Higuain wary of United threat

Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain says his side want a clean sheet as well as a win against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Real hosts United in the round of 16 tie at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs over two legs.

Argentina international Higuain knows United are among the heavyweights in the knockout stages, and wants to avoid conceding at home to maximise Madrid’s chances of progression.

“I think it’s quite a compact team,” he said.

“They (United) always get through to the final stages in European competitions and there’s a reason why. We will have to be on our guard.

“Our aim is to win the match and if we can keep a clean sheet, then that’s even better. We know that an away goal in this competition can be important.”

Former United player Cristiano Ronaldo is sure to steal the spotlight from Real’s array of attacking talent in the build-up to the clash, but Higuain declined to single out their biggest threat.

“It’s difficult to choose, because I think that a team has to have everything to be a competitive side,” he said when asked about Real’s strengths.

“We have individual quality and we can be dangerous on the counterattack, but I couldn’t name one thing, because a top level team has to have everything.”