GERMANY: MANCHESTER UNITED PREPARE FOR SECOND LEG OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL AGAINST BAYER LEVERKUSEN.

Record ID: 338345

  • Title: GERMANY: MANCHESTER UNITED PREPARE FOR SECOND LEG OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL AGAINST BAYER LEVERKUSEN.
  • Date: 29th April 2002
  • Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (APRIL 29, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. EXTERIOR OF BUILDING 2. JOUNALISTS GATHERING INSIDE NEWS CONFERENCE 3. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LOGO 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER ALEX FERGUSON SAYING: "I think that if it's a fair game then it helps." 5. JOURNALISTS 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER ALEX FERGUSON SAYING: "I think we will play better than last Wednesday, I think that's certain. And we have the ability to score goals and Leverkusen know this, away from home so I hope those two things make it harder from Leverkusen tomorrow." 7. JOURNALISTS AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER ALEX FERGUSON SAYING: "What can you say when you draw 2-2, because 2-2 is more difficult than 1-1. But after ten minutes in Turin it was incredibly hard but I think they have similarity, we're going out with the attitude we have to win both games. We felt we had to win the game in Turin, we felt we had to score two goals in Turin I feel now we have to score two goals at Kaiserlautern, oh, I keep saying Kaiserlautern (laughing, meaning Leverkusen)." 9. THE NEWS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th May 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: COLOGNE, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA1II7R3NYRIH48AC02MBTICN46
  • Story Text: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said he is
    certain his team will play better on Wednesday in the second
    leg of the Champions League semifinal after they were held to
    a 2-2 draw by Leverkusen last week at Old Trafford.



    At a news conference on Monday (April 29) Alex Ferguson
    told journalists that it will be a tough game for Leverkusen
    on Wednesday (May 1).

    "I think we will play better than last Wednesday, I think
    that's certain. And we have the ability to score goals and
    Leverkusen know this, away from home so I hope those two
    things make it harder from Leverkusen tomorrow," he said.

    United, one of the giants of world soccer, were held to a
    2-2 draw at Old Trafford last week by the small German factory
    town club.

    The winners will meet the victors of the Spanish semifinal
    between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Glasgow, Ferguson's home
    town, on May 15. Real are now heavy favourites after winning
    2-0 at the Nou Camp last Tuesday.

    "What can you say when you draw 2-2, because 2-2 is more
    difficult than 1-1. But after ten minutes in Turin it was
    incredibly hard but I think they have similarity, we're going
    out with the attitude we have to win both games. We felt we
    had to win the game in Turin, we felt we had to score two
    goals in Turin I feel now we have to score two goals at
    Kaiserlautern, oh, I keep saying Kaiserlautern (laughing,
    meaning Leverkusen)," Ferguson said.

    Ferguson also said during the news conference that he had
    hope that David Beckham would be fit to play in the Champions
    League final on May 15 if his side made it.

    If the England captain recovered in time for the Glasgow
    final, he would then be able to make the trip to the World Cup
    in South Korea and Japan starting on May 31.

    Manager Alex Ferguson's main decision appears once again
    to be whether to start with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or keep faith
    with his recently-preferred formation of Ryan Giggs and Ruud
    Van Nistelrooy up front together.

    Like Leverkusen, United are walking a disciplinary
    tightrope with Roy Keane, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Laurent Blanc
    and Nicky Butt one booking away from a ban.

    Probable Manchester United team: 1-Fabien Barthez; 12-Phil
    Neville, 24-Wes Brown, 6-Laurent Blanc, 27-Mikael Silvestre;
    4-Juan Sebastian Veron, 16-Roy Keane (captain), 8-Nicky
    Butt,18-Paul Scholes; 11-Ryan Giggs, 10-Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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