Ronaldo’s magic is enough for United to conquer Porto on their home turf, setting up a lip-smacking semi with Arsenal who disposed of 10-man Villarreal with a devastating attacking display at the Emirates.
Here’s the beef on tonight’s games from a fantasy perspective…
Ronaldo has very rarely got near to showing the quality of last season and yet his goal tonight was possibly his greatest ever in a United shirt. Given that he’s had a season littered with wayward shots, to even attempt such a strike in a game of this importance, so early on, was a feat in itself. To find that net was just something extraordinary from a player in the midst of, by his standards, of an ordinary season.
The goal and his performance in a central attacking role in support of Berbatov, will surely have his fantasy owners purring going into United’s remaining 7 league games.
Significantly, Ferguson has shifted Rooney to a wide role for the last two matches, following Ronaldo’s errors against Villa which saw him give possession away carelessly on numerous occasions. It appears that Ferguson has solved this issue by bringing Ronaldo back inside, where such errors can be more easily absorbed. There’s every chance then that we’ll see him continue in this role, which could help increase his goal output in the games that remain. Rooney’s returns could well suffer as a result.
Ferdinand returned to the back four tonight and immediately the rearguard kept their first clean sheet since the Quarter Final with Inter over a month ago. Porto created very little, despite chasing a single goal that could have sent them through. This will surely restore confidence within the United defence and amongst us fantasy managers. United now have four home games in the next five gameweeks, plus a double fixture in gameweek 36. That will surely see heavy investment in the likes of Evra and Vidic once again.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s strong attacking form continues. They’ve now scored 13 goals in their last 5 games and with all their big attacking guns back (barring Eduardo), there’s no reason to suspect that this won’t continue. Heavy rotation in attacking areas will make it very difficult for fantasy managers to plunder any profit from this, although in fantasy terms, Arshavin looks safe given his ineligibility for Champions League football.
As expected, Fabregas was employed in a deeper midfield role tonight as Van Persie returned to the lineup. That didn’t stop Fabregas from contributing another assist for Walcott’s opener. However, there’s little doubt that Fabregas could struggle in fantasy terms, particularly for goals, if he continues in this restrained role. As confidence in Fabregas may waver a little, Walcott will surely get some attention, despite his classification as a striker in fantasy games, following tonight’s display.
United and Arsenal will meet in the first leg of the semi on April 29. That game will follow United’s home game with Spurs, a fixture that will surely see Ferguson rotate his lineup. The likes of Nani, Tevez, Fletcher, Rafael, Neville, Evans, Scholes and Park will all be considered by Ferguson as options for that home game, particularly if Liverpool slip up against Arsenal next week.
The second leg takes place a week later on May 5, which follows United’s game at Boro by just two days. It goes without saying then that we’ll see a weakened United lineup for the trip to the Riverside. The degree of rotation will depend heavily on the first leg result and the state of play in the title race but, it must be said, even the likes of Ronaldo will be under threat for that Boro game.
Indeed, Boro will welcome tonight’s result, given they will also face Arsenal before the first leg. Again, that could see Wenger put out the likes of Bendtner, Diaby and Eboue for the league encounter with Van Persie, Adebayor and Walcott all prime candidates for rotation. The Gunners will visit Portsmouth on the Saturday before the second leg and again, we could well see rotation with the same names under threat.