Nani Takes Benfica Positives

Nani insists there are positives to be taken from United’s 2-2 draw with Benfica in the UEFA Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The Portuguese winger was understandably disappointed not to record the win that would have secured qualification to the last 16 phase, but says Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are moving in the right direction.

“We are in a good moment,” Nani told MUTV. “We have been playing good football and have to forget this [result] and think about the way we have been playing. The way we haven’t conceded goals [recently] and won games is important. We’ll try to do that in the next game against Newcastle.

“We have missed a couple of players. We are missing a couple of players every game, which is not good for any team, but we will be fine in the next games and the players will come back.”

Nani believed United deserved to win on Tuesday night and was quick to point out the element of luck attached to Benfica's early opener.

“We were unlucky with the first goal. Everybody was in a good position and there was no chance for them to create anything. They crossed the ball and it came off a leg and it was an own goal.

“We played some fantastic football and created a lot of chances to score goals and eventually wasted a lot. We let them create a chance to make it 2-2 and they took it. That was a big problem for us.”

Attention now turns to matchday 6 and United’s journey to Switzerland to face FC Basel, where a point is needed to ensure progress to the knockout stages. Should the Reds win that game handsomely and Benfica slip up against Romanian side Otelul Galati, Sir Alex's men could steal top spot in Group C. It's a scenario Nani feels the Reds will thrive on.

“We are used to this pressure and have enough experience to go to Basle and win the game. We never know: Benfica could draw their next game, but you have to think about yourself.

“We have to be ready to return to winning ways. We expect a good game from Basel but we have a lot of ambition. We have to show we want it more than them and work harder than the other team.”