Ferguson dreaming of another Barca final showdown

Sir Alex Ferguson is already dreaming of another Champions League final showdown with Barcelona as Manchester United prepare to return to the European stage at Besiktas on Tuesday.

It is four months since Ferguson’s team lost their grip on the Champions League trophy after losing to Barca in the final of Europe’s elite club competition.

United, the 2008 winners, were comprehensively out-played as Pep Guardiola’s side, displaying all the nimble footwork and mesmerising movement that has become their trademark, cruised to a 2-0 victory in Rome.

But Ferguson is driven by a burning desire to see United match the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Ajax, who have all won more than the Old Trafford outfit’s three European Cups.

On the eve of United’s opening Champions League fixture in Turkey, Ferguson revealed he knows exactly what went wrong against Barca after spending some of his close-season holiday studying a DVD of the match.

After pin-pointing the problem areas, the United manager is convinced his team would be able to get revenge if they meet the Spanish club in this season’s final in Madrid.

“I would love the chance to redress the situation with Barcelona. Absolutely. I would love another final with them,” Ferguson said.

“You don’t like losing finals of European games. It was the first one I have lost so it was really disappointing for everyone.

“We’re now quite clear about where it went wrong and that’s always helpful. There were valid reasons and so we were able to move on.

“I wouldn’t go into the reasons for the defeat but I did take the DVDs with me on holiday and watched the game again.

“We went through everything too, with my backroom staff. The whole build-up. Everything. Was it the right hotel? Was the training right? So we are quite clear about where we are now with that defeat.

“It’s not a problem. What went wrong against Barcelona can be put right.”

United will be confident of advancing towards another clash with Barca after being drawn in a relatively undaunting group containing Besiktas, CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg.

A trip to Turkey is often been a hostile and painful experience for United after their infamous European Cup exit to Galatasaray in 1994 and a defeat at Fenerbahce in 2004.

Ferguson acknowledges the passion of the Turkish fans but expects United to rise to the occasion.

“There’s a lot to be admired in that, their fanaticism,” Ferguson added. “You expect that. The stadium is full at 12 o’clock on the day. It’s amazing how they make that noise but you just have to deal with it.

“The Champions League is the priority. It’s a great tournament, with all the best players and teams.”

Besiktas goalkeeper Rustu Recber has no doubts that his club’s supporters will provide a volatile atmosphere at the Inonu Stadium.

“The level of hostility at the Inonu is unique. United have been to Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, but the Besiktas fans are in a league of their own,” Rustu told the Daily Mirror.

“They are the noisiest, the most passionate, and they stay with the team for 90 minutes.

“The noise is incredible. It will be a new experience even for those United players who think they have seen everything. Our fans can really make it hell.”