Villa win gives Rooney belief for Bayern tie

MANCHESTER, Mar 30 (AFP): Wayne Rooney believes that Manchester United can approach Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich in confident mood after their comfortable 4-1 victory over Aston Villa.

Rooney scored twice, with Juan Mata registering his first goal for the club and Javier Hernandez also finding the target as United cancelled out an early Villa goal from Ashley Westwood in Saturday's game.

The build-up to the fixture had been dogged by talk of supporter protests against United manager David Moyes, and a plane was flown over Old Trafford during the game towing a banner calling for him to be replaced.

But Rooney felt that the victory, as well as the size of the challenge facing United against European champions Bayern, can serve as an inspiration for his faltering club.

"It is a massive game," said the England striker. "The quarter-final of the Champions League, against the champions. We are excited and looking forward to it. It's going to be a good game and hopefully a good result."

Rooney's brace against Villa took him to 171 career goals in the Premier League-fourth on the all-time list-but the striker preferred to discuss a victory that arrested United's recent crisis.