Manchester United is the top team in the premier league and has little to prove in English competition. Despite the team's prowess in its domestic league, few would argue that Sir Alex Ferguson's club is ready to romp through the Champions League at the same torrid pace. Manchester's first major test comes Tuesday when it travels to the Santiago Bernabeau to take on Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.
Despite the tough matchup, there are a few of reasons why Manchester United is primed to win this match.
Robin Van Persie & Wayne Rooney Are Most Dynamic Duo In The Contest
When Ferguson brought Van Persie in from Arsenal, many pundits claimed that Rooney's time with the team had come to an end. For years, the team had belonged to Rooney and Van Persie's arrival signaled that a new identity had been established for the Red Devils. However, all the naysayers were proven wrong the moment Rooney stepped on the pitch to play alongside his Dutch teammate. Rooney was asked to play further back from his initial position and slot in as more of a playmaker to Van Persie's lethal scoring ability. Not only did this experiment work tremendously well, but it has not deterred Rooney's scoring abilities in the least. Van Persie has 19 goals on the season while Rooney has 10 but it is essential to note that Rooney has played in five less matches that Van Persie. Rooney also has seven assists on the season while the Dutch Superstar has six. The clutch performances of the duo have elevated the play of the rest of the team and will continue to do so against Madrid.
While Madrid has the most potent player on the field in Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's second options (Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain) have been wildly inconsistent throughout the year.
Unity and Cohesion
The team's name is not simply a decoration; Sir Alex Ferguson has transformed it into an integral part of this team's identity. For all the defensive lapses that they experienced or the poor goaltending it has often received, Manchester has always found a way to win this season through unity. The group is full of talent, but most would argue that Real Madrid has more talent; what the Spanish side does not have is the same level of solidarity as the English side. Scandals within the locker room are never a feature for United. These players admire one another and battle for each other; this is how they have managed to overcome their deficiencies. A prime example would be the David De Gea rumors that dominated the internet. Not once in the entire month did any club representative acknowledge the speculation or make mention of the netminders' future. In fact, Ferguson and company reportedly stated that they would back the youngster instead of forcing him out; Ferguson even called the critics of the keeper "idiots" for their attacks on him. Dutch legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy noted a few days ago that Manchester United was "very much a team. They defend all together and then play for Van Persie and Rooney."
If you flip the coin and look at Madrid's locker room, then you will see a team riddled with melodrama and problems. Ronaldo's sadness (which is reportedly over) early in the year harmed the team's performance. Mourinho's benching of captain Iker Casillas did not go unnoticed by the media or even the club's president. Stories of infighting have leaked throughout the season and the team's poor record in the Spanish league (they are 16 points out of first place) reflects the instability. This factor alone gives Manchester a major advantage on Tuesday.
To read on why Madrid will win Tuesday's match, check back later.
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