1. Perform the Impossible
For Cristiano Ronaldo, this tie will have particular resonance as the Portuguese maverick faces his former club for the first time since his departure in 2009 for a staggering
£80 million, shattering the previous transfer record set by Zinedine Zidane in the Galacticos era. Since his transfer, Ronaldo has continued to ascend the heights of sporting greatness, thundering in goals from all over the pitch with arrogance that defies belief. If it were not for Lionel Messi, he would have received every accolade available to him, with some professionals and fans alike preferring him to his diminutive rival, believing him to have more facets to his game than the Argentine. Currently, Ronaldo is averaging over a goal a game, having scored 182 times on 179 occasions, an almost super-human feat matched only by Messi. Since joining Madrid, he has not enjoyed the most romantic of years in spite of his enormous contributions to the team, for the home support have high expectations and are unforgiving of mistakes and sloppy performances. Ronaldo rarely performs below-par, but it seems that everything he does, which includes single-handedly winning matches, is just not good enough. At United, he was the king, even more so than Eric Cantona. Those days were his happiest, as he was appreciated beyond measure, and it will be a very emotional occasion indeed when he lines up to face his former team-mates and, more piercingly, Sir Alex Ferguson, the man who he accredits for so much of his success today. Stopping him will be an almost insurmountable task, as he has already plundered 36 goals this season despite accusations of under-performing, which is rumoured to be down to a contract dispute with the club. Whatever the case, Ronaldo is sure to take the tie in his stride, and when he walks out onto the pitch his head will be held magisterially higher than anyone elses.