[Van the man!]

Will we beat leverkusen?

Do you reckon we'll beat leverkusen away on tuesday? With all that experience in our side i think we've got a great chance. Ive also heard that their star player ballack could be out as well as neuivlle and novotny. I think we will win 2-1! Any thoughts?

 

[*OZ*]

keanos gonna put on another fine individual display as slksjaer, scholes, and nistelrooy (from the spot) make it 3-2 to manu

 

[romafan53]

Hope not but i think what happened against Juve will happen here, draw at home and luckily winning it and then youll get trashed in the finalNext season youll be beaten by Roma 5-2 in the QFs, thats your future

Ciao

Denis

 

[Shaf]

Hope not but i think what happened against Juve will happen here, draw at home and luckily winning it.

What was so lucky about winninga against Juventus??I thought we did a marvellous job and it was a great comeback which showed the character of the side.

Next season youll be beaten by Roma 5-2 in the QFs,

Heard this many times before.:yawn::yawn:Where is Roma now???You'll be lucky if you could qualify for the second leg let alone the quarter finals,next season.

 

[Beefy]

we were anything but lucky against juve, and it's naive to say otherwise. we lost an early goal through the flukiest deflection i've ever seen and don't forget we didn't have giggsy and hit the post twice. but apparently that's lucky

 

[Russell]

I think we have a good chance, but so do leverkusen. We have much more experience at this level, and they don't. Remember we have a good record at away games.

Man united 3-1 leverkusen

 

[Shaf]

Well its pretty clear for United now....either beat Leverkusen at the Bay Arena or you could kiss your CL aspirations goodbye.

Winning at Germany will certainly not be easy and one only has to look at Leverkusen's fantastic home record to understand what I am saying.Teams like Juventus,Deportivo and Liverpool have been ripped apart and United are facing a daunting prospect come Tuesday.However if there is any team I would bet on in such a situation its United.

Ballack might be forced to sit out the match with a knock that he picked up duuring the weekend clash against Nuremburg and this is certainly good news for us.He is a inspirational figure for Bayer not to mention the quality and class that he adds to Leverkusen's game.

Keano's return from injury is just the best piece of news during the last week.He had another good game against Ipswich during the weekend and came off th game unscathed.The players will certainly looking towards him for inspiration and rarely he disappoints.Blanc will also return after missing the weekend game because of a thigh strain and he'll fit into the center of defence alongside Brown.

Fergie is likely to employ the 5 man midfield.If so,then I'd like him to drop either Veron or Scholes.Butt and Keano would be the central pairing with Butt keeping a close watch over Ballack.Ole would be positioned on the right flank and strict orders should be given to him to keep Placente under wraps.You can expect to see a lot of traffic through that left flank this time out because Topmoller knows that Phizza aint the best defender in the world and when put under pressure he usually cracks.:nervous::nervous:Either Veron or Scholes should be placed on the left flank while Giggs partners Ruud up front.

This is a game where Ruud has to be at the very top of his game.We cannot afford for him to miss the guilt-edged chances that he has been flailing at recently.His finishing has to be clinical and work-rate as good as ever.

For us to win this game,it has to be a TEAM effort.The entire team has to work in tandem and show the determination and self-belief that we have seen in the many United teams of the past.Leverkusen are a very good team and perhaps the players were guilty of under-estimating them during the first leg.....now is the time to redeem themselves.

 

[Kyo]

K-2, as you've pointed out Ruud is having a bad patch, and it's been going on for a quite a while now...
To be honest, this game, I'm counting on Ole to score more than on Ruud...

 

[Fred Elliot]

Ballack might be forced to sit out the match with a knock that he picked up duuring the weekend clash against Nuremburg and this is certainly good news for us.He is a inspirational figure for Bayer not to mention the quality and class that he adds to Leverkusen's game.

its a shame really, I don't like to have to play understrength teams. I wish we had all our players fit, and theirs too...and it would be a hell of a game. And I think we'd win it. As it is, its too hard to tell. Its relying on who's got the best reserves at the moment. Hopefully us

 

[RVN]

The best of luck to Man U iam so afraid!

 

[Shaf]

its a shame really, I don't like to have to play understrength teams. I wish we had all our players fit, and theirs too...and it would be a hell of a game. And I think we'd win it. As it is, its too hard to tell. Its relying on who's got the best reserves at the moment. Hopefully us

I only want United to win.:tongue::tongue:whether its against an understrength Leverkusen side or not.However Ballack's injury is definitely good news from our point of view because we could certainly do without his class tomorrow.

 

[Rosso]

Ballack's injury is good news. But we've got to stop that Turkish guy (I've forgotten his name); he ripped us apart during the first leg.

I'm so nervous about this game. Literally everything is on a knife's edge. Leverkusen are really good at home and they've now lost the edge in the Bundesliga. They'll be throwing everything at this game. But we've got Keane back, Ronnie Johnsen and Blanc are back training with the team, the Glasgow factor -- there's SO much behind this game.

Plus, I can't help but feel a little woebegone about a Real - Leverkusen final. It just doesn't seem right. This is no slight to Leverkusen who I've said are a great team but I don't see that final as being much of a contest. Compared to a Real - United final which, putting my allegiance aside, would be epic.

No predictions for this one. Just nails bitten down to the skin and plenty of aspirin.

Good luck lads!!!!!!

 

[Shaf]

Ballack's injury is good news. But we've got to stop that Turkish guy (I've forgotten his name); he ripped us apart during the first leg.

Ballack has been passed fit for this game and Topmoller will be starting with the same 11 that he did at Old Trafford.

I agree with you,Rosso,that we have to watch out for that Turkish guy(forgot his name as well:tongue: ).He dropeed behind the Bulgarian striker and both Blanc and Brown failed to track him which created a lot of confusion in our defence.

Fergie's had the time to study last week's formation and I hope that he has come out with the plan to counter it.

 

[sHaHed]

I think we are going to defeat Leverkusen tomorrow. We have to win tomorrow. I mean at this stage it looks highly unlikely that we will win the EPL (although I really hope that we do win the EPL), and if we get kicked out of the CL tomorrow then it is going to be a very bitter pill to swallow. Its going to be very upsetting if we dont win anything this season with strikers like Ruud and Ole, and with a midfield which i consider to be the very best in the world. I am sure we will win tomorrow and thrash Real in the final. CL cup has our name on it and there is nothing Real or Bayer could do to take it away from us this season!! (I hope)

 

[Rosso]

Anyone know what kind of formation Leverkusen run at home? I think they'll stick with that Turkish player (still can't remember his name ) behind the strikers again -- in a roaming role. It really works out similarly to United's 4-5-1-1 with Giggs tucked in behind Ruud. Fergie will have to figure a way to counter this.

Also, I suspect that if Johnsen is even marginally good to go, Fergie will field him ahead of Phizza in the defense.

I'm guessing this is how we'll line up:

BARTHEZ
BROWN / BLANC / JOHNSEN / MICKY
VERON KEANE BUTT OLE
GIGGS
RUUD

The tough call is whether Ole, Veron, or Scholesy will be benched. Each of them merits a run out in a game of this magnitude. Veron was supposedly bought for moments like this and we will need his spark of creativity in midfield, so he's in for sure I think. Ole's been scoring like mad for us lately so, although Scholesy has as well been in good form, I think Ole gets the run out. With Scholes in as a sub if we get in trouble.

I don't think we should risk playing Phizza in a game like this. The guy is prone to showing rather ill-timed cracks in his game when pressured. Bottom line, our defense will have to be masterful. Our midfield must play the game of their lives. This is what Champions League football is all about.

And since it's on ESPN2 tomorrow, I even get to watch!

 

[bono]

Good luck tomorrow guys ... I hope I can see the game here in the desert soccer land ...

Forza Manutd!!!

 

[Carson35]

Champions League SF Preview: Bayer Leverkusen v Manchester United
Bayer Leverkusen - Manchester United | News Archive

Will Ruud be celebrating on Tuesday night? (Allsport)
04/29/2002. BACKGROUND

The hotly anticipated return-leg between Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United promises to be another scrumptious football feast, even though the spectacle may be compromised a smidgen by the fact that the previously high-flying German hosts will not be going into Tuesday's match in the best of spirits.

Bayer crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat away to lowly 1 FC Nurnberg on the weekend, which means that, after nine weeks of leading the league, Klaus Toppmoeller's side no longer hold their destiny in their own hands going into the last round of the season - that privilege now belongs to Borussia Dortmund.

Leverkusen's treble-chasing season has had a scripted quality about it from the off, and the eventual outcome of Tuesday's showdown against Manchester may very well go a long way in deciding whether the climax of a memorable campaign for Bayer will result in a happy Hollywood ending or close with all the bleakness of an Ingmar Bergman film.

Manchester United's dreams of being crowned Premiership champions for a record fourth successive season are faint to say the least and it's safe to say Sir Alex Ferguson has focused all of his attentions on the Champions League. The Scotsman's decision to rest more than half of his first team against Ipswich on Saturday goes a long way to prove that United's first priority is reaching what would be a dream final for Ferguson at Hampden Park.

The prospect of lifting the Champions League trophy in his home town, possibly against Real Madrid, would probably be the highlight of Ferguson's glistening managerial career and would cement his place along with the greatest managers of all time.

FORM GUIDE

Bayer last 6 matches (all competitions): WWTLTL

It's been a worrying while since Bayer last registered a 'W', barring, of course, their psychological win at Old Trafford. Just one point out of the last nine up for grabs is hardly the stuff of champions, and it is now probable that the 2001/02 season won't be the one in which Bayer finally rid themselves of the tag as Germany's perennial runners-up.

United's last 6 matches (all competitions): WWWWDW

Bayer's 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last week is the only game in their last seven that Manchester United have failed to win. The run includes victories home and away to Deportivo, as well as impressive wins away to Leeds and Chelsea in the Premiership. What was effectively United's reserve team also won at Portman Road on Saturday to notch up their seventh successive win on their travels. Will they make it eight though?

TEAM NEWS

Bayer skipper Jens Nowotny was replaced at half-time in the first-leg due to a slight strain in his thigh, but played on the weekend and will definitely feature from the start against Manchester. Michael Ballack - who once again was one of Leverkusen's best players last Wednesday - twisted his ankle early on against Nurnberg but toughed it out to last the whole ninety. His condition has since worsened and will have to sweat on the results of a late fitness test. Should Ballack be declared fit, Toppmoeller will likely field the same 4-5-1 formation, as well as starting line-up, that for the most part performed so famously well in the first leg.

A big concern for Bayer going into this match is the staggering amount of players they have that will be forced to sit out a prospective final if they pick up a yellow card. No less than nine Leverkusen regulars will be sweating bullets at every mistimed tackled, those being: Jens Nowotny, Diego Placente, Michael Ballack, Lucio, Thomas Brdaric, Zoltan Sebescen, Oliver Neuville, Boris Zivkovic and Ze Roberto.

Bayer 4-5-1 (probable): Butt - Placente, Lucio, Nowotny, Zivkovic - Ze Roberto, Basturk, Ballack, Ramelow, Schneider - Berbatov.

Manchester United are of course without David Beckham and Gary Neville after the pair both broke bones in their foot at home to Deportivo and Bayer Leverkusen respectively. However, United are boosted by the availability of both Ronny Johnsen and Laurent Blanc for the trip to Germany. The Norwegian has recovered from a hamstring strain sustained against Deportivo, while the veteran Frenchman has recovered from a twisted knee from the first leg last Wednesday.

Fabian Barthez, Mikael Silvestre, Juan Veron, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are all expected to return having been rested, for the first half at least, against Ipswich on Saturday.

Quinton Fortune is another absentee through injury, while Nicky Butt and Wes Brown look set to be dropped to the bench despite both players having been in great form as they stood in for United's injured stars.

Roy Keane, who originally looked unlikely to make the final should Manchester United have reached it, returned to the starting line-up against Ipswich and produced a splendid performance showing no signs of any injury.

United 4-4-2 (probable): Barthez - P. Neville, Blanc, Johnsen, Silvestre - Veron, Keane, Scholes, Giggs - Solskjaer, Van Nistelrooy.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ballack: As touched upon before, the 25-year-old Germany star picked up a knock in the first-half against Nurnberg, which severely limited his influence throughout the rest of the match. Just how much of a negative effect (if any) the slightly injury to his ankle will have on him come Tuesday may very well prove crucial to Bayer's chances again, as the Bayern-bound midfield organizer has proved decisive for Leverkusen on so many occasions this season.

Ze Roberto: The Brazilian wing-magician will be another one of the many to keep your eyes on, as he will be fiercely determined to improve on his sorry showing at Old Trafford last week.

Keane: The Irishman's presence is a bonus and an extremely pleasant one at that. His remarkable recovery from a potentially serious hamstring injury could prove to be the difference between United reaching the final or not. The colossal midfielder also has an added incentive to reach the final, as he missed out in the 1999 final when Manchester United dramatically defeated Bayern Munich.

Van Nistelrooy: The Dutch striker is proving to be worth every penny of the £18.5m Manchester United paid PSV Eindhoven for his services last summer. He is already the Champions League's leading goalscorer for this season and he may not have finished just yet.

soccerage

 

[bono]

Carson,
you never got tited of this sh!t ... I know it is nice for many people but you can just simply post the link to the article ... still it will count for 1 post, buddy

 

[bono]

WOW, seeing Johnsen in the line up makes me feel better ... good, good ...

 

[pooh]

Viva United.........

I wish Veron can re-gain his confidence or otherwise he is worthless again..and thats where I can't watch him playing to not change his great pic in my mind......

Man United will be playing great today .. no doubt