lille

abdul kader keita's comments before the second half of lille's tie with manchester:

'It would be disrespectful to my team-mates to suggest Lille is a much better team just because I'm back, but people have said this and my task now is to prove them right.

'I watch the Premiership all the time and when you hear that clubs like United and Liverpool are interested in signing you, there can only be pride. Maybe this move will happen one day and playing on a massive stage like Old Trafford gives us all a chance to show we are not just average players.

'We know that anything is possible in Manchester and victory can be ours. When you look at the first leg, we matched United for long periods, especially in the second half and they only managed to score with a goal by breaking the spirit of the game, even if it didn't break the rules.

'The Giggs goal from the free-kick has left us all with a bitter taste. We feel the referee would not have been so accommodating had the free-kick been in our favour. It's probably the way of the world, with the big teams at an advantage, but it doesn't make things right.

'The only good thing about this episode is that we are in a position to turn our sense of injustice into a major motivating factor in the return. We didn't get what we deserved from the first leg but we will be doubly determined to make sure we don't experience the same deep disappointment again.

'There's no point hiding from the fact that the odds are very much against us in this tie. If you lose the first leg at home, life becomes severely complicated. Especially when you are talking about going to a place like Old Trafford, where Manchester United are used to winning week in and week out.

'They have wonderful players all over the pitch and an attacking-third to beat any team in Europe. They combine very well together and what makes it so difficult for the opposing team is the ease with which they swap positions. United play very fluidly and even when you think you have them backed up in their own box, they break so quickly.

'Though our game is not nearly so primitive as some would have you believe, we don't compare when it comes to individual technical ability. But we have other strengths: the heart in this team, the fantastic understanding we have, our great organisation. In Manchester we need just about everything to go right for us; to score at the right psychological time, to get the refereeing breaks and the run of the ball.

'Thankfully we don't give up easily. Challenges, however hard they may seem, are there to be grasped. We proved that when we qualified for the knock-out phase by winning at AC Milan. A repeat performance is a big ask but who says lightning can't strike twice?

'Nothing is impossible in sport. If we can press them high up the pitch and put the brakes on their normal passing game, we have a chance. We'll have a lot more space to operate in at Old Trafford and we can make the most of it.

'Naturally, it was very frustrating for me to sit out the first leg. Not being a part of the biggest game of the season was a terrible blow. Now I'm really looking forward to the return. Old Trafford is one of the great stages in world football and it's a great opportunity for me to show what I can do at the top level in Europe. I have great faith in my abilities and will not be overtaken by the atmosphere. I have the pace and skill to give the Manchester defenders a few headaches.'