Ferguson confident despite defeat

By James Eve

ROME (Reuters) - Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson remained confident his side would reach the last four of the Champions League despite losing 2-1 to AS Roma in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday.

Roma took charge of the match at Rome's Olympic Stadium after the 34th-minute sending-off of Paul Scholes.

Goals by Rodrigo Taddei and Mirko Vucinic gave them the win, though Wayne Rooney's away goal could prove crucial in the return leg at Old Trafford next Tuesday.

"Over the years we've had some great teams come to Old Trafford, but if we score we will go through. That's my opinion," Ferguson told a news conference, before going on to deny he had ever considered Roma a soft opponent.

"Every game in Europe is a big test, but we've been particularly impressed by Roma this season. Their home record is fantastic. So we knew it was going to be tough, and it was.

"The difficulty of playing Roma is the system they have. Without a main striker they overload the midfield, so sometimes you have to surrender possession."

Ferguson was full of praise for Rooney, who coolly chested down an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cross to convert United's only clear chance of the game.

"He could have gone for his shot straight away. But he waited for the defender to move, side-stepped, and then scored," Ferguson said.