HOME rule can be the Euro winner for United tonight against Lyon with a place in the record books and the last eight on offer at Old Trafford.

United will equal Juventus's Champions League record of ten straight home wins if they beat the French side.

The Italians set the record in 1997 when the Stadio delle Alpi was the fortress in which Marcello Lippi built the late 1990s success.

Juve's home record saw them to the 1996 and 1997 European Cup finals where they beat Ajax and lost to Borussia Dortmund. Now Old Trafford can prove to be a similar bastion.

"Our home record in European football has been very good for a long time," says manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It has been the foundation for all our group successes in terms of qualifying.

"The atmosphere at Old Trafford on a European night helps. There is a big stimulant for the fans. That has a lot to do with it. The players also like to increase their expectation to do it on a European night.

Firepower

"This is different to when we played Lyon here before (United won 2-1 in November 2004) when it was a dead rubber final group match. This is knockout.

"They are capable of getting a goal and we have to be aware that's without question.

"We will be playing attacking football and hopefully that is enough for us to go through."

United certainly have the firepower to crush the French resistance.

Since the low point of 2005 when the Reds failed to qualify for the knockout stages, their run of victories has seen them smash 26 goals from nine matches.

Twelve months ago the focus was on Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo's long barren spells in Europe.

But in the last ten matches they've hit back and this season they have scored eight of United's 14 Champions League goals.

"The main reason is they are a year older," said the United manager.

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