AaB vs Man Utd

AaB vs Man Utd

MATCH PREVIEW

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - When Bruce Rioch became manager of Middlesbrough in 1986 Alex Ferguson had not even begun his glittering reign at Manchester United.More than two decades later their paths will cross on Tuesday when United travel to Denmark to face Rioch's Aalborg BK in a Champions League clash that they dare not lose.Their respective journeys to this point in their careers could not have been more different.While Rioch has been employed by seven clubs since leaving Middlesbrough in 1990, with varying degrees of success, Ferguson has become king of Old Trafford and one of the greatest managers of all time.Ferguson has won 10 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups in his 21 years at the helm. Former Scotland captain Rioch has pitched up at Millwall, Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal, Norwich City, Wigan Athletic and Odense.The 61-year-old was the last manager of Arsenal before Arsene Wenger arrived and while his season in charge was disappointing he will always be remembered as the man who signed Dutch maestro Dennis Bergkamp for the Gunners.It has been a low-profile existence for Rioch, but on Tuesday he will get the chance to share the spotlight and turn up the heat on European champions United who have begun the defence of their crown poorly.While Danish champions Aalborg won plaudits for drawing their opening Group E fixture against Celtic in Glasgow with 10 men, United struggled to a 0-0 draw with Villarreal at Old Trafford. They desperately need a win to kickstart their campaign.Rioch can boast victories on his previous two home fixtures against Ferguson's United, one with Middlesbrough and one with Arsenal and he is relishing the challenge of continuing that record after drawing with Celtic."We've put the cat among the pigeons already" Rioch said in British newspapers in the build-up to Tuesday's match at the club's modest 16,000-seater stadium.United, who lost the last time they played in Denmark two years ago to FC Copenhagen, will be boosted by the return to fitness and form of Cristiano Ronaldo.The Portuguese has scored in United's last two games and will be key for Ferguson if the English champions are to become the first team to retain the Champions League.United have managed just six goals in five Premier League games so far this season, with big-money signing Dimitar Berbatov still to get off the mark.However, Ferguson believes the Bulgarian will soon start to repay a £30 million price tag that illustrates the gulf between themselves and Aalborg."You don't need to pass to him in space all the time," Ferguson told United's website after his team beat Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. "You can pass to him when he's marked - he's brilliant at that and he produced some great moments. His touch was fantastic at times."Berbatov will probably partner Wayne Rooney in attack after the England striker came off the bench to score against Bolton.Owen Hargreaves and Gary Neville are United's only big-name absentees for the clash. Hargreaves is struggling again with a knee injury that has bothered him since his arrival from Bayern Munich last season and has been left at home for more treatment. However, Neville's absence was not immediately explained by United officials.The Red Devils captain seemed to come through Saturday's win over Bolton unscathed after almost 18 months on the sidelines following major ankle surgery, plus hamstring and calf trouble.His absence probably means an immediate recall for Wes Brown.