Chelsea | VS | Manchester United |
| Date/Time: | Apr 6, 2011, 20:45(CET) |
| Competition: | UEFA Champions League |
| Live/Repeat: | Live |
| Venue: | Stamford Bridge (London) |
Chelsea vs Manchester United Match Preview
Chelsea and Manchester United will clash in an all-England UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals first leg at Stamford Bridge on Monday.United will be looking for their fourth straight win and currently hold a seven point lead at the top of the English Premier League. Chelsea did beat United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in March and will be looking for a repeat of that performance.
Chelsea will be without Brazilian defender David Luiz, who is cup-tied after playing for Benfica in the Group Stages of this competition. Branislav Ivanovic is the likely replacement for Luiz, the Serbian defender has scored twice so far in this season’s competition.
Brazilian defender Alex is also ruled out for the Blues, along with Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun.
Carlo Ancelotti told the official Chelsea website he expects a tough test from United tomorrow night. “We are focused, concentrated and we want to move on. If we believe we can win play better than Manchester United then we can win.”
United could be boosted by the return of defender Rio Ferdinand, the England defender has been ruled out for two months with a calf injury. Brazilian midfielder Anderson could also return for the Red Devils.
Midfielder Darren Fletcher is sidelined with injury for United, while John O’Shea and Wes Brown are doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
KEY PLAYERS
Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) – The French striker has been much more productive in the Champions League this season than his more celebrated strike partners, scoring seven goals in seven games so far in this tournament.
Nani (Manchester United) – The Portugese winger is the Premier League leader in assists this season, and will be a key figure as the Red Devils look to score an away goal to take back to Old Trafford.
