Rostov-on-Don, Russia: With no Wayne Rooney and a squad looking for confidence, Manchester United head for the uneven Olimp-2 stadium surface to take on Rostov today 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 colours 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 they have 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 their first trophy under Jose Mourinho with a 3-2 win over Southampton in the League Cup final, United need a strong performance in the first leg in Rostov to open the road to the quarter-finals. That would take them into the draw with the winners from key ties such as Lyon v Roma, the all-German Schalke v Borussia Monchengladbach, Copenhagen v Ajax and Olympiakos v 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 runners-up, to play on the bumpy pitch.
"It's a bad draw in every aspect. It's far and it's difficult," Mourinho said.
"It's far and comes in a very bad period for us, difficult because they're a very difficult team." United won their first trophy under Mourinho when they 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.
