Aalborg, Aalborg
Tuesday 30 September 2008 – 20.45CET
Group E – Matchday 2

Should Aalborg BK pull off the seemingly impossible and beat UEFA Champions League holders Manchester United FC in their Group E encounter on Tuesday, then their coach Bruce Rioch believes it will send “an earthquake” through the whole of Denmark.
Excitable mood
Rioch was in excitable mood as he spoke on the eve of AaB’s first meeting with United, describing it as the biggest match in the Danish club’s history and one which has been on everyone’s mind in this small northern city ever since the draw was made in Monaco last month. There will be a heated atmosphere inside the compact 10,000-seat Aalborg Stadium, and if AaB prevail, Rioch predicts the noise generated will be so loud it will be heard across the country. “This is a massive game and has got the whole city buzzing,” he enthused. “It will be a tough evening for us but if we do win our supporters are sure to go crazy. It will be like an earthquake going off – everyone in Denmark will feel it.”

Poor form
Winning, however, is easier said than done. AaB go into this match on the back of a poor start to their domestic season. The Superligaen champions have taken just seven points from their first eight games, sitting one place above the relegation zone, although they did reach the Danish Cup quarter-finals by beating Brønshøj BK on Friday. But Rioch is not concerned, especially after the encouraging draw at Celtic FC in his native Scotland a fortnight ago. “I’ve told my players to enjoy this game and they’re ready,” he added. “We’re going to try and play football. I’ve never once sent a team out which I haven’t thought can get a result, and I won’t start now.” There are no fresh injury concerns for Rioch, although Michael Jakobsen serves a one-match suspension.

No hangover
The holders travelled to Scandinavia in the wake of Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanders FC, only their second Premier League win of the campaign, yet without Gary Neville and Owen Hargreaves. After the goalless home draw with Villarreal CF on Matchday 1, Sir Alex was left to fend off accusations that his side are suffering a hangover after last term’s fantastic achievements at home and abroad. “Villarreal got us at a good time, when we were still advancing towards our best form. I think we’re in much better shape now,” he said. “The players realise how important qualifying for the next stage is. We have a difficult game on Tuesday because they will be well-motivated and will have fantastic support, so we have to handle these things and hopefully get the right result.

Berbatov hope
“The most important thing is that Aalborg get our respect. We must make sure we don’t fall into any traps and play to our best level,” added Sir Alex, who hopes Dimitar Berbatov can finally register his first goal for the club following his €38m deadline-day move from Tottenham Hotspur FC. “Dimitar showed in patches against Bolton what he can do and once the players fully realise how good his movement is, I’m sure everything will click for him and he’ll get goals for us,” he said.

O’Shea targets repeat success
Many Manchester United FC players have spoken this season about their desire to become the first club to retain the UEFA Champions League trophy since AC Milan in 1990 – but perhaps nobody craves that ambition more than John O’Shea.

Moscow disappointment
The Irish international was in Moscow when United secured their third European Champion Clubs’ Cup in May, yet played no part in the penalties victory over Chelsea FC having to watch the drama from the substitutes’ bench. That prompted rumours over the summer that the 27-year-old, part of the first-team squad at Old Trafford since 2001, could move on for regular football. However, O’Shea has remained and is now targeting a more influential role in United’s latest European campaign, believing like his team-mates that the side can indeed win back-to-back titles.

‘Major challenge’
“It would be special if we retained the European Cup – very few sides have done that in the past,” said the defender cum midfield anchor. “It is a major challenge but that is what Manchester United is all about, facing major challenges and taking them on. The first thing we have to do is get through the group stage and if we do, then I feel we have as good a chance as any side to win the tournament. We’ll need to play well and have a bit of luck on the way, but the target is there.”

Tricky tie
Qualifying for the last 16 has become trickier for United than first imagined when the Group E draw was made. The unexpected home stalemate with Villarreal CF two weeks ago means Sir Alex Ferguson’s side cannot afford many more slip-ups – and they now face an Aalborg BK team who showed by holding Celtic FC that they are not here merely to make up the numbers. “The result they got against Celtic was an eye-opener for us, it showed just how competitive and compact they are,” added O’Shea. “There is sure to be a great atmosphere, we just have to use our experience and make sure we quieten the crowd down.”

Greatest result
Trying to make sure those in attendance at the Aalborg Stadion remain in good voice will be home captain Thomas Augustinussen, who says a success against United would rank as the greatest result in his club’s history. “Our team motto is ‘always play to win’ and that is what we’ll be trying to do against United,” said the midfielder. “No one thought we could get a point from Celtic but we did, and now we want to make even bigger history for this club. We would do that even by getting just a point on Tuesday.”