Manchester United v Porto: Sir Alex Ferguson wary of Porto's physical threat

07 April 2009 13:47
The Scot is certainly not underestimating Jesualdo Ferreira's side, widely considered the rank outsiders of the eight quarter finalists, insisting that they will come to Old Trafford bursting with confidence that they will be able to muscle the reigning European champions out of the competition. He said: "The first thing Cristiano Ronaldo said to me when the draw was made was that this was a difficult game. They're like Lyon – when a team wins their domestic championship every season, they play with great confidence and that's exactly what we're going to face. "They're a difficult side, very physically strong, and [Brazilian striker] Hulk in particular. It would be stupid for us to think that this tie was going to be easy. Complacency won't come into it one bit." It is a message Gary Neville has reiterated, insisting there were "no easy routes to the Champions League final." But the club captain is likely to be returned to the bench today after being given the runaround by John Carew during the 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, a tactical move Ferguson admits was a mistake. Neville will be joined there by teenage hero Federico Macheda, whose father today dismissed claims from Lazio president Claudio Lotito that the young Italian striker should not be playing in England. Pasquale Macheda said: "In the past 18 months, he's developed enormously, physically and technically at United. They have done a fantastic job. I rubbed my eyes when he came on because he looked like he had been playing for years – even alongside Cristiano Ronaldo he did not look like a rookie. "It's thanks to [former club] Lazio that today he is doing so well in England. He was fortunate to learn a lot as part of the youth team and become a serious lad from a sporting point of view. "He was born in Rome and grew up at Lazio, but it's not easy to resist an offer from a prestigious club like Manchester. Now we are enjoying the moment and we are proud of what Federico has done. He is a serious kid with his feet firmly on the ground."

Source: Telegraph