Real Madrid CF vs Manchester United FC wednesday feb 13,2013

Real Madrid CF and Manchester United FC will square off in a much-anticipated last-16 showdown lent extra spice by the presence of Old Trafford old boy Cristiano Ronaldo in the home ranks.

• The sight of Ronaldo facing United for the first time since his departure adds another layer of intrigue to a contest pairing clubs who have met in four previous European Cup ties – with the winners going on to lift the trophy on three occasions.

• It is also an opportunity for José Mourinho to renew his rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson. Although United reached the round of 16 as Group H winners, Group D runners-up Madrid have won eight of their last nine UEFA Champions League home fixtures and can draw further encouragement from the fact United have conceded first in their last five European outings and have won only twice in 20 visits to Spain.

Previous meetings
• Madrid came out on top in three of the clubs' four previous encounters – in the semi-finals in 1956/57 and quarter-finals in 1999/2000 and 2002/03 – with United prevailing in the 1967/68 semi-finals.

• Madrid triumphed 6-5 on aggregate in their most recent encounter. Vicente del Bosque's side emerged 3-1 winners from the first leg at the Bernabéu, Luís Figo and Raúl González (2) scoring before Ruud van Nistelrooy pulled a goal back.

• The Brazilian Ronaldo struck a hat-trick in the Old Trafford return where United fought back to win 4-3 through two goals from substitute David Beckham on a night when Van Nistelrooy and Iván Helguera (own goal) also found the net.

• The lineups from that last meeting on 23 April 2003 were:
Man Utd: Barthez, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre (P Neville 79), Verón (Beckham 63), Butt, Keane (Fortune 82), Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Solskjær.
Madrid: Casillas, Salgado, Hierro, Helguera, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, McManaman (Portillo 69), Figo (Pavón 88), Makelele, Ronaldo (Solari 67), Guti.

• In the 1999/2000 quarter-finals, eventual champions Madrid advanced 3-2 on aggregate as they followed up a goalless home draw by taking a 3-0 lead in Manchester through Roy Keane's own goal and a Raúl double, before Beckham and Paul Scholes replied for the then holders. Ryan Giggs and Iker Casillas also featured.

• United have a history of comebacks in this fixture. After George Best had scored the only goal of their 1967/68 semi-final first leg at Old Trafford, they trailed Madrid 3-1 at half-time in the return but goals by David Sadler and Bill Foulkes earned a 4-3 aggregate victory and United went on to lift the trophy for the first time.

• Madrid won the first-ever meeting 5-3 on aggregate to reach the 1956/57 final. The Merengues overcame Matt Busby's men 3-1 at home and then led 2-0 away before United battled back to 2-2.

Match background
• Madrid have already got the better of United's neighbours in this season's group stage. Mourinho's side earned a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Manchester City FC at home on matchday one, Ronaldo delivering the 90th-minute winner, then drew 1-1 away.

• The Spanish champions' home record against England clubs is W6 D4 L2. The last English visitors to beat them were Liverpool FC, 1-0 victors at this stage in 2008/09.

• United exited last term's UEFA Europa League after home and away defeats by Athletic Club, and also lost their most recent UEFA Champions League encounter with Liga opposition – 3-1 against FC Barcelona in the 2011 final at Wembley.

• United's record away to Liga clubs is W2 D8 L10. Their last success came at Valencia CF in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage, Javier Hernández scoring the only goal.

• Madrid lost the 1981 European Champion Clubs' Cup final to Liverpool and the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup final to Chelsea FC.

• United lost UEFA Champions League finals against Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 having beaten the same opponents in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup final.

• Sir Alex oversaw Aberdeen FC's 2-1 defeat of Madrid in the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup final – his first continental trophy.

Team ties
• Mourinho has faced United twice before at this stage of the UEFA Champions League, starting with Porto's success in the 2003/04 round of 16 en route to winning the trophy. A side including Ricardo Carvalho earned a 2-1 advantage at home before securing a 3-2 aggregate win as Costinha cancelled out a Scholes goal with a 90th-minute equaliser in Manchester.

• Mourinho's FC Internazionale Milano lost to United in the 2008/09 last 16. After a goalless first leg, Inter succumbed 2-0 at Old Trafford, Nemanja Vidić and Ronaldo scoring.

• In between, Mourinho enjoyed a good run of results against United as Chelsea manager, his Stamford Bridge reign starting with a 1-0 home victory over Sir Alex's United on 15 August 2004. During three years in London, Mourinho's record against United was W5 D4 L1, with the FA Community Shield in August 2007 counting as a draw having finished 1-1 before United prevailed on penalties.

• Mourinho's Chelsea team, including Michael Essien, were 1-0 extra-time winners against United in the 2007 FA Cup final. Rio Ferdinand, Vidić, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Wayne Rooney all played for United.

• Ronaldo spent six seasons with United between 2003 and 2009. He scored 118 goals in 292 games, winning one UEFA Champions League and three Premier League titles, as well as one FA Cup and two League Cups.

• Ronaldo played in two UEFA Champions League finals with United. He scored in the 1-1 draw against Carvalho and Essien's Chelsea in Moscow in 2008, where United triumphed on penalties although Ronaldo failed from the spot. Twelve months later, his final United appearance ended in defeat by Barcelona in Rome.

• Essien was in the Olympique Lyonnais side that met United in the 2004/05 group stage, earning a 2-2 home draw before a 2-1 away loss.

• Xabi Alonso had to wait until his fifth and final season with Liverpool, 2008/09, before tasting victory over United – his solitary success in seven attempts. Álvaro Arbeloa lost all three games against United as a Liverpool player.

• Luka Modrić won none of his eight meetings with United while at Tottenham Hotspur FC between 2008 and 2012. In his first campaign he lost the League Cup final on penalties and scored to put Spurs 2-0 up at Old Trafford in a league match they eventually lost 5-2.

• Kaká was in the Milan side that overcame United in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League round of 16 and, two seasons later, scored three goals as Milan defeated United 5-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

• As a Club Atlético de Madrid player, David de Gea conceded 11 goals in five straight derby losses to the Merengues.

• Spain's Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Alonso won the 2010 FIFA World Cup final at the expense of Robin van Persie's Netherlands. The following season Van Persie faced Barcelona with Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, scoring in a 2-1 first-leg victory but receiving a red card in a 3-1 second-leg defeat.

• Wayne Rooney was in the England side beaten 4-1 by Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil's Germany in the round of 16 of the 2010 World Cup. Khedira and Özil had previously helped Germany win the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a 4-0 final triumph over England in which Özil scored.

• Jonny Evans's Northern Ireland frustrated Ronaldo and Pepe's Portugal in a 1-1 2014 World Cup qualifying draw in Porto in October.

• Brazil's Rafael made his senior international debut in a May 2012 friendly against Denmark alongside Marcelo.