United facing Real mission impossible

Manchester United should choose to look at their own history rather than that of the Champions League as they search for inspiration in their European Cup quest.

While Alex Ferguson spoke encouragingly of the precious away goal Ruud van Nistelrooy nodded in during last night’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid, the chances of United progressing to the semi-finals appear slim to non-existent.

In a decade of Champions League combat, only once has a side come back from a two-goal first-leg deficit at the quarter-final stage or beyond – and even then Barcelona needed extra-time before defeating Chelsea in 1999.

However, history indicates that if any team can pull off the required miracle, it is United.

On seven occasions, the Old Trafford outfit have found themselves two goals adrift in European combat and on three of those, they turned it around in the decider.