Champions League goal couldn't be any closer for Man United

London: As Sir Alex Ferguson headed to Cheltenham races on Friday, he might have been denied the sight of the horse he half-owns, What A Friend, running in the Gold Cup, but he might also have thought "what a draw" after the last eight of the Champions League were paired up.

Manchester United face Bayern Munich and, if victorious, will play the winners of Lyon against Bordeaux. Suddenly the road to the final in Madrid on May 22 and the chance to contest this trophy for the third consecutive year has opened up for the Premier League champions.

United have managed to avoid Barcelona, the Jose Mourinho show that is Inter Milan and their domestic rivals Arsenal. The immediate reaction to being drawn against Bayern Munich is to stir memories of the Champions League final 11 years ago, and that crazy comeback to win 2-1 at the Nou Camp. United will again hope to party like it's 1999.

"We've got a good chance," Ferguson said.

"The history of playing Bayern in past European ties tells you it's going to be a very difficult tie for us. It'll be a fantastic atmosphere in both games. They have a great stadium and a good pitch, and we're up against a good, experienced team," he said.

David Gill, the United chief executive, was more revealing, acknowledging that "without doubt" it appeared that United had a good chance of reaching the final. "A repeat of last year's final in Rome against Barca is a distinct possibility. We've got to be confident we can progress," Gill said.

"The Bayern tie is very difficult but if we negotiate that, we've got a French team in the semis. So it's looking good."

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal admitted it was a "tough draw".

He said: "They [United] are joint favourites with Barcelona. It'll be difficult to beat them. But English teams always play their own game, which is an advantage for us as we otherwise always meet defensive teams."

The Germans appeared to have a quiet confidence, echoed by club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, that United's more open style could be to their advantage. "We'll have to go to our limits and very probably beyond," he said. "But English football suits us better than the Spanish game."

In 2001, Bayern gained revenge for their last-gasp defeat in 1999 by knocking Ferguson's side out at this stage of the competition en route to winning it for a fourth time.