MANCHESTER — Manchester United may have to rely on increased noise levels rather than current form to make its home advantage count when it hosts Real Sociedad in Champions League Group A Wednesday. Old Trafford will be trying out a new ‘singing section' at the stadium, with up to 1,400 of its loudest fans sitting in an area of the ground normally reserved for away supporters in order to improve the atmosphere because the acoustics are better there. The move should lift spirits at Old Trafford, where a previous reputation as a rock-solid fortress has been shattered with the English champion managing just one win in the Premier League this season. Its recent European form is little better with four defeats in its previous seven home games. United is level on four points with group leader Shakhtar Donetsk after two games before meeting Sociedad, which has no points and is enduring a start to its league season as shaky as that experienced by David Moyes' men. “I feel that this is an important one for us,” the United manager said on the club website. “If we could win this one, it would give us a strong position in the group. We have to go out there and take advantage of the home game and try to get a result.” Sociedad's only previous European outing in England does not bode well for it. It lost 6-0 to United's arch-rivals Liverpool in the UEFA Cup second round in the 1975-76 season, when John Toshack, a future coach of the Basque side, scored the English club's opening goal. Juventus will also be looking to get some succor from Europe after disappointing results in its domestic league at the weekend. Real Madrid is sailing regally to the knockout stages, the Spaniards' topping Group B after crushing defeats of FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Real could field Gareth Bale, who returned to action after minor injuries as a late substitute in Saturday's 2-0 win over Malaga which left Carlo Ancelotti's men in third. Juve's visit precedes the first ‘el clasico' of the season with a trip to Barcelona looming at the weekend. Xabi Alonso, sidelined since fracturing a foot in August, is full recovered but unlikely to be thrust straight back into the fray. With two draws Juve is waiting for its first win, and hardly had the best preparations for the trip to the Bernabeu a 4-2 loss, its first of the season, to Fiorentina. Coach Antonio Conte spoke about “a massive test', adding: “Madrid are arguably one of the most ambitious teams. We're facing a club that really want this title, because of their history and their hunt for a tenth European Cup.” In other matches Bayer Leverkusen faces Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray is up against FC Copenhagen, Anderlecht faces Paris Saint Germain, Benfica plays Olympiakos, CSKA Moscow faces Manchester City, and holder Bayern Munich plays Viktoria Pilsen. — Agencies
