Ronaldo Admits He Wished For This Draw And That Madrid Can Beat Manchester United
0UEFA Champions league returns with the round of 16 fixtures next week and the most glamorous tie of this year’s competition awaits as Real Madrid and Ronaldo travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. This will be the first time that Ronaldo will be facing his former club after his mammoth £80million move to Santiago Bernabeu back in 2009.
Ronaldo feels confident ahead of his return to Manchester United
Ronaldo who was thrown into the lime light across the globe as a super star during his tenure at Old Trafford and under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Portuguese International has always expressed his love and desire for the club and their fans and it be an emotional return for CR7. Although, Ronaldo was quick to sound a note of caution ahead if the crunch tie. He said:
“I believe things will go well. In my opinion Read Madrid have a better team, but we have to show that on the pitch because United are a very united team and always have been in recent years,” he said in the official Champions League magazine.
“They’re a team that always do well, every year they’re at the top and therefore a team we respect a lot. It will be an extremely difficult match, especially in Manchester.”
Cristiano Ronaldo also admitted that he was hoping that such a draw would happen and that he wanted to visit Old Trafford again. It’s been more than three years since the 28-year old last played a competitive game there.
“I actually said beforehand that I believed we would draw Manchester United,” the Portuguese ace said. “I’ve wanted to face them for some time. I have great memories from my time there.
“It will be a match in which I will feel a lot. I was there for six years. I have a lot of friends there, people I will see with great pleasure, it will be a match with a lot of emotions.
“He (Ferguson) taught me the basis of football. I arrived in Manchester when I was only 18. He managed my career in the best possible way and for me he is one of the most important people in football.
“I still have an excellent relationship with him and it will be nice to see him again.”
Real Madrid have been through a rough season so far with the league almost out hands at the hands of rivals Barcelona who lead by 16 points. The only chance of a silverware for Mourinho’s men lie with the Champions league and Copa Del Rey. Meanwhile, Manchester United are cruising along the top of the EPL table, leading their close town rivals Manchester City by 9 points.
