MORE EURO PREVIEWS

Last updated : 18 September 2002 By Editor
Diego Forlan has yet to score in 26 appearances for United:

"I am convinced things will turn around for me. I just want one goal to get me going.

"Of course I would have preferred to score as soon as I arrived but I will keep working and I am confident it will come.

"The English style of play is a lot different to South America and it takes time. But I am learning all the time and doing my best in training so I'm pretty happy just now."


Haifa's Walid Badir who has already scored at OT for Wimbledon three years ago:

"I don't care if we play the ugliest game of football ever, as long as we salvage points in the end.

"We are not going to play there so that people will say 'Haifa played well and stepped out as proud losers'. We have the best Israeli players in our squad and the best foreign players in the land so we can go out and surprise them.

"We are no longer at school and as a result don't have to pay tuition fees, so it will not be going to play there like lambs to the slaughter.

"This match means so much to the players, the club and every football fan in Israel. Personally I will give my heart and soul for 90 minutes."


Menau Pralia, their Croatian striker:

"Everyone knows so much about the United team because they are one of the most famous clubs in the world. Keane has always been my favourite player and I really wanted to swap shirts with him.

"Now he isn't playing I don't know what I'll do. I don't know if I'll still be able to get one of his old shirts.

"United are so famous I could name you their first 11. Mia is five years old and even she could name you a lot of the players. She will be coming to Manchester with my wife Ivana - I don't think she would forgive us if she didn't come.

"Mia is a big fan of Beckham and Giggs, so maybe I could get one of their shirts for her as well and I've had about 60 calls from friends in Croatia, all asking me to get them T-shirts from Manchester. I think some of them could be a little disappointed.

"To take a point from this game would be fantastic. Many players from Israel never get to play outside the country. It will take them 10 or 15 minutes into the game to get used to the stadium and the fans.

"In Israel, United are like the national team - everyone likes them. You cannot go into the street without people wanting to stop and chat about the match - and that means everyone, not just Maccabi fans.

"No one wants to talk about the political situation or anything like that, just the game at Old Trafford. The one thing we have over Manchester is we know everything about their team and their players, but I would not think they know a great deal about us."

United's European scout Mick Brown has been studying the Israelis [but which ones??]:

"Their best player, Ayegbeni, who scored two goals against Sturm Graz, was also sent off so he'll be suspended for our match. He looked a real class act, quick and strong, so they'll miss him quite a lot.

"Their League has been delayed in starting due to a television issue, so we've not been able to see them live. But we have watched videos of their qualifying match against Sturm Graz, and they looked good in that. They came back from 3-0 down at one point, so they must be a strong team."


United have drafted in extra police, stewards and security guards for the match. United's director of communications Paddy Harverson said:

"There will be enhanced security at the game. It is safe to assume there will be more people on duty and added security measures around the game itself. I have been asked not to elaborate on what those may be for obvious reasons."

Chief Superintendent Alan Hutchings will be in charge of the police operation at the game and he is confident it will go ahead without problems.

"We have a wealth of experience in policing high profile and sensitive sporting events. The match will be professionally and adequately policed like any other. We will carry out risk assessments as we would prior to any sporting event - but we do not anticipate any major problems."

Haifa will have 5000 fans tonight, mainly from England.


Probable teams:

Manchester United (4-4-2): Barthez; O'Shea, Blanc, Ferdinand, Silvestre; Beckham, Veron, P Neville, Giggs; Solskjaer, Van Nistelrooy.

Maccabi Haifa (probable) (4-4-1-1): Awate; Benado, Harazi, Keissy, Ejiafor; Valid, Rosso, Almoshnino, Pralija; Zandberg; Katan