By: Celia Roche
Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid side are languishing in the La Liga, currently sitting 16 points behind Tito Vilanova’s side at the top of the table, and even seven points behind their city rivals Atlético in second place.
The upcoming Champions League fixture against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd is more than the return of Cristiano Ronaldo against his former side.
It is widely speculated that Mourinho will be leaving the Bernabeu at the end of the season, but one thing he won’t want to do is end his tenure there without winning a trophy this season.
He will want the trophy that he has won twice, once remarkably with Porto in 2004 and another with Italian giants Inter Milan again in 2010.
If he can lead Los Blancos to their first Champions League success, since Zinedine Zidane’s goal in Glasgow stole the show in the 2001/02 season, he will leave Spain’s capital as the only manager to ever win the trophy three times with three different clubs.
Ferguson is also tied with Mourinho on two Champions League victories, but unlike the charismatic Portuguese boss, Ferguson has suffered defeat in the final before, twice. They will both come into the games, the first leg at the Bernabeu coming on February 13, with the drive to extend their legacy as the best managers in the world. United are 4/1 to win the first leg away from home in the latest Paddy Power Champions League betting odds.
The Premier League leaders will come into the game in much better form, losing only one of their previous 17 games, a home defeat to CFR Cluj in the group stages of the UCL when progress was already secured to the next stage. United face Everton at home before their visit to Spain and will be favourites in the Premier League football odds to secure another win.
Los Merengues however will be marred by their poor league position but will be hopeful that the star-studded tie will bring the best out of their players.
The last time Madrid and United faced off against each other was ten years ago, with a Ronaldo hat-trick at Old Trafford and Mourinho will be hoping that the Brazilian’s namesake, Cristiano Ronaldo, will be able to deliver the goods not only in this round but if they are able to progress, the remainder of the tournament as ‘The Special One’ will want to end his era on a high.
