Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson singled out 22-year-old goalkeeper David de Gea for praise following the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 series at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, a result which the United coach believes puts his team in a good position to qualify for the quarterfinals.

"I thought De Gea was excellent and made four or five top saves, but he's been performing well all season, he's done well," Ferguson said, adding: "We would have taken 1-1 before the game. In the first-half I was disappointed at how deep we played, but the away goal is important. It's not finished but it gives us a good chance to go through."

The Scot also defended his tactics amidst suggestions that United played too defensively. “We had four attacking players in our team so I think we came to win the game. We were deep especially in the first half, but we made chances.

"We'll play differently at home,” he added. “They counterattack [worked] very well but we have goals in our team. It's still 50-50 but the team that scores first will have a good chance." The second-leg of the Round of 16 series will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester on March 6.