The signs appear to be ominous for the Red Devils as they prepare for the Man Utd vs Bayern Munich live stream Champions League 7/4/2010 match at Old Trafford. The unexpected defeat in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal was exacerbated by Rooney’s injury as many held their breath upon seeing the England striker collapse in a heap. On hindsight, the press might not have been wrong to zoom in on the his failing ankle after what happened thereafter. Manchester United have gone on to record a rare seventh defeat in the Premier League to Chelsea soon after. The consequence was ending up trailing the team from Stamford Bridge in the title race. Now they have to overcome a one goal deficit to the Bundesliga leaders. In the past, a similar situation at home would not have caused much concern even without Rooney as the Red Devils had plenty of players capable of filling the gap. But the sobering defeat to Chelsea have magnified the importance of the England striker to the Red Devils’ cause.
Without Rooney, Manchester United looked listless and without purpose. That is one major advantage to Bayern Munich who must now truly believe that they can hold onto their lead in the Champions League quarterfinal. The Germans showed character and courage to come back from the dead back home. There will be an even greater need for more of that in Old Trafford where the atmosphere will be one that is intimidating. The Bundesliga club warmed up for the trip to England by topping their domestic league against Schalke and with a man short for half of the match. Manager Louis Van Gaal will be hoping the situation would be different, but with the same result against the Red Devils.
There will be much for Sir Alex Ferguson to ponder on in the lead-up to the match. The experience against Chelsea would tell him a lot about his side’s ability to cope without his chief striker. In truth, who can really step up to the plate to replace the player who has scored 34 goals for Manchester United this season? Dimitar Berbatov might be a classy player in his own right but has failed to adapt to the tactics that Ferguson leans toward. No other United player has been able to score as freely this season. It might have to lead to a re-think in the summer for Ferguson as well as dipping into the transfer market.