ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — With no Wayne Rooney and a squad looking for confidence, Manchester United heads for the uneven Olimp-2 Stadium surface to take on Rostov Thursday and keep alive hopes of becoming one of the few teams to have won all three European cups.
United fans have been told not to wear their team’s red colors in the Russian city to avoid re-igniting hooligan violence and Rostov coach Ivan Daniliants promised a “classy performance” against the illustrious English side.
United won the European Cup in 1968, the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991 and Champions League in 1999 and 2008. But it has never won the Europa League nor the old UEFA Cup. If successful this year, United would join Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, who have already lifted all three European club trophies.
Having won its first trophy under Jose Mourinho with a 3-2 win over Southampton in the League Cup final, United needs a strong performance in the first leg in Rostov to open the road to the quarterfinals.
That would take it into the draw with the winners from key ties such as Lyon vs. Roma, the all-German Schalke vs. Borussia Monchengladbach, Copenhagen vs. Ajax and Olympiakos vs. Besiktas.
Mourinho never lost in Russia with his previous clubs (Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid), but he is not happy going to Rostov, last season’s Russian league runner-up, to play on the bumpy pitch.
“It’s a bad draw in every aspect. It’s far and it’s difficult,” Mourinho told Man United official site.
“It’s far and comes in a very bad period for us, difficult because they’re a very difficult team.”
United won its first trophy under Mourinho when it took the English League Cup final 3-2 against Southampton. But Mourinho admitted they were lucky and at the weekend saw his side held 1-1 by unfancied Bournemouth.
United is far from the Champions League qualifying places and Mourinho has expressed his disappointment at United’s low scoring rate.
“We need to score goals — other teams with less chances score goals,” Mourinho told his club’s official site.
On Thursday the Reds will be without Eric Bailly, who was sent off in their round of 32 1-0 win at Saint-Etienne.
Mourinho left Rooney and leftback Luke Shaw at home along with Bastian Schweinsteiger. Armenian forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan returns to the 20-man squad after recovering from an injury incurred just after scoring the St Etienne winner.
Rostov sent a clear warning to the Red Devils when it routed Tomsk 6-0 Friday. Rostov showed no signs of rustiness in their first domestic match after the long winter break. But head coach Daniliants said he and his men realized that Manchester United will be a completely different story.
“Man United are a top-class team and to oppose them is an honourable and a pleasant task,” he told the press.
