MANCHESTER UNITED (1) v BLACKBURN (1): SEMI FINAL, SECOND LEG
This is perhaps the game that will show the football world just how much the Worthington Cup means to title chasing United. It may also tell Sir Alex Ferguson just how much grit some of his underachieving players have when they go into the red hot atmosphere at a packed Ewood Park.
United's fans and players alike will no doubt be reflecting on a disappointing first leg performance at Old Trafford. It was a match that they may have regarded as a formality but on that night Rovers showed the character of their own manager, Graeme Souness, to hold United to a 1-1 draw that sets up Wednesday's second leg perfectly. And, make no mistake, United old boys Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke will be hoping to put one over on their old boss after not really setting the game alight on their Old Trafford return.
Cole and Yorke are likely to start as Blackburn's attacking duo, though their impact on the game will no doubt benefit from the return of Rovers' flying Irish winger Damien Duff. His left wing runs will certainly give United's right flank a torrid time.
Andy Todd, who was sent off on Saturday for kicking Christophe Dugarry is set to keep his place for the second leg, despite the fact he faces a four-match ban for his indiscretion against the Frenchman.
Manchester United will have Nicky Butt back in the squad and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is fit enough to play despite suffering a knee injury at the weekend.
Of all the players involved for United on Wednesday, Ryan Giggs is probably the one most looking forward to the game at Ewood Park, especially because it is at Ewood Park. Is it any wonder that the Welshman's best form is away from Old Trafford when you consider the treatment he is currently getting from the prawn-sandwich crunchers at the Theatre of Dreams?
It's a safe bet that Graeme Sounesss would sooner see Giggs on the bench or out of the squad completely because he is the one player amongst the star studded OT cast who can turn a game in the twinkle of an eye or a twinkle of those impish feet.
On a player-by-player assessment, United should have too much fire power for Blackburn, but cup-ties are not games that can be determined by reputations and statistics alone. It may be a cliché, but, 'it depends on who is most up for it on the night'. And with two firebrand Scots as opposing managers it will be interesting to see who motivates his side into the Cardiff final. You can be sure that Souness will be saying to his team, 'You did half the job at Old Trafford, now go and finish it off.'
The atmosphere at Ewood Park will be electric and the proper scenario for a rip roaring cup-tie, and I think that Rovers might just edge it to allow United that free run at the title they so crave.
