Man Utd vs Galatasaray - Match Preview

Venue: Old Trafford Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 Kick-off: 19:45 BST Manchester United come face-to-face with Turkey€™s most honoured team, Galatasaray, in what will surely be a fiery encounter. The two have not met in Europe since 1993, when Ferguson€™s troops travelled to Istanbul in the second leg of a second round tie, a 0-0 draw which resulted in the Red Devils being knocked out of the Champions League, after being held by the resilient Turks 3-3 at Old Trafford. The travelling fans for this fixture will inevitably arrive in good numbers, brimming with ardent support for their beloved team, and nobody would expect any less from such a passionate bunch. The Theatre of Dreams may be a daunting arena for other visiting teams, but the Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim has let it be known to the media that his team are not in the least bit intimidated. The away end will be roaring with excitement tomorrow night, which will surely spur their team on in such difficult circumstances, so the United support will have to match the effort of their hosts. In a group that also includes Portugal€™s Braga and CFR Cluj of Romania, United will fancy their chances of a straightforward qualification, as their squad is without doubt the most superior. However, last year€™s embarrassing exit in what was a seemingly easy group proved to be a stern lesson for a side that is still in a transitional phase, and Ferguson has insisted that his side will not be repeating their slack form from last year. Top-scorer Robin Van Persie is set to make his return to the starting line-up, along with the midfield maestro Shinji Kagawa, meaning that either Tom Cleverley or Paul Scholes will have to be sacrificed. Surely after his performance over the weekend, the latter will keep his place. It will not be an easy battle tomorrow night, as the Champions League rarely offers small obstacles, so expect the tackles to fly in and hopefully a few goals too. Team NewsManchester United: Patrice Evra is expected to reassume his place at left-back tomorrow after missing the tie with Wigan, while Darren Fletcher could feature on the bench after some impressive displays in the reserves. Galatasaray: Defenders Tomas Ujfalusi and Sabri Sorioglu are both out with injuries, while Umut Bulut, who has scored five in four league games so far, is set to partner ex-Bolton striker Johan Elmander in attack. An interesting fact Galatasaray is one of only three European clubs to achieve a continental quadruple, winning the UEFA Cup, Super Cup, the Turkish Super League Championship, and the Turkish Cup in 2000.