat out the win over Fulham on Saturday as he began his well-documented two-match ban.

The United boss is now banking on a noisy home crowd to drive his team into the last four. He explained: “It’s [the 1-0 lead] an advantage, but the biggest advantage is Old Trafford. It’ll be an electric atmosphere.”


Win or Bust

It is no overstatement to suggest that Carlo Ancelotti’s future at Chelsea will be decided by the 90 minutes at Old Trafford. The Italian has watched the Premier League trophy slip from his grasp coupled with a disappointing FA Cup exit to Everton. In all likelihood, the Champions League represents his last chance to save his job.

The Blues will be keen to forget the damaging first leg of this tie. While there was reason to feel aggrieved that referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco did not award a late penalty for Patrice Evra’s challenge on Ramires, Chelsea were outplayed and out-thought for much of the game.

Clearly, the Didier Drogba-Fernando Torres partnership needs time to develop but in the short term, with the Spaniard still looking a shadow of his 2009 self, Ancelotti must look elsewhere – namely to adding the threat of Nicolas Anelka alongside Drogba.

There is still time for Chelsea to redeem themselves, however, and Ancelotti has not given up on the dream of playing in the final at Wembley. "I agree that United are favourites because they have an advantage from the first leg but I’m sure they are not so comfortable because it’s not a clear result,” he said. “A win there is not easy but it’s good for us to think that last year when we needed to win there, we won.”

 

Recent form

Manchester United:
West Ham 2-4 Manchester United (02/04; Premier League)
Chelsea 0-1 Manchester United
(06/04; Champions League)
Manchester United 2-0 Fulham
(09/04; Premier League)

Chelsea:
Stoke 1-1 Chelsea
(02/04; Premier League)
Chelsea 0-1 Manchester United
(06/04; Champions League)
Chelsea 1-0 Wigan (09/04; Premier League)

Key absences

Manchester United: Rafael (doubt), Anderson (doubt), Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown

Chelsea: David Luiz (ineligible), Alex

Players to watch

Manchester United– Wayne Rooney: The 25-year-old’s timely return to form has revived United in recent weeks – and his composed finish at Stamford Bridge confirmed that he is back. With David Luiz again ineligible, the Chelsea back line may struggle to contain him. Antonio Valencia will also play a key role, hugging the touchline and launching counter attacks.

Chelsea– Didier Drogba: With Torres struggling, the Ivorian international has the chance to reclaim his spot as Chelsea’s number one option up front. And there is no better time for the Ivorian to raise his game. United limited Ashley Cole’s attacking raids in the first leg and the full back must contribute more going forward, particularly if the inexperienced Rafael lines up at right back for United.

Match Prediction

United’s professional display in the first leg has given Chelsea a mountain to climb. It is not unthinkable that the Blues could pull off a victory in United’s backyard but with Rooney, Valencia and company ready to play on the counter attack – and a noisy Old Trafford acting as a 12th man – all signs point to Ferguson masterminding yet another semi-final appearance.

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