United facing the acid test in Madrid, says Fergie

Alex Ferguson has admitted his new Manchester United side face their “acid test” in the Bernabeu Stadium tonight.

Two seasons ago, in their third Champions League final in four years, United were comprehensively swept aside by Barcelona.

Many of the faces remain — only Edwin van der Sar and Fabio of the team that started that 3-1 defeat have left Old Trafford, but new blood has been injected in the form of David de Gea, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young.