MANCHESTER, England, March 5 (Reuters) – Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was sympathetic to Manchester United’s anger over the red card for Nani that was the turning point in Tuesday’s Champions League clash and said his rivals should have won.

It is a rare admission by a manager, especially in such a high-profile match, that he sympathises with the losing side but Mourinho felt the 56th minute dismissal of the winger was as unfortunate as that of his player Pepe in the 2011 semi-final.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Former Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner against his old club to give Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

United, 1-0 up in the game after Real defender Sergio Ramos put through his own goal in the 48th minute and 2-1 ahead on aggregate, were sent reeling in a 10-minute spell midway through the second half as Real secured a 3-2 aggregate success.

MANCHESTER, England, March 5 (Reuters) – Former Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner against his old club to give Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

United, 1-0 up in the game after Real defender Sergio Ramos put through his own goal in the 48th minute and 2-1 ahead on aggregate, were sent reeling in a 10-minute spell midway through the second half as Real secured a 3-2 aggregate success.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Ryan Giggs made his 1,000th competitive appearance when Manchester United kicked off their Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old, whose record is made up of 932 appearances for his club, 64 for Wales and four for Britain’s Olympic team, made his senior debut as a 17-year-old substitute in United’s 2-0 defeat by Everton on March 2, 1991.

MANCHESTER, England, March 5 (Reuters) – Ryan Giggs made his 1,000th competitive appearance when Manchester United kicked off their Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old, whose record is made up of 932 appearances for his club, 64 for Wales and four for Britain’s Olympic team, made his senior debut as a 17-year-old substitute in United’s 2-0 defeat by Everton on March 2, 1991.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Jose Mourinho hopes he is still managing in his seventies like Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, the Real Madrid boss said as he prepared to face him in a Champions League clash “the world will stop to watch”.

At 50, the Portuguese has a couple of decades to go if he is to still be working at 71 like Ferguson, whose side host the Spanish champions in their eye-catching Champions League last 16 second leg on Tuesday.

MANCHESTER, England, March 4 (Reuters) – Jose Mourinho hopes he is still managing in his seventies like Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, the Real Madrid boss said as he prepared to face him in a Champions League clash “the world will stop to watch”.

At 50, the Portuguese has a couple of decades to go if he is to still be working at 71 like Ferguson, whose side host the Spanish champions in their eye-catching Champions League last 16 second leg on Tuesday.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Painful memories of the damage a Real Madrid player by the name of Ronaldo can wreak on a Champions League night at Old Trafford loomed large on Monday as Manchester United prepared to avoid a repeat of events 10 years ago.

Alex Ferguson’s men host the Spanish giants and their prolific forward Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, which is finely balanced after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last month.

MANCHESTER, England, March 4 (Reuters) – Painful memories of the damage a Real Madrid player by the name of Ronaldo can wreak on a Champions League night at Old Trafford loomed large on Monday as Manchester United prepared to avoid a repeat of events 10 years ago.

Alex Ferguson’s men host the Spanish giants and their prolific forward Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, which is finely balanced after a 1-1 draw in Madrid last month.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo can expect a rousing Old Trafford welcome on Tuesday before his former Manchester United team mates use a newfound defensive solidity to try to make those the last Champions League cheers he hears this season.

The last-16 tie between the two European giants is balanced on a knife edge after last month’s 1-1 draw in the first leg and with United holding the tiniest of advantages in the shape of an away goal this week’s glamour match could be a tight affair.