NYON • For Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and assistant Mike Phelan, travelling to the Nou Camp for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie brings back memories of the 1999 final.
The Norwegian came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner against Bayern Munich at Barcelona's stadium, while the Briton was Alex Ferguson's right-hand man that night.
Phelan yesterday tweeted of his excitement after the Red Devils were drawn against the Spanish champions, who are in the quarter-finals for the 12th successive season, recalling it was "many a happy memory" before telling his team to "get down to business".
Solskjaer also cracked a joke at the magnitude of the pairing, claiming he had "so many texts from friends saying this year is going to be the year because of my number, 20, and it being 20 years ago".
Recalling the moment he sealed the historic treble, the interim boss told the club website: "It was the biggest night I've had in football... It'll be a good game."
But former United boss David Moyes was less enthused, describing the tie as "an incredibly tough draw" although he believes Solskjaer's men "can take anyone" following their heroics against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
QUARTER-FINALS
1 Ajax v Juventus
2 Liverpool v Porto
3 Tottenham v Man City
4 Man United v Barcelona
1st leg: April 9 & 10
2nd leg: April 16 & 17
SEMI-FINALS:
Winner of Q1 v winner of Q3,
winner of Q2 v winner of Q4
EUROPA LEAGUE
QUARTER-FINALS
1 Arsenal v Napoli
2 Slavia Prague v Chelsea
3 Benfica v Eintracht Frankfurt
4 Villarreal v Valencia
1st leg: April 11;
2nd leg: April 18
SEMI-FINALS:
Winner of Q1 v winner of Q4,
Winner of Q2 v winner of Q3
He told Sky Sports: "The Barca game is a great one, I still see them as favourites for the competition. It will be a good match.
"Ole going back to the Nou Camp will be big for him. It's the sort of occasion United are used to."
The Scot also felt "even if it's a draw going into the Nou Camp, that isn't the worst thing" with United more than capable of nicking a good result on their travels, as proven in Paris.
Barcelona will visit Old Trafford in the first leg after Uefa switched the order to avoid United's home match clashing with Manchester City, who host Tottenham in the second leg of their last-eight tie.
With both sides meeting three times in 10 days in April with a Premier League fixture following hot on the heels of their second leg, the all-English clash does not do City's title hopes or Spurs' top-four aspirations any favours.
However, Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris feels that having "already proved against Barca away", his team "are ready to compete", before conceding "you then need a little luck and team spirit" against Pep Guardiola's side.
Meanwhile, Juventus meet Ajax, who are back in the last eight after a 16-year absence, while Liverpool will face Porto in a repeat of last year's last-16 tie, which they won 5-0 on aggregate.
While Juventus and Liverpool fans were understandably thrilled on social media, the respective club officials urged caution over underestimating their opponents.
Labelling the Dutch side as "no joke", Juventus director Pavel Nedved said: "We will have to be very careful. We will have to face Ajax with great commitment."
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp also refuted suggestions they had the "best" possible outcome, insisting: "We've played there already, and we know how good we had to be. We saw the character and quality Porto have."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Liverpool FC live transfer news, team news, fixtures, gossip and more. Get all of the latest Reds breaking transfer news, fixtures, LFC squad news and more every day from the Liverpool ECHO
Liverpool FC - Homepage
LONDON: Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk insists he will not face a personal duel against Lionel Messi in his side's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. I cannot stop Messi alone, admits Van Dijk | New Straits Times | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News
I cannot stop Messi alone, admits Van Dijk - msn.com
A woman has accused Brazil soccer star Neymar of raping her in Paris, according to a Sao Paulo police report seen by Reuters. Neymar's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for
Brazil soccer star Neymar accused of committing rape in Paris
With the ground shaking, it wasn't a particularly good idea to take the Batmobile. Batman, Red Robin and Robin piled into the Batwing, while Nightwing, Red Hood, Sora and Riku went for the Batboat. The ocean around Gotham would still be difficult to navigate, but much easier than trying to drive a car in a straight line.
Premiership glory beckons for Reds duo - BBC Sport
May 08, 2019 · Sharks captain Joe Pavelski opens scoring in Game 7 win in emotional return from injury. Joe Pavelski, playing his first game in two weeks, opened the scoring for the San Jose Sharks in their Game
Yankees avoid sweep in Cleveland despite brutal bullpen, win
And according to Spanish news outlet Don Balon, who often make bold claims, Messi has told Valverde to alter his starting line-up. They sensationally say the Argentina talisman wants Valverde to drop Gomes for tomorrow night's clash at the Nou Camp. Gomes, 24, has struggled to impress at the Nou Camp following his move to Barca in 2016.
Coutinho set for Barca axe | ClubCall.com
England manager Gareth Southgate revealed his frustrations over the Champions League schedule "mess" which could hinder his preparations for the upcoming UEFA National League finals. The Three Lions are one of four teams competing in this summer's Nations League finals along with hosts Portugal, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Jurgen Klopp: Nations League semi-final after Champions
Spurs TV fixtures: Where you can watch the clashes against Manchester City and West Ham. Tottenham will be on television a few times before the end of the season
Tottenham confirm Man City clash at Wembley - africa.espn.com
Ikhsan goes for trial in Norway. Ikhsan Fandi is unfazed by the wintry conditions in Scandinavia as he has been on trial in the Netherlands and also lived in Chile. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE.
Latest FANDI AHMAD | The Straits Times
Lions set to play two friendly matches in June. The Lions will come together once again to play against Solomon Islands on 8 June before taking on Myanmar on 11 June.
Alexis Sanchez came back to haunt Arsenal as the Chilean opened the scoring in Manchester United's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win on Friday to maintain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 100 percent record as
Sanchez haunts Arsenal as Man Utd maintain perfect record
Football: Palace's Zaha banned for referee sarcastic clap
Cesc Fabregas completes move from Chelsea to Monaco on deal until 2022 Spaniard joins old Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry at Stade Louis II as club finally announce his arrival with a strange
Transfers: Cesc Fabregas completes move from Chelsea to AS
Football: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives stars 'licence to express', says Dwight Yorke Solskjaer has restored United's culture and identity, says former treble teammate Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel Is Interested In Being Manchester United's
0 comments:
Post a Comment