Skinner urges Man Utd players to write history in 'magic' Champions League tie

  /  autty

Marc Skinner expects both Manchester United and Bayern Munich to create "magic moments" in their Women's Champions League quarter-final tie, but he hopes his side can come out on top to make further history for the club.

United will welcome the German champions to Old Trafford for the first leg on Wednesday, before the teams do battle again in Munich a week later.

This is the Red Devils' debut season in the Champions League proper, having gone out in the qualifiers last term, and they have taken to the competition brilliantly.

United have kept the most clean sheets in the Women's Champions League this season (five), and could become the first English team to win four matches in a row to nil in the competition since Chelsea in March 2019 (five). 

The Red Devils could also become the third team to win their first three knockout-stage games in the competition without conceding, after Goteborg in 2011-12 and Manchester City in 2016-17.

United's only previous Champions League game against German opposition was a 5-2 defeat to Wolfsburg in this season's league phase, but Skinner is hopeful of a better result this time around.

"It will be special against Bayern Munich. It always is, and it's something that, when I'm no longer at Manchester United, that I'll always remember," Skinner told reporters.

"But just in the moment, you never have time for that. I can't sit back and rest. I didn't even celebrate my birthday yesterday because we've got stuff to do.

"You sacrifice things to be an elite person. So if my players do that, then I'm alright with them. It's the sacrifice of trying to create history; we don't want to stop now.

"I'm hoping that comes through in our commitment. The game will be the game. Bayern can win the game, and we can win the game.

"There will be magic moments in both legs, but I just want us to have no regrets, and I think that's what our team is about – that's the mentality they're going to have."

Each of Bayern's five home games against English teams in the Women's Champions League have ended in victory, but each of their four away matches have ended in defeat. 

It is the only instance of a team playing three or more games home and away against teams from a particular nation and boasting a 100% winning record at home, and a 100% losing record on the road.

Related: Manchester United
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