This might suit him, though.

Benfica's two Brazilian centrehalves, Luisao and Anderson, aren't the most nimble pair he and Wayne Rooney will ever face. And although Cristiano Ronaldo had a horrible night in front of a baying crowd here last year, he has begun to show signs of being able to ride out the torrents of abuse that flow his way.

Benfica won this fixture last season and would have grabbed a point at Old Trafford as well had it not been for an 86th-minute winner from Ruud van Nistelrooy. The 2-1 win in Lisbon was one of the lowest points in United's Champions League history, marking the first failure to qualify from the group stages since 1994. So the Portuguese side will hardly be of a mind to cower before them.

Still, their slow start to the season . . . which has included a 3-0 tonking away to Boavista and a disappointing 0-0 in Copenhagen . . .

bodes relatively well for Saha and friends. A United win is possible, even if the draw is more probable.

Verdict draw

CELTIC v COPENHAGEN Tuesday, Celtic Park, 7.45 Live, Sky Sports 2, 7.30; Setanta, 7.00 Copenhagen started this tournament in better style than even they'd expected when they held Benfica to that draw but it came at a price, the groin injury Jesper Gronkjaer picked up consigning him to the treatment room for at least a month. At least they'll have ex-Aston Villa line-leader Marcus Allback in the saddle, after suspension kept him out of that game.

Even so, Celtic ought to have too much going for them here. Collecting friends by putting it up to Manchester United is of precisely no use unless they follow it up by collecting points. Qualifying from this group is a de"nite possibility as long as they convince themselves that Ben"ca are their opponents for second spot and that the Danes are there to be brushed aside.

Verdict Home win

GROUP G ARSENAL v PORTO Tuesday, Emirates Stadium, 7.45 Live, Sky Sports 1, 7.30 Tricky one for Arsenal, this. As yet unsure of themselves in their new home, they come up against a side who not only have made a faultless beginning to their season but who, as with Benfica, benefit from the Verdict Draw extra day's preparation guaranteed by the Portuguese league's fixing of their weekend fixture for Friday night.

Porto won't give anything away cheaply. They're built on a solid back four in which Bruno Alves and Czech left-back Marek Cech stand out.

Paolo Assuncao's graft gives them a platform in midfield and Helder Postiga's career spike since he came home has made a mockery of his time at White Hart Lane.

A draw is all Porto are likely to be interested in here. Whether or not Arsenal's season has been kickstarted by last Sunday will determine the Portuguese side's chances of achieving it.

GROUP A LEVSKI SOFIA v CHELSEA Wednesday, Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, 7.45 Live, Sky Sports 1, 7.30; Setanta, 7.00 Poor little Levski. Of all the introductions to the Champions League they could have been handed, Barcelona in the Camp Nou was by far the most rotten. To be followed up by a visit from Jose and the boys is to be assured of the truth in the old saying that just because your wife leaves you, it doesn't mean your house won't burn down.

There surely can't be anything to see here. Chelsea will hardly roast So"a the way Barca did but they can't but come home with the win.

This group is about what happens the two times Jose and Frank shake hands, not this. At least, Chelsea have to make sure it's that way.

Verdict Away win

GROUP C LIVERPOOL v GALATASARAY Wednesday, Anfield, 7.45 Live, RTE Two, 7.30 The table for this group is blank as a Dubliner subscription form in the USA team room at the K Club after two scoreless draws got them off to a dreary old start. Galatasaray aren't the stone in the shoe of old but they still managed to fit 70,000 into the Ataturk Stadium to watch the draw with Bordeaux, even if chances of a cheer were thin on the ground.

With Dirk Kuyt looking to have energised Rafa Benitez's side and the visitors plain in the extreme, chalking up a first win shouldn't pose too many problems for Liverpool.

Verdict Home win