Van Persie braced for Champions League showdown against Real Madrid

Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie is relishing the prospect of facing Real Madrid in the Champions League later this month.

The Dutch international has been a revelation at Old Trafford since moving from Arsenal in the summer, scoring vital goals for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side both domestically and in Europe.

Indeed, the 29-year-old’s three goals in four games helped the Red Devils progress as winners from Group H, but the last 16 draw of the competition has seen last season’s Premier League runners-up pitted against the La Liga champions.

But, rather than be intimidated by the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu, Van Persie can’t wait to play in the Spanish capital, notably in a stadium he’s yet to ply his trade in.

“The match against Madrid is the icing on the cake for every footballer. It will be my first game at the Bernabeu and I’m really looking forward to it. It will be a very nice challenge with the group of players we have,” said the Holland star, according to MEN.

“Manchester United are a big club and being in the last 16 is beautiful even without the prospect of playing Real Madrid.”

Van Persie has also paid tribute to the impact of compatriot Rene Meulensteen, with the forward happy to heap praise on the first team coach after hitting the ground running for his new team.

“The way he (Meulensteen) trains is exceptional. He is truly one of the best coaches in the world,” added the striker.

“I have had a lot of good trainers, but it’s the way he prepares our team for games. Every match is different, so every training session in the build-up to games is unique.

“We know exactly what to expect and he wins points for us through his training. We’ve won a lot of games by the odd goal and they are point winners, which we train for.”

Manchester United travel to Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League match on Wednesday, 13th February, with the second leg taking place at Old Trafford on Tuesday, 5th March.