Newsgroup: it.sport.calcio.estero
Titolo: Manchester United v Benfica Stats

STATS
Definitions of terms used:-
Champions League (CL) - only group phase matches and beyond of this 
competition which began in 1992/1993.
Champions Cup/Champions League - all matches played since it began in 
1955/1956 including qualification matches.European matches - all matches 
played in the major European tournaments (Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup, Cup Winners' 
Cup, Champions Cup, Champions League). UEFA Super Cups, Intertoto Cups and 
the old Intercontinental Cup competition are excluded.
Head-to-Head
a.. Manchester United and Benfica have met each other three times in 
European history, with United winning all three encounters.
a.. In 1968, United beat Benfica 4-1 in extra time in the Champions Cup 
final at Wembley. After 90 minutes the score was 1-1 through goals by Bobby 
Charlton and Jaime de Silva Graça. In extra time George Best, Brian Kidd and 
Bobby Charlton led United to a 4-1 victory.
a.. In 1965/1966, Manchester United beat Benfica 3-2 at home and 5-1 away in 
the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.
a.. United are unbeaten at home against Portuguese clubs (five wins, one 
draw).
a.. Overall they have recorded eight wins, two draws and three defeats 
against opponents from Portugal.
a.. Benfica have secured one win in seven visits to England. This sole win 
came in their last visit to England in November 1991 when Benfica beat 
Arsenal 3-1 in extra time at Highbury in the Champions Cup second round.
a.. Overall Benfica have played English opposition 15 times winning three, 
drawing twice and losing 10.
European history
a.. Both teams have won the Champions Cup/Champions League twice.
a.. Manchester United won the 1968 Champions Cup beating Benfica in the 
final. In 1999 United won the Champions League.
a.. Benfica won the Champions Cup two years in a row in 1961 and 1962, 
beating Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
a.. United have 29 seasons of European competition under their belt, 
including 10 in the Champions League.
a.. Benfica have 44 seasons of experience in European competition. However, 
this is only their third Champions League campaign.
a.. In 1994/1995 Benfica were eliminated by AC Milan in the quarter-finals.
a.. In 1998/1999 they were eliminated in the Group stage, finishing second 
in group F to Kaiserslautern.
a.. The Red Devils have played 225 European matches. Benfica have 264 
matches under their belt in European competition.
Current European form
a.. Manchester United have not scored a single goal in each of their last 
four Champions League matches.
a.. This is the worst ever CL streak without scoring by an English club. The 
competition record is a running streak of eight by Deportivo La Coruna.
a.. The last player to score for United in the Champions League main 
tournament was Ruud van Nistelrooy on 23 November 2004 against Olympique 
Lyon.
a.. The Old Trafford club have failed to win their last four CL matches, 
which is one short of the club record set between December 1997 and October 
1998.
a.. Benfica have conceded at least one goal in each of their last six away 
matches in the Champions League.
Player and disciplinary info
a.. Wayne Rooney is suspended following a red card (two bookable offences) 
against Villarreal on 14 September 2005.
a.. Manchester United's squad includes last year's CL top scorer Ruud van 
Nistelrooy.
a.. The Dutch striker has scored 42 times in 49 CL matches.
a.. He will become the seventh player in the current United squad to make 50 
CL appearances, joining Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar 
Solskjær, Roy Keane and Mikael Silvestre.
a.. Last year Van Nistelrooy became top scorer with eight goals from seven 
CL matches.
a.. Gary Neville already has 90 CL matches under his belt. Only Real 
Madrid's Raul (96), Roberto Carlos (93) and David Beckham (91) have more CL 
experience.
a.. Benfica's Nuno Gomes has netted five times in six CL matches.
a.. Giorgios Karagounis is Benfica's most experienced player with 30 CL 
appearances.
Other miscellaneous facts
a.. Last season Manchester United finished third in the Premiership, 
trailing Chelsea and Arsenal.
a.. On Saturday, they suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat against Blackburn 
Rovers.
a.. The result leaves United fifth in the table, ten points behind leaders 
Chelsea.
a.. Benfica won their 31st Portuguese championship last season three points 
clear of FC Porto.
a.. Newly appointed Benfica coach Ronald Koeman won the 1992 Champions Cup 
as a player with Barcelona.
a.. On Friday, Benfica beat FC Penafiel 1-3 in the Portugese League.
a.. Benfica are currently eighth in the Portuguese League, trailing leaders 
FC Porto by six points after five matches.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4282140.stm