Alex Ferguson and his men enter this encounter with the defeat against Barcelona very much in the back of their minds.
It surely takes thirteen steps to clinch the UEFA Champions League trophy and Manchester United, who aim to reach their third successive European final, know that they must go one step at a time to achieve their big dream.
So the first step starts this Tuesday and Manchester United’s manager, Alex Ferguson, has underlined his unwillingness at making long trips in the Champions League by saying that “games in Turkey are always difficult.”
Either way, Manchester United will hope to get a much better result than the 0-0 draw that they had against Villarreal in their opening European fixture last year.
Something that Ferguson would love to avoid is injuries before and after the encounter. Fans could expect a strong line-up for Manchester United and perhaps one or two youngsters might also have the opportunity to feature in Tuesday’s match against Besiktas.
One player who could taste Champions League football for the first time in as many years is Michael Owen. The English striker was deprived from such an honour during his spell at Newcastle unlike during his days at Real Madrid and Liverpool. He could as well mark is comeback in European football with a good performance.
What Ferguson will eye is a victory at all cost for Manchester United to put set the pace in the group. Despite being the favorites to clinch the first spot in the table, the Red Devils will not attempt to be complacent in any of their games.
Against Besiktas, Manchester United will need to overcome fatigue and play a flawless game in order to dominate on the pitch. Accuracy in front of goal will also be important if Manchester United want to leave Turkey with a smile on their face.
Besiktas are arguably not as dangerous and unpredictable in Europe than Fernabahce were two years ago. Still, they could upset the former Champions League winners if they are able to block Manchester United’s flow.
