Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Manchester United will create chances against Roma in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg.

United trail 2-1 from the first leg but Ferguson believes his side are in a strong position to turn that around.

"We do recover from defeats and usually we recover well. Our attacking impetus will be much stronger than it was in Rome," he told the club's website.

"We will make opportunities, and if we take them we have a great chance."

Ferguson is also confident that keeper Edwin van der Sar will perform well despite his recent errors which contributed to United's defeat in the first leg as well as Saturday's loss to Portsmouth.

"Edwin has the experience. He knows how to deal with it," said the United boss.

"You don't get 120 caps for your country without being able to handle situations like that. He'll be OK."

Van der Sar has not been helped by playing behind an unsettled back four as United struggle with injuries.

Captain Gary Neville and central defender Nemanja Vidic will once again be missing against Roma on Tuesday.

However, Ferguson remains confident that United can come through - especially with the backing of the Old Trafford crowd.

"Over the years, all the great sides have been here and the atmosphere has always been fantastic," he said. "We expect that again tomorrow.

"I loved the atmosphere in Rome. I could play those games every week.

"Hopefully our fans can repeat that kind of noise and we will be OK because the players have proved they have the character to meet this kind of challenge."

United striker Wayne Rooney is backing team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo to star on Tuesday.

"At the minute, Cristiano is by far the best player in the world," said Rooney.

"His performances have been unbelievable. He is winning games on his own this season. He has been unbelievable.

"Hopefully he can work some of his magic tomorrow and get us into the semi-finals."

BBC News

Manchester United 7 AS Roma 1

Agg: 8-3

This was one of those enchanted evenings that Manchester United supporters fantasise about, when the self-styled Theatre of Dreams lived up to its name, and when one of Europe's most vaunted opponents were brutally put to the sword. Not only did Sir Alex Ferguson's pacey passion-players race to their biggest European win in 39 years, but they conjured up a sublime performance that will live even longer in the memory.

Rampant United tear Roma apart
Mercurial: Manchester United's Ronaldo celebrates Roma's fall



This was one of those magical nights when it seemed every United touch turned to gold, when every move brought a goal, a remarkable hour and a half of relentless attacking when the outstanding Michael Carrick and Cristiano Ronaldo both bagged braces, and when Wayne Rooney, Alan Smith and even little Patrice Evra scored. Rome wasn't built in a day, but it took only 90 minutes to destroy Roma's defence.

This was one of those games when fans ran through the record books, let alone the songbooks, when they took photographs of the scoreboard as a reminder that seven goals were indeed put past a side who had entered the quarter-finals with the best defensive record around.

This was one of those routs when United were in such command that Ferguson was signing autographs even before the final whistle confirmed passage to a semi-final against either AC Milan or Owen Hargreaves' Bayern Munich, at Old Trafford on April 24 and in the shadow of the Alps on May 2.

Victory was made all the sweeter following last week's troubled trip to the Olympic Stadium where United fans were baton-charged by police, but at least they came away with Rooney's away goal. For a lover of Westerns like Ferguson, last night was a case of The Magnificent Seven following The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.

So Ferguson's pursuit of a craved second European Cup continues apace, this astonishing triumph moving him to within 270 minutes of true greatness. His players filled the headlines, and their boots, but this was a script with one author: Ferguson set United up so well temperamentally and tactically that Roma were swept away.

Ferguson had called for "a cauldron of noise'', and the fans certainly did not disappoint, screaming exhortations from the first whistle. A wave of emotion washed down from the terraces, crashing all over the stunned Italians, goal after goal flying past Doni, their Brazilian keeper.

How the majority of the 74,476 revelled in this remarkable performance, glorying in the sight of their team looking world-beaters. Missing regulars like Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic and Paul Scholes, United were certainly not lacking in passion and understudies like Darren Fletcher excelled, constantly biting into tackles on the brittle visitors. Avi Glazer picked the right time to leave the family bunker in Florida and visit his family's famous overseas investment.

United's nervy weekend display at Fratton Park seemed a world away, a distant planet, from the devastating attacking that accounted for Roma here. The Italians drowned in a cauldron of English adrenalin. First came Carrick after 11 minutes, setting the scene for an extraordinary evening with a majestic strike. The creative catalyst was Ronaldo, who cut in from the right, eluding Alessandro Mancini, but rather than continue on a mazy run, the Portuguese cleverly slipped the ball inside to Carrick, who brilliantly chipped Doni: 1-0.

The poacher turned goal-maker moments later. Carrick rolled the ball wide to Gabriel Heinze and suddenly red shirts were flooding forward from every angle, teeming with menacing intent. Heinze found Ryan Giggs, who elegantly transferred the ball towards Smith, a blur of movement down the centre. Cristian Chivu, belying his experience, failed to cut the ball out, and Smith was through. Doni advanced but Smith was too focused, too determined.

He had waited 15 months for his first European start, and such a committed footballer who lives for football, whose idol was Francesco Totti, was driven by a huge desire to make life uncomfortable for Totti's team. Smith's finish was emphatic, superbly placed past Doni: 2-0. And to think that Smith almost joined Cardiff City on loan after Christmas.

There was more, thrillingly so. Ronaldo and Smith combined, Giggs crossed and there was Rooney, angling a shot across Doni: 3-0. The party really got started. With goals from three Englishmen, no wonder the watching Steve McClaren wore a huge grin. Romans were being devoured by lions. Then England's World Cup nemesis took centre stage. Ronaldo collected the ball from the lively Giggs, and caught Doni cold at his near-post: 4-0. United's glee club chanted "attack, attack, attack'', their words brimming with irony.

Telegraph.co.uk