Champions League Group C preview: Benfica to test United

Manchester United face a testing opener to their Champions League Group C campaign on Wednesday, away to Portugal side Benfica.

The English champions have started the Premier League season in a blaze of glory.

After struggling first-up to overcome West Brom 2-1 at the Hawthorns, United have been on a rampage since then – carving up Tottenham 3-0, Arsenal 8-2 and, most recently, Bolton 5-0 at the Reebok Stadium.

Star striker Wayne Rooney is in career-best form, with eight goals from his first four games, but Sir Alex Ferguson has worries on the injury front.

Danny Welbeck’s hamstring issue has seen him join long-term casualties Nemanja Vidic (calf), Rafael da Silva (shoulder) and Darron Gibson (ankle) on the outer.

Midfielder Tom Cleverley is out for a month after injuring ligaments in his foot at Bolton, while defenders Patrice Evra and Jonny Evans are also under injury clouds.

Benfica, meanwhile, have started the Portuguese league season in solid form of their own.

Last season’s Liga Sagres runners-up to all-conquering Porto drew 2-2 with Gil Vicente on the opening day but have followed that result up with wins over Feirense, Nacional and Vitoria Guimaraes.

Ferguson expects a tough test in Lisbon against the 1960-61 and 1961-62 European champions.

“The opening game is the toughest for us. Benfica are always a handful and we always expect a difficult game,” Ferguson said.

“I watched a couple of their games away from home last season and they were absolutely brilliant.”

“The important thing is to qualify. Benfica away from home is the kind of game you have to respect.”

Group C’s other match on Wednesday sees Swiss club Basel host Romanian champions, and Champions league debutants, Oletel Galati.