Bayern Munich v Manchester United: Confidence for Champions League return grows after rout against Newcastle

Premier League victory will only boost belief before Wednesday's second-leg in Germany

Patrice Evra of Manchester United and Newcastle’s Fabrizio Coloccini contest possession (Getty Images)

Beating Newcastle United handsomely is no big deal. Sunderland did it on 1 February and have not won since. Six teams have done it in their last 10 games, but for Patrice Evra the emphatic destruction of Newcastle in their own stadium was a sign of a re-emerging confidence.

In their last three matches Manchester United have won twice in the Premier League, scoring eight goals, and drawn with the champions-elect of Europe. Evra thinks United’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich is far from over.

“We always believe when you play for Manchester United,” he said. “It is not because you win 4-0 against Newcastle that we start to believe we can win against Bayern. Before the first leg everyone was expecting us to lose 5-0 or something like that but in the end we drew. I think it is not a good result but it is not a bad result because they scored an away goal. I’m confident we can score an away goal at Bayern.

“We must make sure we pull off a shock, because Bayern are favourites for this game. It is not often since I have played for Manchester United that we are not the favourites, but let’s surprise everyone.”

Evra, who missed the first leg against Bayern, should be fit for the second on Wednesday. The optimism suddenly sprouting from David Moyes suggests that Wayne Rooney, who injured a toe in the first leg, will be there as well.

“We have worked him hard on the bike and swimming pool,” said manager Moyes. “We will give him every opportunity to be ready. We have got a bit of momentum, though not quite as much as we would like to have. I thought the performance against Newcastle was good. The players did a really good job. The squad played well, those that came into the team – and we had to use a few of them today.”

His side used eight different players from the side which held Bayern in the first leg. They still destroyed Newcastle.

Eurowatch: Bayern Munich

Bayern, already Bundesliga champions, suffered a blow ahead of Wednesday’s game when a makeshift team saw their 53-game unbeaten record in the league ended by a 1-0 defeat at Augsburg.