When Manchester United met Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals seven years ago, they put on one of the best European performances under Sir Alex Ferguson, winning 4-0 at Old Trafford, but the United boss is not expecting a similar result at the Estadio do Dragao tonight.
Porto have a formidable home record at their new stadium - Real Madrid are the only side who have left the coastal town with a victory this season - and Saturday's 3-0 triumph over Vitoria Guimaraes gave the Portuguese league leaders a seven-point advantage over nearest domestic rivals Sporting Lisbon.
Going into his 100th Champions League game with Manchester United, as they look to secure their place in the quarter finals for an impressive eighth successive season, Sir Alex said: "The tournament accelerates when it gets to the knockout stage."
"I first came to Porto with Aberdeen in 1984 and they have been winning championships ever since. We beat them in the quarter-finals seven years ago but they have a stronger side now than they had then. This one is more aggressive and has a far higher workrate, so we have to respect them. They are an attacking side and they will want to win their home game, so we expect them to come at us at some point."
His opposite number, Jose Mourinho, was equally respectful of a side that has an almost unrivalled experience of European competition in recent years.
Manchester United are one of the top teams in Europe," said the Porto coach. "They have an unbelievable squad with players like Ryan Giggs, who could play for any team in England, Italy or Spain.
"Ruud van Nistelrooy's goalscoring statistics leave you with your mouth open while Roy Keane is the soul and spirit of the team. But we have a lot of quality as well and I believe we have at least an equal chance of going through."
Some would give Porto better odds than that, given United's recent stuttering form and the injury crisis their manager has been dealt. Ferguson has admitted his team must focus on attacking in Porto, rather than trying to come away with a 0-0 draw (as they did in the second leg seven years ago, with the tie already wrapped up). The United boss insists that, despite having to consider his options carefully, they will cope without the likes of Mikael Silvestre.
"It is important that we try to score," said the long-serving United chief. "We have had one or two 0-0's in the past and it is not a comfortable situation to be in. You never feel as though you have achieved a result that makes you happy. That is why our main job will be to try and score and hope that gets us a result.
"No-one likes to lose their best players," he added. "But we know it is part of the modern game, that is why we have strong squads. We have very good players who will fill in, so we will cope."
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