Neville has ‘sneaking feeling’ about Real draw

PHIL NEVILLE does not want to land Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon today — but the England midfielder has a sneaking suspicion his side will face the nine-times winners.

The Spanish giants are one of three possible last-eight opponents for United, who are hoping to win the trophy for the third time in May's Old Trafford final. Inter Milan and Ajax were confirmed as the other options after Wednesday night's final round of second group matches, with the Dutch outsiders probably the least difficult option for Alex Ferguson's men in the strongest quarter-final line-up in the tournament's history with the competing clubs accounting for 25 victories in the competition overall. United have met all three sides in previous European campaigns and emerged victorious from their only meetings with Inter in the 1999 quarter-finals and Ajax, in a 1976 UEFA Cup first-round tie.

However, it is the prospect of a glamour tie with Real which really whets the appetite, probably the two most famous clubs on the planet going head-to-head for a place in the last four. "We would prefer to leave them until later in the competition but I have a sneaking feeling we will get them," Neville said.

"If we are going to win it, I suppose we have to meet them at some stage and there is no doubt the two games would be great occasions." United have encountered Real three times in European competition, their only two-legged victory coming in their first European Cup-winning year 35 years ago. By his own admission, the last time the two sides met marked a watershed in Ferguson's approach to the continental game as his team slumped to a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford following a goalless stalemate in the Bernabeu.

A Roy Keane own goal and a Raul brace gave a dominant Real side a 3-0 lead on that famous night and, having adopted more cautious tactics since, Ferguson believes United have improved significantly.

The statistics bear out Ferguson's words, with their only defeats in their last 24 Champions League outings coming when he fielded experimental sides against Maccabi Haifa earlier this season and Deportivo La Coruna on Tuesday. However, the same could also be said of Real, who have won two of the last three Champions League trophies, adding Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo to their squad in the process. With second phase group winners meeting a runner-up other than their own, Real know that if they avoid United, they will face an all-Spanish spat with either Valencia or hated rivals Barcelona, who they beat in the semi-finals last season.

Valencia are the only side remaining not to have won the tournament, although two final appearances in the last three years emphasises their quality. The Spanish conquerors of Arsenal will be pitted against Real, Juventus or Inter in a quarter-final to savour, while Ajax coach Ronald Koeman, who has exceeded expectations merely by reaching this stage, is in no doubt who he would prefer to see his side play.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans are to launch a mass protest at tomorrow's Old Trafford encounter with Fulham in a bid to end their series of lunchtime kick-offs.

Of United's 22 home fixtures in the Premiership and FA Cup this season, probably only five will be played on a Saturday with a traditional 3pm kick-off. With local police refusing to sanction evening matches on a Saturday and BSkyB keen to screen United games on weekends which are followed by a midweek Champions League match, Saturday lunchtime football has been appearing with far greater regularity in recent times.

Supporters of all clubs have decided to make their voices heard, with Mark Longden chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association, insisting their target is the Premier League and Football Association rather than the much-derided television companies.