Manchester United ready for Wolfsburg in Champions League meet

Manchester United are looking to get their Champions League campaign back on track when they face Wolfsburg at Old Trafford on Wednesday (September 30).

The Red Devils lost their first group game away to PSV Eindhoven and manager Louis Van Gaal has re-iterated the importance of his team not dropping points at home, in order to try and have a strong impact on the tournament.

“I think in the Champions League you need to win all your home matches otherwise it will be very difficult. It is still possible but shall be very difficult so the important thing is that we win,” he said.

“Reaching the final is also an aim, but winning the final you need also luck I think. It is not only quality it is also luck and I think Manchester United knows and remembers that fantastically when they won the Champions League because I saw at that time the fans of Bayern Munich already going downstairs, and then they scored in the last minute and then in extra time Manchester United scored again. You can say that was quality but when you have seen the match then you know it is not like that, so you need also luck but getting to the final is already a fantastic result,” he added, referring to the dramatic 1999 final when United scored twice in stoppage time to overturn what had seemed to be a secure Bayern victory.

Van Gaal said the team had made progress from last season’s slow start in his first year at the helm of the club.

“We have improved when we compare with the team last year, and we still need time to improve because we have to improve to win the Championship in the Premier League and also a tournament like the Champions League, so we are still improving and I can see it every week,” he said.

Bastian Schweinsteiger said he was looking forward to seeing former teammates and friends when Wolfsburg come to town.

“I scored my first goal away in Wolfsburg so I have good memories but I always remember it was not easy to play against them, it was always tough matches. So, Wolfsburg at the moment also have a great team and especially in the last 3 or 4 years they have improved a lot and I am looking forward to the match against them as it is a big challenge for us, especially I have some friends in the team, especially Dante, I know him really well and also the German national players so I am also looking forward to seeing them tomorrow,” he said.

When asked if they had a chance of winning the tournament, Schweinsteiger said it was possible if they work hard and take it one step at a time.

“Yes I think so but first of all we need to do our work. We lost the first match which was a pity against Eindhoven, if we had scored a second or third goal in the first half, I think it would have been a different score at the end of the day but we lost the match so as the manager said we have to win our home games first of all and then take it step by step in the group,” he said.

PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg sit at the top of Group B with wins in the opening round against United and CSKA Moscow respectively.