God

AS Roma are on a mission to exorcise the demons of their heaviest European defeat when they meet Manchester United FC in a repeat of last season's UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

• The Giallorossi recorded a 2-1 first-leg lead in the Italian capital 12 months ago but were then blown away in a 7-1 dismantling at Old Trafford that marked United's biggest win in UEFA club competition since 1968.

• One year on Luciano Spalletti's men will try again, albeit knowing they have already suffered at the English champions' hands again this season when losing a group-stage fixture 1-0 in Manchester. That result on 2 October, secured by Wayne Rooney's 70th-minute strike, ultimately meant United finished above Roma in Group F.

• The teams subsequently drew 1-1 in their final group match on 12 December, Mancini cancelling out Gerard Piqué's 34th-minute opener with the Roma equaliser 19 minutes from time.

• This is Roma's third quarter-final following previous appearances in the last eight in 1984 and last season. In contrast, United are appearing in their 14th quarter-final. They won nine and lost four of the previous 13.

• Roma reached this stage by finishing second in Group F with a record of W3 D2 L1 and then overcoming Real Madrid CF in the first knockout round. David Pizarro (24) and Mancini (58) scored the goals that earned a 2-1 comeback win in the first leg against Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico and Spalletti's side secured an identical victory in the return where Taddei (73) and Vučinić (90+2) struck either side of Madrid's Raúl González.

• For their part, United topped Group F with five wins and one draw and then defeated Olympique Lyonnais in the last 16. Carlos Tévez's 87th-minute goal earned Sir Alex Ferguson's side a 1-1 first-leg draw at Stade de Gerland before Ronaldo scored the only goal of the return after 41 minutes.

• Roma are unbeaten in nine home matches in the UEFA Champions League, a run that spans the last two seasons and comprises six wins and three draws.

• United are one of three teams, alongside FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC, who remain unbeaten in this season's competition. Away from home they have recorded two wins and two draws.

• Roma's ten previous home encounters against English opponents have produced five wins, three draws and two defeats. They won their first three two-legged ties against teams from England but have now lost their last four.

• United have traditionally enjoyed little success on their travels to Italy, losing ten and winning just two of 14 previous matches. It took them eight attempts to record an away victory against Italian opposition, although they certainly broke their duck in style by defeating Juventus 3-2 in the 1999 UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg.

• In two-legged ties against Italian teams, they have won three and lost four – the most recent a 5-3 aggregate defeat by AC Milan in last season's UEFA Champions League semi-finals which was sealed by a 3-0 second-leg reverse in Milan.

• Prior to last season the Giallorossi had reached the last eight of Europe's élite competition only once before – in 1983/84, the season they went all the way to the final before losing on penalties to Liverpool FC in the Stadio Olimpico.

• Rooney has struck five goals in six games against Serie A opposition in the last two seasons.

• Ronaldo had not found the net in the UEFA Champions League prior to last April's 7-1 win against Roma. Including his two goals against the Giallorossi that night, he has now scored nine in his last ten appearances in the competition.

• Simone Perrotta was born to Italian parents in the Lancashire town of Ashton-under-Lyme, a half-hour drive from Old Trafford and also the birthplace of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst.

• Christian Panucci and Matteo Ferrari had short spells in the Premier League with Chelsea FC and Everton FC respectively. Panucci spent part of 2000/01 on loan at Chelsea while Ferrari was at Everton for the entire 2005/06 campaign.

• Edwin van der Sar played in Serie A between 1999 and 2001 with Juventus, while Mikaël Silvestre spent 1998/99 at FC Internazionale Milano. His compatriot Evra also played in Italy in the late 1990s for Marsala Calcio and Monza Calcio but never appeared in the top flight.

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