Manchester United welcome Marseille to Old Trafford on Tuesday as favourites to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.
However, despite drawing the first leg of the tie in France, United’s position is a little uneasy. They failed to get the away goal that can often prove so vital in these ties and know that should the French champions find the net at Old Trafford then they will have to outscore them.
That simple target of winning a home match against a side they are ranked above should, of course, not worry a team of United’s stature, but it leaves room for concern nevertheless, as they seek to reach the last eight of the competition for the fifth straight season.
They have never before lost at home to a French team, but avoiding defeat will not be enough. Meanwhile, for those watching on, both teams should also aim to provide a better spectacle than the dreadful 0-0 they turned out in the Stade Velodrome, though that will not be a primary concern for either Sir Alex Ferguson or Didier Deschamps.
Ferguson is boosted ahead of l’OM’s arrival by the surprising availability of Nani. The Portugal winger looked set to be out until April after he was the victim of a rather wild challenge by Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher in the 3-1 loss at Anfield in the Premier League a week ago. However, he has made a Lazarus-like recovery and is in the squad for the game, along with midfielder Michael Carrick, who has overcome a calf knock.
Saturday’s FA Cup win over Arsenal also saw 45 minutes of action for Nani’s fellow wide man Luis Antonio Valencia, who had not played since United’s first European outing of the season – another drab 0-0 draw – against Rangers. He was the victim of a bad injury that night, but looked to be in decent nick when he came on against the Gunners. He could be a vital component in a run-in that, ahead of the Marseille game, still sees United hunting another Treble, though will likely be a substitute again against Deschamps’ side.
The deployment of the Da Silva twins as wingers at the weekend was an interesting experiment and paid off with the first goal against the Gunners, but Ferguson will hope to have a more conventional midfield in place against a useful, if vulnerable, Marseille counterpart. Darren Fletcher will likely miss out again with a virus though, so veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs may both start if Ferguson feels they have the legs for it.
Ferguson’s selection up front will be interesting with Wayne Rooney’s partnership with Javier Hernandez looking sharp in its recent outings. Dimitar Berbatov will expect to play, but has only started one of the last four with the other duo offering more movement. The Bulgarian has not scored since late January, but has a habit of getting a few once he gets one, but it remains to be seen if that undeniable attribute will be enough for him to be restored to the team.
Rafael is likely to be dropped back to full back, to a defence that has lost Nemanja Vidic after he sustained a calf knock against Arsenal at the weekend. United’s defence was not overly worried by the French outfit three weeks ago, but a Marseille goal in Manchester would be even more damaging, so the back line - where Chris Smalling will be partnered by either Wes Brown or John O'Shea - must remain switched on.
Patrice Evra, after his World Cup carry-on, was the target of the boo boys in the first leg in France two weeks ago, but it is the man who he ousted from the United left back position that will feel the heat on Tuesday night. Gabriel Heinze makes his first return to Old Trafford since leaving them for Real Madrid, after trying to get to Liverpool first, in 2007.
The acrimony that arose from that lost the Argentine a lot of fans, but he is not the type to be too bothered by a few boos and hisses, and his experience, doggedness and knowledge of United will be an important factor for Marseille if they are to upset the 2008 winners. And he has cleverly paid tribute to Fergie in the past fortnight ahead of his return.
Heinze may play at centre baxk at Old Trafford if Deschamps wants to use Stephane Mbia in front of the back four to contain United’s support attackers. Marseille's defence will be busier than it was in the first leg and Henize has shown in the past he can be got at, but it will be a team effort to keep out Rooney and company.
The French side go into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over Rennes that has boosted their hopes of keeping hold of the Ligue 1 title, star man Lucho Gonzalez excelling and scoring in that game and his playmaking abilities are among the parts of Marseille’s sum that can get at United.
The other goalscorer against Rennes, Loic Remy, is also capable of causing some problems and either he or Andre Pierre Gignac will lead the line, with Brandao having returned to Brazil for a week as he is under a criminal investigation.
Mathieu Valbuena was not fit enough to start the first leg, the France international, like Lucho, a fulcrum of skill in a Marseille side that have improved in leaps and bounds over tha past two years, while Andre Ayew can test Rafael on the wing.
Neither side performed to their best in the first leg, but Tuesday is crunch time. If Marseille raise it they can cause United real problems and put an end to talk of a Treble in a season in which United’s play has contained little of the swashbuckling that saw them claim that super trophy haul 12 weeks ago. If United raise it, and they will on their own turf, then it will be criminal if they bow out at this stage.
Fergie's men have been solid but dour in this competiton all season. It might be a suggestion to lift it on Tuesday, but that old away goal threat always leaves room for concern.
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Rafael, Fabio, Smalling, Brown, Evra, Gibson, Nani, Scholes, Carrick, Valencia, Obertan, Bebe, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez.