"United to win for football's sake!"

Gordon Strachan has backed his former club Manchester United to go all the way again in the Champions League.

He believes Man United need to retain the Champions League for the "sake of football".

The Celtic manager, whose side met Sir Alex Ferguson's team in the group stages of the competition, is a great admirer of the champions' style of play.

With United facing Porto and being handed a favourable possible passage to Rome, Strachan is refusing to look beyond his former club.

"I hope it's Manchester United," he replied when asked who will win the Champions League in May.

"I think they play some fantastic football, them or Barcelona, their football is absolutely fantastic.

"There are good sides in there like Bayern Munich, some terrific, terrific sides.

"But, for the sake of football, I just think Manchester United's philosophy on the game is the best."

United will hope to beat Porto and then meet either Villarreal or Arsenal in the semi-final.