Vidic: Man Utd must tighten up defence for Real Madrid trip

Nemanja Vidic says defence is key when United travel to Spain Photo: marc_tacoma, via Flickr

Nemanja Vidic has warned Manchester United that they must sure up their defence ahead of their Champions League showdown at Real Madrid next week.

The Premier League leaders have conceded 31 goals so far this season – more than any other team currently in the top six of the table.

And Vidic, who is braced for a testing encounter when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men travel to the Bernabéu next Wednesday, believes that the key to booking a quarter-final spot is to keep it tight at the back in the first leg.

“We’re going to have to play as a team there,” Vidic told FourFourTwo. “We need to get it right defensively and not concede many goals in the first leg.

“You have to be solid as a team, not just at the back but all over the pitch. You have to have quality.

“We have a big squad and young players coming through with experience from playing games last year, which is a big help to the team.

“A lot of our players have matured now. There is a long way to go, but we will see.”