Anticipation rises for Bayern and United

The air of excitement was tangible as FC Bayern München coach Louis van Gaal and his Manchester United FC equivalent Sir Alex Ferguson looked ahead to their sides' UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the latter revealing matches of this calibre help maintain his enthusiasm for the job. While Van Gaal professed himself "jealous" of United's resources, Sir Alex was full of respect for the club his sie famously overcame in the 1999 final.

Louis van Gaal, Bayern coach
It's a big match, for both the players and coaches. We enjoyed success against Juventus and Fiorentina but Manchester United are on another level, first class. They have really good organisation – I'm a little bit jealous to be honest. But at home Milan had their chances [against United], and I think we will too. We are not at their level because we do not play at the top of our game week in, week out. Not yet. But over two matches we will hold our own.

Wayne Rooney is a really great player – it will be very difficult to keep him quiet, but we are not afraid of him. We have to play as a team; then we have a chance. We are not favourites but we are at home and we can play very well here. We will do everything we can to get Robben fit but he will only play if he is 100%. I won't risk anything.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Man. United manager
These two teams have a great history; it's matches like this and the chance to play against the best teams in Europe that make me happy to do this job. My team are in good form and hopefully we can get the result we want. I have respect for Bayern, they have really good players and a great coach. We have to be aware of that. We can't think for a second that it will be an easy match. It's going to be very important to score.

Wayne Rooney is one of the best players in the world and has been unbelievable this season; I hope he'll show that again, but we have a lot of other fantastic players. Manchester United are not only Wayne Rooney. I do not know if Robben and Ribéry could play, but we will prepare as if they will. It's important we do, because they're both really special players.

Team news
Bayern
Out: None
Doubtful: Mario Gómez (calf), Arjen Robben (calf)
Suspended: Bastian Schweinsteiger
Misses next match if booked: Danijel Pranjić, Mark van Bommel

• Martín Demichelis returned after several weeks out with a facial injury on Saturday.

• However Robben, a half-time substitute against VfB Stuttgart, picked up a calf problem.

Man. United
Out: Anderson (knee), Wes Brown (metatarsal), John O'Shea (thigh), Michael Owen (hamstring)
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: Nemanja Vidić

• Jonny Evans returned after a knee injury on Saturday.

• Although former Bayern player Owen Hargreaves is nearing fitness after more than a year out with a knee injury, he is not in United's UEFA Champions League squad.

Weekend results
27/03/2010 Bayern 1-2 VfB Stuttgart
(Olić 32; Träsch 41, Marica 50)

• Bayern lost their Bundesliga lead to FC Schalke 04 after suffering their first home league defeat of 2009/10.

• Last Wednesday Bayern earned a place in the German Cup final against Werder Bremen on 15 May after Robben's goal secured a 1-0 win at Schalke.

27/03/2010 Bolton Wanderers FC 0-4 Man. United
(Samuel og 38, Berbatov 69 78, Gibson 82)

• Dimitar Berbatov's first two-goal Premier League haul for United kept them a point clear of Chelsea FC at the top.

• Jlloyd Samuel's opener was the 11th own goal United have benefited from in the Premier League this season.

Background
• The only English club to have won a competitive game at Bayern are Norwich City FC, 2-1 victors at the old Olympiastadion in the UEFA Cup second round in 1993/94. United drew twice and lost once at that stadium.

• Michael Owen has scored as many UEFA Champions League goals in Germany this season as Bayern thanks to his hat-trick in United's 3-1 group win at VfL Wolfsburg.

Team Ties
• Hans-Jörg Butt and Berbatov were both in the Bayer 04 Leverkusen side that eliminated United in the 2001/02 semi-finals but then lost both first group-stage matches against the same opposition the next season despite a goal from the striker.

• Mark van Bommel played with Ji-Sung Park in the PSV Eindhoven team beaten by AC Milan in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Did you know?
• Bayern have not won a UEFA Champions League quarter-final since beating United in 2001.

Read more on the match in the official UEFA Champions League press kit.