South African midfielder Steven Pienaar says he expects Everton's FA Cup semifinal clash against Manchester United to "go down in the history books".

Pienaar believes Sunday's Wembley Stadium encounter has all the ingredients of a FA Cup classic.

Asked by evertonTV to rank where the game will rank alongside others he has played in, Pienaar said: "It will definitely be on top. I've played in a lot of important games and I think this one will also go down in the history books and I'm looking forward to it."

Having played in some of German football's grandest fixtures, Pienaar insists he will not be daunted by Wembley's 90 000 capacity crowd.

"When I was at Borussia Dortmund we used to play every weekend in front of 83 000, so it's quite close," he said. "At Ajax when we played AC Milan in the Champions League I played at the San Siro which was also a big stadium.

"For me, this is like a normal game, it's just that it's a semifinal. Like when you play at home with all the supporters behind you, you have to enjoy the moment."

Pienaar played down claims this could be the best time to face United, who have been inconsistent in recent weeks.

"Manchester United is not only the top team in England but in Europe also," said Pienaar. "Sometimes you have a dip and in the last four games they haven't done so well, but they can turn it around in a second. We just have to go out and play our own game and not worry about them."


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