As I sat on my sofa on Tuesday evening for the much hyped and eagerly anticipated second leg between Manchester United and Real Madrid, I spotted a very familiar face as Nemanja Vidic and Sergio Ramos met in the centre circle for the traditional coin toss — it was none other than my good friend, Cuneyt Cakir, the referee who sent me off in the final few minutes of our match against Italy in Poznan at Euro 2012.

ANOTHER good night’s work for Ireland under Brian Kerr even if the consensus coming from the dressing room is that they didn’t play particularly well.

THERE are stranger sights than Roy Keane in an Aussie bush hat with a clip-on koala hanging upside down from the rim but not many.

A wonderful goal created by Nicky Butt and finished by Ruud Van Nistlerooy puts Uinted into a commanding going into the break.

Normal service was resumed at Old Trafford as Manchester Utd easily defeated Boavista helped by a Ruud Van Nistlerooy double.