United out to compound Oţelul woes
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Article summary
Manchester United FC will look to secure a second successive win against FC Oţelul Galaţi when the Romanian newcomers make their first visit to England for this Group C encounter.
Article top media content
![Ashley Young's late header saved United from defeat against Basel on matchday two Ashley Young's late header saved United from defeat against Basel on matchday two](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/01f5-0ea37bd8faeb-57e0b568c5c2-1000/format/wide1/ashley_young_stoops_to_head_in_united_s_equaliser_in_an_extraordinary_game_at_old_trafford.jpeg?imwidth=158)
Article body
Manchester United FC will look to continue their climb up the Group C table by claiming a second victory against FC Oţelul Galaţi.
• United got their first win of this campaign by beating the tournament newcomers 2-0 in Bucharest on matchday three, Wayne Rooney scoring both goals from the penalty spot. It was a result that lifted the Red Devils into second place and left Oţelul rooted to the foot of the table and still seeking their first UEFA Champions League point.
Match background
• After needing a late equaliser to salvage a point against FC Basel 1893 in their opening home fixture, United will look to get back to winning ways at Old Trafford against Oţelul. Sir Alex Ferguson's men have a formidable home record in the UEFA Champions League, with just one defeat in their last 33 outings at Old Trafford dating back to 2005.
• Including UEFA Intertoto Cup ties and UEFA Cup qualifying rounds, Oţelul have played 11 away matches in Europe and their record reads: W2 D2 L7. Their only previous visit to a European Cup-winning side brought a 5-0 defeat at Juventus in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup first round.
• While the two fixtures against United are Oţelul's first encounters with a team from England, United have faced Romanian opposition once before, beating FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round in 2004/05.
• Ryan Giggs scored United's opening goal in a 2-1 first-leg win on 11 August 2004 at Bucharest's old National Stadium. Darren Fletcher also played and, unlike Giggs, also featured in the return at Old Trafford where Alan Smith (2) and David Bellion's goals secured a 3-1 victory.
Team ties
• Oţelul may have no prior experience against English sides but their coach Dorinel Munteanu enjoyed two high-profile successes against England in his long playing career with Romania. He scored in a 3-2 success against England at UEFA EURO 2000 – a result that sent Romania into the quarter-finals at England's expense. Munteanu had earlier played in his country's 2-1 defeat of the English at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
• Munteanu played against Giggs in Romania's 5-1 defeat of Wales in a World Cup qualifier in May 1992. The pair met again when Romania prevailed 2-1 in the Cardiff return to qualify for the finals ahead of Wales.
• Oţelul's coach scored two goals for 1. FC Köln in an 8-0 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur FC in a UEFA Intertoto Cup tie in July 1995.
• Sir Alex visited Romania with Aberdeen FC in the 1981/82 UEFA Cup second round, earning a 2-2 draw – and with it a 5-2 aggregate win – against the club now called FC 2005 SA Arges.
• Chris Smalling hit an 83rd-minute winner for England as they claimed a 2-1 home victory against a Romania side including Ionuţ Neagu and Cornel Râpă in a UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off match in Norwich on 8 October 2010. Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck were also in the England team who earned a 0-0 draw in the second leg in Botosani, where Râpă again featured and Neagu was an unused substitute.
• Dimitar Berbatov scored for Tottenham in a 3-1 home win against Dinamo Bucureşti in the UEFA Cup group stage in December 2006.
• Sorin Frunză played for FC Unirea Urziceni in their home (0-1) and away (1-3) defeats by Liverpool FC in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League round of 32.