Manchester United host Real Madrid at Old Trafford in the second leg of their last 16 clash.

The first match at the Bernabeu ended 1-1 to hand Sir Alex Ferguson's side a priceless away goal, and ensured that the Premier League leaders need only a win or a goalless draw on home soil to progress to the quarter-finals at the expense of Jose Mourinho's outfit.Real's threat on the counterattack means United must play like the away team – defend solidly and look to counter themselves.

To stop Real's counterattacks, opponents have realised that they cannot attack with great numbers themselves. Push the full-backs forward and it leaves space for Ronaldo and Angel Di María. Leave gaps in midfield and Mesut Ozil will punish you. Xabi Alonso can switch the play to the required zone with his long diagonals, while Sami Khedira can charge forward into spaces created by Ozil.

Only upfront are Real anything short of top-class, where Gonzalo Higuaín has become Mourinho's first-choice centre-forward despite an underwhelming campaign. His movement is clever, though – he makes runs from left to right, dragging the centre-backs out of position to leave Ronaldo running one-on-one at the opposition right-back.

The interesting thing about Sir Alex Ferguson's first-leg strategy was how he mixed an attack-minded starting XI with a very defensive approach. When Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck were all named on the teamsheet many expected an end-to-end thriller.

Instead, Ferguson had decided Welbeck and Rooney were best suited to the defensive jobs in wide roles, rather than the out-of-form Nani and Antonio Valencia. Kagawa was utilised in the central, counter-attack-prompting role he played brilliantly at Borussia Dortmund, and his hat-trick against Norwich at the weekend might see him given another start.

Ferguson will be aware that many of Real's defeats this season have been because of poor set-piece defending.Real's speed on the break, however, means that if they defend the set-piece successfully, United are immediately at risk of conceding.