Youthful Manchester United should beat Galatasaray, says former keeper Schmeichel

20-Nov-2012 11:00:00 PM

With their passage to the knockout stages already secured, the Red Devils have taken a youthful squad to Turkey but their former goalkeeper still expects them to perform

EXCLUSIVE
By Volkan Agir

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel believes the Red Devils should beat Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite selecting a youthful squad for the trip.

United have won all four of their group matches so far, securing their passage to the knockout stages as group winners, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to rest a number of experienced players such as striking duo Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.

However, the 49-year-old is still expecting the side which is put out to perform against a Turkish outfit still looking to seal their own qualification.

Speaking to Goal.com, Schmeichel said: "It's not important to not to take our best players like Rooney and Van Persie. We are Manchester United and our goal, which is winning, doesn't change."

The Dane played almost 300 matches for the club during an illustrious career and picked out his most memorable match during his spell at Old Trafford.

He added: "I can't forget the games we played Arsenal in 1999 which was the FA Cup [semi-final replay] clash.

United will be looking to maintain their winning streak in Europe and bounce back from their shock 1-0 loss away to Norwich City last Saturday when they face the Turkish giants.

Galatasaray favourite Arif Erdem, who scored past Schmeichel when the teams met in 1993, urged his former side to forget about the occasion of facing the Premier League outfit and focus their attention on getting a crucial win.

Erdem said: "Galatasaray need points to qualify and have to win tonight. They shouldn't care who is on the pitch. They will play against Manchester United."