United favourites but Chelsea not dead yet

Fortress Old Trafford, Chelsea's flat form and a welter of statistics point to Manchester United advancing to the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday -- yet one goal changes the whole tie. United hold the whip hand following Wayne Rooney's goal in their 1-0 quarter-final first-leg win at Stamford Bridge and in most circumstances in the Champions League and for United, that would be that.

Alex Ferguson's team have lost one of their last 30 matches in the competition at Old Trafford and none in the last six years. They have progressed in all 16 European ties where they won the first leg away from home. This season they have conceded only two goals in nine Champions League games while in the Premier League they have won 15 and drawn one of their home games.

Since the Champions league began only two sides have recovered from a first-leg home defeat to win a knockout tie -- Ajax Amsterdam against Panathinaikos in 1996 and Inter Milan, who recovered from a 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich with a 3-2 win in Germany last month. Yet the particular nature of this all-English tie means that such statistics are undermined in a game between two teams who know each other so well.

Although Chelsea have won only one of five away games in all-English Champions League ties, they won at Old Trafford in the Premier League a year ago and know that they need only one goal on Tuesday to swing the advantage their way. Only two of the teams' last 12 competitive games have been decided by more than one goal so both sides know the Londoners are still very much in the tie.

"Of course Chelsea can do to us at Old Trafford what we've done there," said Ferguson. "We've only got a one-goal lead and we have to be very careful and give a top performance. "It will be a tough game. The tie is not done."

Ferguson had the luxury of making eight changes from the first leg for Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham and those on duty came through unscathed -- and barely out of breath -- after a straightforward 2-0 win.

Antonio Valencia was on the scoresheet as he continues his rapid rehabilitation from a broken ankle to offer the manager plenty of attacking options after he decided to start with Nani on the bench at Stamford Bridge.

United looked sharper all over the pitch in that game but Chelsea could still easily have come away with a draw.

The Londoners looked off the pace again on Saturday as they stumbled past bottom club Wigan Athletic 1-0 -- a team they hammered 8-0 last May to clinch the title -- but have enough talent in the squad to score against anyone, anywhere. "Obviously we know it will be difficult to win there but we have the confidence to do it, we did it last year," said manager Carlo Ancelotti.

"We are at a disadvantage now but we played well (in the first leg), we should have had a penalty, we hit the post."Ancelotti's biggest headache is how to best use his trio of front men -- Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres, who took his goal drought to 10 matches after coming off the bench against Wigan.

The Italian started with Drogba and Torres in the first leg in a 4-4-2 formation that seemed to squeeze the space from his midfield and could well turn to Anelka this time and revert to 4-3-3. Florent Malouda, the scorer against Wigan, could also start while centre back Alex and midfielder Yossi Benayoun offer further options after returning from injury.

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Manchester United's Michael Owen: We can overturn our poor record and beat Chelsea

Manchester United striker Michael Owen believes his side can beat Chelsea in the upcoming Champions League quarter-final, despite not having the best of records against the Blues. United have not been able to defeat their Premier League rivals in the last 10 attempts but Owen believes they have been unlucky in their last two clashes at Stamford Bridge. “Since I’ve been at the club the games at Stamford Bridge have been odd,” he told the club’s official website.

“We don’t get outplayed there, that’s for sure. Unfortunately we haven’t had many good results, though. I’m sure our luck will change at some point. “I can’t quite believe we lost the last two league games at Stamford Bridge – we played well on both occasions.

“In the league last month we were 1-0 up and put on one of the finest displays of football Stamford Bridge has probably seen from a visiting team. I don’t think many teams go to Chelsea and play like that. “Maybe we were a little guilty of contributing to our own downfall but we won’t let that happen again.”

Both sides know each other well from their Premier League battles but this will be the first Champions League clash since United won the trophy against the Blues in Moscow in 2008. And Owen insists that they won’t change the preparation just because they are playing an old adversary in the tie.

“We prepare for every game in the exact same way – we don’t take any game more seriously or less seriously than any other,” he continued. “The way we train, the way we travel, the way we recover, it’s all the same. I don’t think it will feel much different.

The former Real Madrid striker is back in contention after two months out with a groin injury and he believes that having the second leg of the quarter-final at Old Trafford is a huge boost for the Reds. “We hope playing the second leg at Old Trafford will prove decisive,” he added.

“We also know that whoever progresses to the semi-final will get the same advantage there, so that’s an added incentive. “From that point of view, the draw’s been kind to us. But Chelsea won’t be easy. It’s going to be difficult to get past Chelsea over two legs.”

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Injuries could damage Manchester United's chances of winning the treble - Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes winning the treble this season will be much harder than 1999 because of all the injuries his squad are attempting to cope with. United have seven players out injured, as well as Paul Scholes and Jonny Evans suspended, going into today’s Premier League clash with West Ham at Upton Park.

Fergie reckons this handicap could ultimately prevent a repeat of their 1999 Treble, when they won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in stunning fashion. “It’s bad luck, with all the injuries we’ve got,” said Fergie. “It’s more difficult now than it was in 1999 because we didn’t have an injury back then.

"We went through the last three months of the season without one injury. It was amazing. “That kind of luck has deserted us at the moment because we have so many injuries, particularly to defenders, which makes it more difficult.

“But there’s a great desire to do it [the Treble]. Anyone given the opportunity to achieve that type of target will always try to take it. “You see the character of our players and I’m happy with that. We never give in. We have a chance but it’s more difficult than ever. “The next couple of weeks are crucial because if we can get players back then that enhances our chances.

“The kind of games we’re playing today are far more competitive than they were in 1999. The speed of the game has increased, there’s more sports science involved and the standard of training and pitches has improved.

“The main difference from 1999 is our pitch. It was shocking at times back then, particularly around January and February. But now it’s fantastic. “The games are fast because you can pass the ball with accuracy, you can have more penetration, the game is quicker and you run the risk of injury because of that.”

Ferguson has talked of the importance of the game at West Ham, and although winning the treble would be a great feat with all the injuries at hand, he also insists United have not won anything this season thus far.

“But there’s no achievement yet, I’m sorry to say," he admitted. "I wish I could say there has been, but we’re still involved in three competitions and that’s as much as I can say about it. “It would be a great achievement to get through this spell with the injury situation we’ve had. We’ve got the ability, attitude and character to do that, so we’ll just carry on.”

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Manchester U to play MLS All-Stars in July

Manchester United will play in Major League Soccer's All-Star game for the second straight year. The game, part of the Red Devils' preseason tour, will be played July 27 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. Last July 28, Manchester United beat the MLS All-Stars 5-2 at Houston's Reliant Stadium. # Jeff Agoos, the MLS Defender of the Year with the Earthquakes in 2001 and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, has been hired by the league as technical director of competition.

# Six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Ochocinco seemed willing but unpolished during a practice game Monday, the fifth day of his tryout with the MLS' Sporting Kansas City. He will meet with coach Peter Vermes on Tuesday and neither man sounded optimistic that his hope of playing professionally would go much further than Monday's reserve game against the Kansas City Brass, an area development team.

NFL: Four former NFL players, including Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller and former All-Pro running back Priest Holmes, sued the NFL in hope of joining current players in their antitrust fight against the league and halting the lockout. The 44-page complaint filed in federal court in Minneapolis seeks class-action status on behalf of all retired or former NFL players who receive health, retirement or other benefits from the league or its subsidized plans, arguing those benefits will be jeopardized by the # loss of NFL revenue in an extended lockout.

# Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams guarantees the NFL will play the 2011 season. "It's going to be a few months here, but we'll be playing this year," Adams said Monday night in Nashville, Tenn. "I guarantee we'll be playing."

Miscellany: The SaberCats signed three-time All-Arena Football League defensive back Eddie Moten. The team also announced it has placed WR/DB Rodney Wright on reassignment at his request due to family concerns.

# Stanford announced the appointment of Ron Crook as tight ends and offensive tackles coach. Crook, a 22-year college coaching veteran, spent the past eight seasons as offensive line coach at Harvard.

# China Team became the seventh syndicate to publicly announce it will challenge for the America's Cup in 2013 in San Francisco. Thursday is the deadline for entering the 34th America's Cup. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series will meet defending champion Oracle Racing of San Francisco.

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Moratti: Forget Sneijder, Man United

The Dutch international is no stranger to speculation linking him away from the reigning European champions with Old Trafford being one of the possible destinations. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is known to be a huge admirer of the 26-year-old and sees him as the perfect replacement for the retiring Paul Scholes. And Inter president Massimo Moratti has revealed contact from the Red Devils regarding Sneijder but insisted the midfielder is going nowhere.

"The interest from Manchester United in Sneijder is real," said Moratti, according to The Daily Mirror. "But I didn't look into it. My only interest is seeing Sneijder play here for many more years to come."A deal for Sneijder remains possible though, but United must be prepared to meet the player's valuation of £40 million on top of his £140,000-a-week wages demands as his contract only expires in 2015.

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Manchester United winger Nani claims there is lack of freedom under Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United winger Nani has said he has not been able to fully express himself on the pitch under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The Portuguese international has been told by his club boss to stop using as many tricks during games, something which the 24-year-old understands must be part of his responsibility to the team.

Speaking to Spanish sports magazine Don Balon, Nani said: "I try to enjoy playing now, but it is not always possible because I have a responsibility to the team. "But something of the street remains in me. It is not easy to show at United because Sir Alex does not allow very much freedom and I cannot do the tricks and things I did with my friends. "But when the game is under control I take a risk and it makes me very happy if things work out."

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