Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson ready to face Real Madrid

Sir Alex Ferguson has labelled Manchester United's meeting with Real Madrid on Tuesday night as 'one of the biggest' in football and does not expect anyone to be disappointed.

United midfielder Michael Carrick is also expecting a memorable evening, saying: "These are the nights you live for. It is extra special. There is just something in the air. Everyone comes to the stadium with a spring in their step. "Every supporter is that little bit more vocal. They appreciate how important it is and what it means to get through. "The prestige and history of the club suggests we should be challenging in the later stages of these tournaments. It is up to us to go out there and do it." Both teams created chances in the first game in Madrid and Carrick has called for the 'complete game' from United in order to progress to the quarter-finals. "We can't [be too gung-ho]," said Carrick. "I don't think we will and I don't think they will; it's hard to know, isn't it? "The game over there was tight at times, but we could have come away with a 3-1 win and so could they. So it's about taking our chances. "With the strike power we've got and the strike power they've got, both teams will have to defend well. You have to have the complete game in many respects."

Referee hope

Meanwhile, Ferguson is crossing his fingers that he does not have reason to lament the performance of Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir at Old Trafford. "You hope in a game of this nature that you are going to get the best refereeing performance, on the same level as the players on the pitch," said Ferguson. "Mistakes will be made by players and the referee but you hope it will be a top performance. "You hope to get nothing less than the best. An occasion like this deserves that."