Vida : Make it count

"Of course, you want to enjoy the experience and play your game but you’re very aware of what is at stake in a game like this. You just have to try and deal with the pressure."

- Nemanja Vidic

Nemanja Vidic says United are determined not to let the chance of making history slip away in Rome next Wednesday.

The Reds are just 90 minutes away from winning a fourth trophy of the season and becoming the first team to successfully retain the Champions League crown. An equally hungry and talented Barcelona side lie in wait at the Stadio Olimpico, but United's Player of the Year feels the experience of having triumphed last season will stand Sir Alex Ferguson's side in good stead.

"There’s always pressure on you when you play in a final. Of course, you want to enjoy the experience and play your game but you’re very aware of what is at stake in a game like this," Vidic told reporters at the pre-final media day.

"You just have to try and deal with the pressure. We won it last season and have picked up great experience from doing that.

"Getting to a Champions League final is not something that happens every year so we want to make the most of our chance and win the trophy."

With an array of attacking talent on display, it promises to be a busy night for both sets of defenders. Vidic is well aware of the threat posed by Barca's front men, but feels United's attackers will give Pep Guardiola's backline plenty to think about.

"Barcelona have some good players, especially up front, so it won’t be easy," admits Vidic. "They have played some good football and scored a lot of goals this season and we have great respect for them.

"But we must concentrate on ourselves and what we’re going to do. We’re not just going to go there and defend; we want to attack them as well.

"We have players that can cause defenders problems and score goals. When we’ve needed goals this season we’ve scored them.

"In some games we’ve been one or two goals down, but have still come back to win. That shows that when we need to score our attackers have produced."