bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

With hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League fading, Manchester United approach Tuesday night's Champions League last-16, first-leg match at Greek champions Olympiakos desperate for a positive result.
Not only does the competition represent United's last realistic hope of silverware this season, but David Moyes' side may need to win the Champions League just to qualify for next season's tournament.
United are now 11 points below Liverpool in the English Premiership, with the Merseysiders occupying the fourth and final Champions League place, and with only 11 games of the season remaining, qualification via the league may already be beyond them.
It seems to get harder every year to win it because the teams are getting better and better. So it's always hard if you want something everyone wants.

	Robin Van Persie
United have won only four of their 11 matches since the turn of the year, but the Champions League provided a respite from their domestic woes during the European autumn.
The three-time continental champions qualified comfortably as group A winners, winning four and drawing two of their six matches and enjoying handsome 4-2 and 5-0 victories over last year's runners-up Bayer Leverkusen.
Nevertheless, with Arsenal and Manchester City having already lost their own last-16, first-leg matches, to Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively, the tournament final in Lisbon on May 24 remains a long way off.
"Only one team can win it, and it's very hard," United striker Robin van Persie said. "It's a trophy many players don't win; once, if you're very lucky. You have a couple of players who've won it more than once, but it's a very special trophy everyone wants to win every year.
"It seems to get harder every year to win it because the teams are getting better and better. So it's always hard if you want something everyone wants."
United warmed up for today's game at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus by winning 2-0 at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, with Van Persie opening the scoring from the penalty spot.
Wayne Rooney doubled United's lead to mark his 300th league appearance for the club with a goal and celebrate his new five-and-a-half-year contract, which is reportedly worth £300,000 (HK$3.85 million) a week.
It was a rare straightforward afternoon for United manager Moyes, who was able to start a game with Rooney, Van Persie, Adnan Januzaj and record signing Juan Mata in his team for the first time.
Mata is cup-tied in the Champions League, but Moyes hopes to have defenders Rafael da Silva, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans available to face Olympiakos after the trio sat out the trip to Palace due to injury.
United are unbeaten against Greek teams and Olympiakos have not reached the Champions League quarter-finals since 1999, although they have won at home to Arsenal twice in the last two seasons.
The Greek giants can nonetheless take heart from their breathtaking domestic form, having won 24 and drawn two of their opening 26 league games and reached the semi-finals in the Greek Cup.
Saturday's 4-0 win at OFI Crete came at a cost, however, with experienced Argentine striker Javier Saviola forced off with a left thigh injury that has ruled him out of the game against United. Olympiakos coach Michel, the former Real Madrid midfielder, believes his side's performance against OFI proves that they are ready for the challenge of tackling United.
"I'd love to see my team have the same concentration, the same passion and enthusiasm that we had [against OFI] in the match against Manchester United," he said.
"We treat every match with the same seriousness and I believe we will also have a good performance on Tuesday in the Champions League."


United and Moyes desperate to avoid Greek tragedy ahead of Olympiakos match

Manchester United players train ahead of their Champions League  clash in Piraeus. Photo: AP

Sport

Football

As the Red Devils' season options continue to narrow, the importance of not slipping up against Olympiakos is abundantly clear to all involved
