Villarreal new boy Ariel Ibagaza insists they can beat Manchester United on their own turf as they prepare for Wednesday's Champions League opener against the European champions.
The former Mallorca captain, who moved to Villarreal in the summer, made his debut in Sunday's 1-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna and is confident that his side can get a similar result at Old Trafford.
"We go into this match with the intention to win it," Ibagaza told the Primera Liga club's official website.
"We know that it will be a very difficult game against an opponent who play very well, who are going to make things very difficult for us.
"But we are going there with the idea that we are going to get some points, that it is possible to win, and to get to the knockout stages."
Villarreal's bid to get something from Old Trafford has been hindered by the fact that first-choice strikers Nihat Kahveci and former United striker Guiseppe Rossi are still sidelined.
However, former Arsenal winger Robert Pires has regained fitness and could feature in Wednesday's contest.
Their chances seemingly decreased still further with the news that Cristiano Ronaldo could make his return to the United side, but Ibagaza believes his side can still take points off the European champions.
"Beyond the good players that our opponents have, which are many, what's good is that we continue on our form and take advantage of our chances, which we will have."
Villarreal faced United in the group stages in the 2005-06 tournament, the one and only time they have been in the competition.
Both games ended goaless but the Yellow Submarine enjoyed a stunning campaign, beating Rangers and Inter Milan on their way to the semi-finals, where they lost to Arsenal. |
發表於 2008-9-16 03:44 AM
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