David Moyes's first taste of the UEFA Champions League as Manchester United FC manager comes against a Bayer 04 Leverkusen side whose coach Sami Hyypiä needs no introduction.

• For United this is their 18th consecutive UEFA Champions League campaign but for Moyes, it is his first taste of the group stage of a competition that the English title holders won twice under his predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson.

• This is also the first UEFA Champions League fixture as a coach for Leverkusen's Sami Hyypiä, a winner as a player with Liverpool FC in 2005.

Previous meetings
• Leverkusen overcame United on away goals when the clubs met for the first time in the 2001/02 semi-finals.

• That tie began with a 2-2 first-leg draw at Old Trafford, United leading twice through a Boris Živković own goal (29) and Ruud van Nistelrooy penalty (67) and Leverkusen responding through Michael Ballack (62) and Oliver Neuville (75). Neuville's 45th-minute equaliser back in Germany cancelled out a Roy Keane goal (28), earning Klaus Toppmöller's Leverkusen a 1-1 draw on the night and victory on away goals.

• Ryan Giggs is the only survivor in either squad of that 2002 meeting at Old Trafford while Phil Neville, now United's first-team coach, was an 18th-minute substitute for his brother Gary. Giggs played in the return leg too, with Phil Neville an unused substitute. Dimitar Berbatov, a future United player, featured in both games for Leverkusen.

• United avenged that defeat by beating Leverkusen home and away in the next season's first group stage. Giggs and Neville played in United's 2-1 away success in September 2002, Van Nistelrooy (31, 44) scoring twice before Berbatov (52) pulled a goal back.

• United then prevailed 2-0 back at Old Trafford, Juan Sebastian Verón (42) and Van Nistelrooy (69) scoring after Jan Šimák's early penalty miss for the visitors. United advanced to the second group stage as section winners, with Leverkusen in second place.

• The lineups for that last encounter in Manchester were:
Manchester United: Ricardo, O'Shea, Blanc (G Neville 77), Ferdinand, Silvestre, Beckham (Solskjær 78), Verón, Fortune, Giggs (Chadwick 81), Scholes, Van Nistelrooy.

Leverkusen: Butt, Živković, Kleine, Ramelow, Sebescen, Balitsch (Preuss 81), Babic, Šimák, Bierofka (Dogan 78), Berbatov (Franca 62), Brdaric.

Match background
• This is United's first European fixture without Sir Alex at the helm since 20 March 1985 when Ron Atkinson's side went out of the UEFA Cup in a quarter-final tie against eventual runners-up Videoton FC in Hungary, losing 1-0 on the night and 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate draw.

• At home in last season's UEFA Champions League, United beat Galatasaray AŞ and SC Braga but lost their last two such fixtures, to CFR 1907 Cluj and Real Madrid CF, the latter result confirming their elimination in the round of 16. The English title holders have won only three of their last nine home fixtures in UEFA competition and have lost four of the last six.

• United's last home encounter with German opposition brought a 4-1 victory over FC Schalke 04 in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, a result that secured a 6-1 aggregate triumph. That was their fifth straight home win against visitors from the Bundesliga – Leverkusen were the last to avoid defeat, in 2001/02 – and their overall record is W7 D3 L2.

• Leverkusen won twice on their travels in last season's UEFA Europa League – at Rosenborg BK and SK Rapid Wien – but also lost at FC Metalist Kharkiv and SL Benfica. The latter defeat, 2-1 in Lisbon, ensured their exit in the round of 32.

• This is Leverkusen's UEFA Champions League third group stage appearance since they faced United in 2002/03. On both subsequent occasions – 2004/05 and 2011/12 – they qualified for the last 16. In the second of those campaigns they were grouped with Chelsea FC, losing 2-0 in London in September 2011 but winning 2-1 at home two months later, Eren Derdiyok (73) and Manuel Friedrich (90) scoring.

• Leverkusen are still seeking a first win in England where their record reads W0 D2 L6.

• United won their second European Cup with a 2-1 victory over FC Bayern München in the 1998/99 final in Barcelona.

Team ties
• Moyes played three matches in the European Champion Clubs' Cup for Celtic FC in 1981 and 1982. As Everton FC manager he contested a third qualifying round tie against Villarreal CF in 2005/06, a 4-2 aggregate defeat.

• Moyes' only previous encounter with German opposition was a 2-0 win at 1. FC Nürnberg in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.

• Hyypiä spent a decade at Liverpool from 1999 to 2009, making 318 Premier League appearances.

• The Finn scored his first goal in English football in Liverpool's 3-2 home loss to United in September 1999 and earned his only red card as a Liverpool player in a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford in April 2003. Hyypiä's last away game as a Liverpool player was a 4-1 triumph at United in March 2009, leaving him with a record at Old Trafford of W4 D0 L5. He was also in the Liverpool side that beat United 2-0 in the 2003 League Cup final.

• Moyes and Hyypiä were involved in ten Merseyside derby fixtures against each other as Everton manager and Liverpool player respectively. Hyppia won five times with Moyes prevailing twice.

• Shinji Kagawa hit the only goal in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win against Leverkusen in February 2012. Overall his record against Leverkusen was W1 D1 L1.

• Derdiyok scored in Switzerland's 2-1 friendly defeat in February 2008 against an England side including Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Young.

• Nani and Emir Spahić were both on the scoresheet when the former's Portugal beat the latter's Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-2 in a UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying play-off in Lisbon.

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2014/matches/round=2000479/match=2011767/prematch/background/index.html

David Moyes and Sir
Alex Ferguson plot Man
Utd Champions League
plans… TOGETHER

Fergie was in the stands at Old Trafford yesterday for the first time since stepping down from the hotseat.
He watched United ease to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, the perfect preparation ahead of Tuesday's opening tie with Bayer Leverkusen. United and Leverkusen are joined by
Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Sociedad in Group A.

Moyes said: “He [Ferguson] said he thinks it’s one of the hardest draws United have ever had in the Champions League.

“If that’s coming from him
[Ferguson] it must be tough.
"We’ve got a German team and a Spanish team.”
Leverkusen are managed by former Liverpool star Sami Hyypia. They finished third in the Bundesliga last season.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/338845/David-Moyes-and-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-plot-Man-Utd-Champions-League-plans-TOGETHER

This will be the first time since 1985 that Manchester United will be in the competition without long-time gaffer, Sir Alex Ferguson, standing on the touchlines and giving orders to the lads. In his place is rookie David
Moyes, who will be making his UEFA Champion League debut in the Red Devils’ opening match with Bayer 04
Leverkusen on Tuesday.

This will be the club’s 18th consecutive appearance in the competition.

The Old Trafford club didn’t
strengthen much in the summer transfer window, with Marouane Fellaini being the only notable addition to the squad. But with their
pedigree in Europe’s premier
competition, no-one will be betting against them to make an impact in this season’s competition. They still have in their ranks the likes of
Dutchman, Robin van Persie, and want-away striker, Wayne Rooney (given a 30-goal target in all club competitions this season by Moyes), who should bang in the goals, though the extent to which these two players can actually play together is questionable.

http://observerreports.com/2013/09/2013-14-uefa-champions-league-gets-underway-7-teams-to-follow-closely/

Each "Like" you click is a shot on target for Manutd.

siddiq202: Like this post if you think Bayer Leverkusen will win

haters will soon like ur post. united all d way

Mazi_Omenuko: Each "Like" you click is a shot on target for Manutd.

Yea, a shot on target to your face

Omo mehn....I don mk frontpage again oo....choooiiiiii....today is the day the lord has made....special thanks to ogun, the god of iron....

Pls, what is manchester united? Is it a new political party?

By the way, nairaland is owned by Oluseun Osewa....haters go die.......8th to comment sha

Manchester United will win this match by 3-1, but i see them struggling to qualify from this group.

Man u already lost. Quote me after the match

I don't wanna see a YOUNG on that pitch.Perfect oppurtunity to start kagawa,4-2-3-1 is what I want to see...

Manchester United till Eternity.. Come on RED DEVILS

Man U 4-0- B Leverkusen

My unscientific prediction based on wishful thinking: Man Utd 1 v. Leverkusen 1

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man united all the way

man u for life

We have few hours go so I took the Liberty to create a Fantasy League for the champions league.


http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/UEFA/15809/clienthome.do

Code: 1328314-509714

This fantasy league suits those with an impeccable knowledge of European football.



https://www.nairaland.com/1439970/nairaland-champions-league-fantasy-football

The match was played since last week and the mighty man united lost by 3goals to 1.
'Catch me if you can' see you man united fans here tonite. #teamozil#

nickz: I don't wanna see a YOUNG on that pitch.Perfect oppurtunity to start kagawa,4-2-3-1 is what I want to see...

Ur head is valid.. Young must not start this match

man united loke!!loke!!!!!!

My boys shall make me a proud fan....UNITED we STAND

United till my blood stop flowing

Glory, Glory Man United
We are the Red Soldiers Marching on.
#GGMU

My boys shall make me a proud fan...UNITED WE STAND

1-1.