Fergie: We must learn from last season

Sir Alex Ferguson is not usually prone to looking backwards but the Manchester United manager admitted last night that memories of last season's Champions League exit to Benfica will drive his players on tonight.

A 2-1 setback in the Stadium of Light a year ago sent United tumbling out of Europe at the group stages for the first time in a decade and Ferguson knows that another defeat against the Portuguese champions tonight will hand him a similar embarrassment.

United's Premiership form suggests that Ferguson's team will secure the single point they need tonight but the Scot admitted that he is slightly concerned about his players' failure to convert recent goal chances.

Ferguson said: "You can imagine last season what the dressing room was like after that game. Our pride was terribly hurt.

"So there was a question mark over how we got over this and what the next step would be. In fairness to the team, they did respond.

"They went on a run after that game to the end of the season which was more consistent than any team in the country and now we have continued that.

"Sometimes out of bad comes good and the great test for a human being or footballer is to recover from the devastation of defeat.

"I think we are playing better this season for a start but we must take our chances when we have control of important matches.

"If we have control of this game - and I hope that we have - then we must carve chances out and then take them."

Benfica come in to tonight's game having the advantage of not playing since last Friday.

Their 2-0 defeat of neighbours Sporting Lisbon took place five days ago in order to give Fernando Santos's team an extra day's rest before tonight's match.