UNITED BLOW SUPER CUP

 

(Image taken from Manutd.com)

The last time United competed in the Super Cup was back in '99, off the back of our Champions League win. We faced Lazio(winners of the old Cup Winners Cup that year) at the Stade Louis II and the Serie A side beat us 1-0 in what was a fairly weak outing for us. The last time we won the competition was back in 1991. We were the winners of the Cup Winners Cup that year and faced Red Star Belgrade in the Super Cup. Back then the competition was meant to be a two legged tie but with the Balkans ripping each other apart the Belgrade leg got called off. So we were left with a one-off match at Old Trafford which United won 1-0 with Brian McClair hitting the winner.

Zenit St Petersburg aren't a side we've ever faced before. The club had an interesting early history due to the fact that the old Soviet Union was founded round about the same time. However the club never saw much limelight untill it came out of nowhere to win the UEFA Cup. We do have some history with Russian sides though. The last time we faced one was the equally obscure Rotor Volgograd in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup first round. That tie finished 2-2 on aggregate with us going out on away goals - we haven't actually beaten a Russian team since the fall of the Soviet Union and somehow didn't actually face any former Soviet sides during that era.

So, the stage was set for the 2008 European Super Cup. The tie is now between the winners of the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. Which this time round meant a rumble between United and Zenit, the name on the rise. It's still a one-off match at the Stade Louis II though and a second trophy out of seven up foor grabs for United. Only question was, how seriously were both sides going to take it. United went 4-4-2. Neville returned at right back and as captain. Rio and Vidic in central defence. Fletcher right mid. Anderson and Scholes in central midfield and Nani left mid. Biggest distraction was Saha's probable move to Everton.

Well United started pretty solidly, coming up with the first serious attack. Only problem was, though Zenit may not have much history, they do have a few tricks of their own and were able to give as good as they got. The two sides matched each other, attack for attack with neither really able to get any kind of edge. Zenit looked to be relying on set pieces though but it was still up to United to find the net. With that not happening it looked to be case of going in at half time and refueling. However Zenit put on a late surge just before half time and in the 44th minute Alejandro Damian Dominguez fired in a corner from which Igor Denisov set up Pavel Pogrebniak who gave Zenit the lead. Half time and United had work to do.

Zenit freshened up before the second half but United didn't and the result was not good. Zenit effectively ran the show and in the 59th minute a run from Miguel Danny scorched a sludgy United defence and but Zeni 2-0 up. The game looked to be pretty much over but it was now that United started to get their act together. A surge led to a 73rd minute O'Shea corner which found Tevez who set up Vidic for the defender's first goal of the season. Now we were back in business, only question was, could we find an equaliser. Well we certainly had our share of late chances and did hit the net but my celebrations turned out to be premature - the ball had been handballed in and we finished the match with 10 men.

So, through gritted teeth, congratulations to Zenit St Petersburg, winners of the 2008 European Super Cup. I've certainly dissed Russian football in the past and don't think that the Russian league is going to be in the same bracket as the Premiership, Serie A and La Liga any time soon but still, Zenit certainly mean business at this level. They play in the Champions League this season and if the match against United is anything to go by, will surely give more big guns a headache. However they're not doing so well domestically. I have a hunch that this run of form may not last. I'm also not sure if any other Russian sides could make a significant impact. Russian fans should enjoy this while they can.

 

The Champions League third preliminary round second leg matches were also taking place. Liverpool faced Standard Liege at Anfield. The Belgian side gave the Scousers headaches from the start and though the Premiership side gave as good as they got, their play was starting to get a bit messy before half time. More of the same was to come in the second half. Wilfred Dalmat was the most serious threat on the Belgian team though even he couldn't make Liverpool pay. Late on, Liverpool went on an attacking surge but couldn't find the net themselves. It was still Liege that had the last word but it wasn't a final one and the match went into extra time.

Extra time started with even more pain from a Liverpool perspective. Again it was Liege doing all the attacking and the Premiership side only just holding out. Again the vistors failed to take advantage of their dominance to claim a major scalp. The Reds finally got their act together in the second half of extra time with the Liege goalie getting his first serious test of the night! Even then the Scousers dodged a late bullet before finally making their opponents pay for not finishing the game earlier, Dirk Kuyt hitting the winner. Liege didn't have enough time to equalise, allowing Liverpool to win the tie despite not really deserving to do so.

Elsewhere, Arsenal faced FC Twente at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal dominated the match from the start and sure enough opened the scoring through Samir Nasri before cruising their way to half time. The tie wasn't quite sealed yet though. Steve McLaren's side were effectively killed off in the second half though, with William Gallas getting the Gunners second goal before Theo Walcott made it three and Niklaus Bendtner made it four. Twente were never in the match and Arsenal after a iffy start to the season look to finally be in business. The involvement of a former England coach made it an interesting tie on paper but McLaren clearly has work to do.

Next up are the group stages and this is where United come in. We have been drawn in Group E alongside Villareal, Celtic and Danish side Aalborg. We have no history with Aalborg but though the name does ring a bell from somewhere, they are unlikely to be a threat. Celtic and Villareal are much more likely to give us a headache though. The SPL side we know all about from our encounters with them in 06/07 and the La Liga side are...a pain in the neck to all that face them. However United still have the class neccersary to beat both sides at home at least and if we can do the double over Aalborg then we'll be through to the knockout stages.

Elsewhere, Chelsea will also enter the Champions League and the group stage and they will face Roma, Bordeaux and CFR Cluj-Napoca. As a former short-term resident of Cluj, congratulations to CFR for making the group stages, however this group hold nothing that the Blues shouldn't be able to handle. Liverpool aren't so lucky though. They're in Group D with Athletico Madrid, Marseille and PSV Eindhoven. Given their messy performance in the preliminaries, the Scousers may have to settle for a parachute into the UEFA Cup. Arsenal are in Group G. They face Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Fenerbache. The Gunners should be able to survive that kind of group.

Going down a level, the UEFA Cup second preliminary round second leg matches also took place. Villa somehow only managed to draw 1-1 with FH at Villa Park. Luckilly they'd done enough in the first leg to win the tie 5-2 on aggregate. Man City beat FC Midtjylland 1-0 at the SAS Arena. That was only enough to force extra time though and with the match still deadlocked after that, a penalty shootout. City won the shootout though so congratulations to Mark Hughes's men. Nordsjælland beat Queen of the South 2-1 at Farum Park which really wasn't a surprise. It is rare that a lower division team from either side of the border makes an impact in Europe.

The draw for the first round of the competition has been made. Everton enter the competition and face Standard Liege with the first leg at Goodison Park. A tricky tie for the Toffees and I wouldn't get my hopes up for them. Portsmouth also enter the competition and face Portuguese side Vittoria with the first leg at Fratton Park. Harry Redknapp's crew should have the edge here. Spurs also enter the competition, they face Wisla Krakow with the first leg at White Hart Lane, shouldn't be a problem. Villa face Bulgaria's Litex Lovech with the first leg at the Gradski Stadion Kumanovo. Can't see a problem for Villa here. Man City face Cypriot side Omonia with the first leg at the City of Manchester Stadium. This shouldn't be a problem but for City but I wouldn't take anything for granted. Finally, Motherwell face Nancy with the first leg at Marcel-Picot. I think the French side will have the edge.

Going back to the domestic game, Aberdeen faced SD2 Ayr in the second round of the CIS Insurance Cup at Somerset Park. The Dons had the edge early on in the first half and should have had the game swen up by half time, however they did managed to take the lead before the break through Christopher Maguire. Ayr came back in the second half all guns blazing and arguably had the edge in the latter stages. However the Dons held on to win the match. A messy performance in a match that the Pittodrie crew should have cruised but they still did the business and are now able to await the next round and a second chance to get more people's attention in the Cup.

In the third round, Aberdeen have an all-SPL tie to deal with, Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. It's the sort of tie they could have avoided for a bit longer. Killie are generally a solid outfit and a trip to their place is going to be tricky. What the Dons do have however is the start of a decent run of form. Whether that'll continue to third round day is another matter entirely though. Kille are beatable though if the Dons are breaking into a rhythm.

South of the border, the Carling Cup second round games took place. Mugs of the round included West Brom, who were beaten 3-1 by L1 Hartlepool at Victoria Park and Hull, who were beaten 2-1 by Championship Swansea at the Liberty Stadium. However the biggest mugs of them all have to be Bolton who were beaten 2-1 at the Reebok Stadium by L1 Northampton, the underdogs having the game of their lives on that occasion. Still that leaves 17 Premiership sides still in the competition and the bar has now been raised further with the teams in European competition now making their entrance. It's a straight run to the final from here on in.

United face an all-Premiership tie in the third round. Midddlesborough at Old Trafford. Now the Carling Cup is one competition that can never be taken for granted, largely because it's usually United's reserves that get to play in the early rounds of the competition. Boro have had a pretty good season in the Premiership so far and a good record of giving United headaches. In theory the Old Trafford crowd will help us out but the biggest question is going to be how seriously will Boro take the match. If they field their first choice XI with the long term aim of winning the competition then we will surely be in trouble. If they field their reserves then we might be in business though.

And next up, the road to South Africa begins.

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