http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=293588&cc=3888
'United are no Real'
Nick Bidwell
Man Utd (1) v Porto (2) -
Champions Lge R2, 2nd Leg. Tues 19.45 GMT
It was not a game that needed any hype to raise the stakes, yet Porto striker Benni McCarthy has ensured that he will be afforded a warm welcome ahead of the Champions League tie against Manchester United on Tuesday night.
'United couldn't get near us in the first leg,' says McCarthy (JamieMcDonald/GettyImages)
It was McCarthy's goals that secured Porto a shock 2-1 advantage in the first leg of a fascinating tie and while the post-match headlines were dominated by the touchline spat between United boss Alex Ferguson and his Porto counterpart Jose Mourinho, the truth was the Portuguese champions were worthy winners on the night.
Now the UEFA Cup holders are determined to finish off the job and McCarthy's suggestion that Real Madrid's glittering array of stars are the only side that send a shiver of fear down the spines of their opponents in Europe's premier competition is bound to raise a few eyebrows at Old Trafford.
'Other than Real Madrid, no team in this season's Champions League has been ahead of us technically and, obviously, I would include United in that assessment,' begins McCarthy. 'They are not up at Real's Madrid's level, that's for sure.
'Manchester United couldn't get near us in the first leg. They were not expecting us to play like that and we completely dominated them, even though they have so many great stars compared to us.
'They were very disappointing in Porto and that's why we are convinced we will be going through to the next round. No one in the media believed we had a chance before the first leg, but now they are all talking about Porto.
'This game at Old Trafford is without doubt the most important in Porto's history. We'll go there with the belief that we can win. We will not go to defend and hope for a draw. One goal may be the key to our progress and we will go for it.
'We believe we can make the quarter-finals with attacking, stylish play. In fact, some of us have talked about Porto being in the Final this season. Why not, we have to believe this? If we play as well as we did in Porto and show the same concentration, heart and courage, we'll be fine.'
McCarthy's prowess in front of goal may prove to be the key to victory for Mourinho's men and his performance against United will have silenced many doubters who have questioned the abilities of this South African international.
Often linked with a move to the Premiership, McCarthy has long been overlooked as something of an unreliable taker of clear-cut chances, but he now has the chance to prove his worth in the biggest competition of them all and he is determined to take the opportunity.
'The first-leg was very special for me,' he continues. 'The header which won the match for us gave me a lot of pleasure. It was my first headed goal of the season. On the pitch, it felt wonderful to score a goal like that, but I also got a buzz from watching the TV replays of it. It was close to perfection.
“ We want to control the tempo of the game, to pass the ball well and keep possession. English sides are very dangerous in the attacking-third. But they can't hurt you if they don't have the ball. ”
— Jose Mourinho
'I say we are confident, but there is no way we can go to Old Trafford and believe it will be easy. United could not possible play so badly again, not with all those great players.
'Also, we have a lot of injuries to attackers at the moment. With those guys in the side, we play quicker and create more chances. So it was great to show against Manchester United that we can do well without them.'
The absentees McCarthy mentions include Derlei, Cesar Peixoto and Marco Ferreira and the temptation for coach Mourinho will be to stand firm and attempt to hold a fired-up United as they look for goals, but he is not the type to employ such negative tactics.
'We aim to play our own game in Manchester,' states the ever-confident Mourinho, who was quick to condemn Ferguson after the Scot complained about Porto's play-acting in the first leg. 'Injuries mean we are short of attackers right now but our philosophy stays the same.
'We want to control the tempo of the game, to pass the ball well and keep possession. English sides are very dangerous in the attacking-third. But they can't hurt you if they don't have the ball.
'I don't want my players to become over-confident. What I want from them is a repeat of their performance in the first-leg. We're happy with all the praise we've received for the win against Manchester United, but we have to take care and ensure it counts for something now.
Strike one: McCarthy hits his equaliser in the first leg against Manchester United (MikeEgerton/Empics)
'We need to play as a team in Manchester, not to be too egotistical. We know everything about them but we'll have to see if it's enough to beat them. Anyway, there is more pressure on Manchester United than us.
'They have the club which has been built to succeed in the Champions League. We don't have such expectations. Let's say this - I don't expect it to be the same as when Porto's lost 4-0 at Old Trafford in 1997. This is a completely different Porto.'
A repeat of that rousing United win on Tuesday night would revitalise a United season that could be all but over by the time they return to Premiership action next weekend. The alternative is far too alarming for Ferguson and his team to contemplate.
THE PORTO VIEW
Costinha: 'Usually, Manchester United would be the favourites to beat us. They have a budget many times bigger than ours, but we have talent and the teamwork to surprise them. Our strength is our unity on the pitch. We'll need cool heads in Manchester but we can definitely do it.'
Jorge Costa: 'It was not at all easy in the first-leg, even though everyone said it was. We let in that early goal and made life difficult for us. Fortunately, though, we didn't lose our heads.
'We kept our calm and self-belief and deservedly won in the end. It has to be good for our morale to perform so well against a team of the calibre of Manchester United. You could sense the frustration of their players and their coach.'
Deco: 'We have a team of great players and know how to keep possession and keep the ball moving. We're very strong technically and proved it against Manchester United. It was good to have them chasing the ball all the time. That was the key to our success. We dominated and the result was a fair one.
'Now we have to repeat that performance in Manchester. One of our problems at the moment is that we don't have any attackers who like to get on the end of long balls. We have to play it short most of the time.'
Pedro Mendes: 'We knew the football we play could trouble them. We got our game plan right. We concentrated on passing to feet and did this to perfection. In the second-leg, anything is possible. We'll go to Manchester to win. We feel very confident of reaching the quarter-finals.'
Paul Ferreira: 'A 2-1 win was a good result but it could have been even better. In Porto we were in control of the game and played some very good football, but we could have made more of that domination and it will not be easy in England. We'll be playing on the ground of a great European side and we can spring a surprise.'
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Kinda cocky eh?:chew:
Sorry ben but I just had to get it out!
I beg you... for your forgiviness!!!
CA19 oh what a show he put on Porto, he schooled all ManU, but this game I dont know if Mourinho will risk it, I think he will be a sub. But will feature in the game, Carlos Alberto is our joker. The wild card that worked in Porto and maybe in Manchester who knows, I hope he can do it again.