Champions League: Manchester United v Real Madrid

Follow the latest news from Old Trafford with minute-by-minute updates on this last-16 Champions League tie

Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of Manchester United v Real Madrid at Old Trafford. This Champions League knockout game involves two of Europe’s biggest clubs and has everything to make it an entertaining contest for both sets of fans, and the neutral.

United will welcome back a man who built his career on the red side of Manchester in Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since his move to the Bernabeu in 2009.

The joint top goal scorer in the Champions League so far sent out a warning to Sir Alex Ferguson’s men with a well-placed header in the first leg, and despite expressing his love for his former club, Ronaldo will look to score again in the highly anticipated tie to see his side progress.

It’s also a return for the ever tactical Jose Mourinho, who promises that his side will “attack and be bold” from the start with a side who managed to convincingly beat rivals Barcelona twice in the space of 4 days.

Ryan Giggs is set to make his 1000th competitive appearance tonight in front of an energetic Old Trafford crowd with Wayne Rooney being dropped to the bench.

Injured Phil Jones misses this crucial game for United and was one of the impressive performers in Spain sticking to Ronaldo at every opportunity.

The tie balanced at 1-1 means Real Madrid have to get some form of positive result to advance to the next stage, and with the score being 4-3 the last time Madrid visited Old Trafford in 2003, fans can’t be wrong for expecting something along the same lines for excitement.

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:24:39 PM
Here are the team line ups in full
Man United: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Nani, Carrick, Cleverley, Welbeck; Giggs, van Persie.
Subs: Rooney, Hernandez, Valencia, Kagawa, Evans, Young, Lindegaard.

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:27:21 PM
Real Madrid: Lopez; Arbeloa, Varane, Sergio Ramos, Coentrao, Khedira, Alonso, Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo, Higuain.
Subs: Adan, Albiol, Benzema, Kaka, Pepe, Callejon, Modric

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:28:34 PM
For those who think they've read that wrong, you haven't. Wayne Rooney really is on the bench, with Welbeck and Van Persie up front.

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:38:07 PM
A huge cheer as both teams walk onto the field

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:42:04 PM
1 min: The match is underway with the aggregate score at 1-1

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:46:46 PM
2 min United look to control the game in the openning few minutes

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:48:03 PM
3 min Giggs slides in on Coentrao and gets Madrid the first free kick of the game

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:49:09 PM
4 min Ronaldo hits the wall and the ball rolls out of play for a Madrid throw

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:49:59 PM
6 min Both teams look eager to get hold of the ball and attack to get an early goal to settle their nerves

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:51:55 PM
6 min Welbeck gives away a sloppy foul in the United half

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:52:34 PM
7 min Real Madrid get the first corner of the game and its cleared at the front post and launched back in to no avail

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:53:39 PM
9 min United giving away the ball in the last third so far

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:55:08 PM
10 min Tom Cleverley goes down and looks in pain after a collision with Ronaldo but brushes himself off

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:56:10 PM
11 min Higuain has the first shot of the game for Madrid and should have hit the target just outside the box. Hitting his shot wide of the post

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:57:11 PM
13 min United earn their first corner of the game off a cross from Nani

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:58:38 PM
13 min: Van Persie takes but comes to nothing

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 7:59:06 PM
14 min Welbeck beats the Madrid back line and crosses for Van Persie who's shot is deflected. Old Trafford is really making noise now

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:00:32 PM
16 min Both sides look capable of grabbing a goal tonight in an open game so far

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:02:21 PM
17 min Nani showing that picking him may have been the right decision tonight making a great run into the Madrid box

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:03:22 PM
18 min Evra makes a tactical tackle and earns the first booking of the game

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:03:56 PM
19 min Giggs showing he still has quick feet as he earns a corner for United

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:05:32 PM
20 min Vidic hits the post from the resulting corner and Welbeck hits it straight at the goal keeper

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:06:09 PM
21 min Was it over the line? Not from where we're sitting but no doubt you'll get the usual goal line technology debate in the morning

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:07:41 PM
23min Madrid asking questions of the United defense but so far no luck

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:09:14 PM
25 min Welbeck and Van Persie linking up well so far.

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:10:43 PM
26 min RVP will make it in every Sunday league with that over head swipe

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:11:27 PM
27 min Ronaldo beats the offside trap for the first time and gets his shot blocked. Is that a warning

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:13:42 PM
29 min De Gae hasn't been tested yet but spaces seem to be opening up out wide for the Spanish side

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:15:00 PM
30 min At times this game is really end to end stuff with some of the most exciting attacking players on show

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:15:59 PM
31 min Madird keep coming with another chance for Higuain blocked and the corner results in nothing

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:16:52 PM
31 min Higuain is starting to find some more space and pressures United for another corner

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:17:31 PM
32 min Higuain thought he had the opener there but it's been disallowed for a foul on RVP

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:18:22 PM
33 min RVP stings the hands of Lopez and then Welbeck hits the keeper with the spill for a corner

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:19:20 PM
34 min It takes a lot to knock Vidic down but keeper Lopez has managed to do it from the corner. He gets back to his feet

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:20:39 PM
36 min Rafael goes down in the Madrid box but the ref says play on. Did he go down to easy?

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:22:31 PM
37 min Arbeloa gets the second yellow card of the game after a tackle on Evra

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:23:26 PM
38 min An unusual miss placed pass from Alonso

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:24:42 PM
40 min Giggs is showing how much he wants this win, being one of the stand out performers in this half for the home side

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:26:25 PM
42 min Di Maria looks like he's seen the last of this game walking back down the tunnel with Kaka getting ready to come on just before half time

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:28:25 PM
44 min Remember Madrid have to score at Old Trafford to even have a chance of going through. What impact will Kaka have with Alonso being marked out of the game?

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:29:49 PM
44 min Mourinho walking down the touchline to the dressing room as Ronaldo skies his shot into the crowd

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:31:08 PM
45 min Half time at Old Trafford. Vidic has been the closest to breaking the dead lock with his header hitting the post

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:32:14 PM
From @SamWallaceIndy on Twitter:
Chant of 'Sit down, Mourinho' from the MUFC fans ... so he acknowledges them & sits down. He really does want the United job

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:35:21 PM
HT Roy Keane thinks Welbeck has been a key player so far in the first half, will he keep up his intensity in the second?

by Simon Rice 3/5/2013 8:40:41 PM