Ronaldo could meet Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo could face Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League after Manchester United secured top spot.The 23-year-old Port
ugal winger, the subject of much publicised but ultimately unsuccessful interest from Madrid over the summer, sat out last night's game with a hip injury as the Red Devils secured first place in Group E.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side could only manage a 2-2 draw at home to Aalborg but it was, nevertheless, a record-equalling 19th unbeaten Champions League game and earns them home advantage for the second leg of the first knockout rou
nd next spring.
The prospect of playing the Spanish champions in the last 16 was brought to Ferguson's attention last night after his side assured top spot.
The Scot has been at loggerheads for most of the year with Madrid over their pursuit of Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, with president Ramon Calderon singled out for most of Ferguson's ire.
"That would be a nice party wouldn't it?" he said of a potential trip to the Bernabeu in late February.
"I look forward to tea and biscuits with Ramon Calderon."
Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon and Lyon are other possible opponents for the holders after all finished second in their respective groups.
Madrid, who thumped UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg 3-0 at the Bernabeu last night in Juande Ramos' first game at the helm, missed out to Juventus for top spot in Group H despite the Bianconeri being held to a goalless draw by minnows BATE Borisov.
Other than a potential clash with United in the last 16, former Sevilla and Tottenham coach Ramos faces the possibility of meeting three competition winners over the past eight years in Liverpool (2005), Porto (2004) and Bayern Munich (2001) as well as Sporting Lisbon, Roma or Panathinaikos.
Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic admitted he would prefer to see his side drawn against the Greek outfit.
"I don't want t
o be disrespectful to anybody, because they are all great teams and they have proven it, but if I had to chose one, perhaps it would be Panathinaikos," he said.
Pana pipped Inter to the number one position in Group B on Tuesday night with a 1-0 home victory over Anorthosis Famagusta while Jose Mourinho's side lost 2-1 at Werder Bremen.
Mourinho could next find his troops up against his former team Porto, who he led to Champions League glory four years ago before immediately departing for Chelsea.
The Portuguese could also potentially be set to return to another former stomping ground in Barcelona, where he worked as an interpreter in the early 1990s. The Spanish champions topped Group C despite Tuesday's 3-2 defeat at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Cristiano Ronaldo could face Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League after Manchester United secured top spot.The 23-year-old Port
ugal winger, the subject of much publicised but ultimately unsuccessful interest from Madrid over the summer, sat out last night's game with a hip injury as the Red Devils secured first place in Group E.Sir Alex Ferguson's side could only manage a 2-2 draw at home to Aalborg but it was, nevertheless, a record-equalling 19th unbeaten Champions League game and earns them home advantage for the second leg of the first knockout rou
nd next spring.The prospect of playing the Spanish champions in the last 16 was brought to Ferguson's attention last night after his side assured top spot.
The Scot has been at loggerheads for most of the year with Madrid over their pursuit of Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, with president Ramon Calderon singled out for most of Ferguson's ire.
"That would be a nice party wouldn't it?" he said of a potential trip to the Bernabeu in late February.
"I look forward to tea and biscuits with Ramon Calderon."
Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Sporting Lisbon and Lyon are other possible opponents for the holders after all finished second in their respective groups.
Madrid, who thumped UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg 3-0 at the Bernabeu last night in Juande Ramos' first game at the helm, missed out to Juventus for top spot in Group H despite the Bianconeri being held to a goalless draw by minnows BATE Borisov.
Other than a potential clash with United in the last 16, former Sevilla and Tottenham coach Ramos faces the possibility of meeting three competition winners over the past eight years in Liverpool (2005), Porto (2004) and Bayern Munich (2001) as well as Sporting Lisbon, Roma or Panathinaikos.
Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic admitted he would prefer to see his side drawn against the Greek outfit.
"I don't want t
o be disrespectful to anybody, because they are all great teams and they have proven it, but if I had to chose one, perhaps it would be Panathinaikos," he said.Pana pipped Inter to the number one position in Group B on Tuesday night with a 1-0 home victory over Anorthosis Famagusta while Jose Mourinho's side lost 2-1 at Werder Bremen.
Mourinho could next find his troops up against his former team Porto, who he led to Champions League glory four years ago before immediately departing for Chelsea.
The Portuguese could also potentially be set to return to another former stomping ground in Barcelona, where he worked as an interpreter in the early 1990s. The Spanish champions topped Group C despite Tuesday's 3-2 defeat at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.
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