Ballon d'Or will make me better, vows Ronaldo

Tue 02 Dec, 11:10 PM

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo believes winning the Ballon d'Or will only increase his drive to improve on the level of performance that earned him one of football's biggest individual prizes.

Ronaldo beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres to the honour on the back of a phenomenal 2007-08 season in which he scored 42 goals for his Premier League and Champions League-winning club.

The 23-year-old dismissed suggestions that achieving one of his lifetime ambitions so early in his career would lead to him becoming complacent or increase the pressure on him to perform at the highest level every time he appears.

"I always play with pressure because people always expect a lot from me and I don't think that will change," Ronaldo told United's website, www.manutd.com.

"Winning this award makes me feel very happy inside because it's one of the best days of my life.

"But my responsibilities are still the same; I want to continue to play well for my club and my country and try to do as well as last season.

"Of course I can improve - there are many things I still need to learn.

"You can never let yourself think you know everything. I am still very ambitious and I will continue to work very hard every day. I know it will be very hard to better last season, but I will try - if you don't try you win nothing. A new season means a new challenge and I want to help the team win more trophies."

Ronaldo becomes the first United player to win the award since the late George Best in 1968. Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton were also honoured in the 60s and the Portuguese winger was proud to follow in the footsteps of three of Old Trafford's all-time greats.

"It's amazing that only four players in the club's history have won it, I didn't know that until yesterday," Ronaldo said.

"So it's special for the club and obviously for me and I feel very proud to be part of the history of the Ballon D'Or and the history of this club. You work hard to win team awards and personal awards, but to win this one is very special."

Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol congratulated Ronaldo, but insisted he would have plumped for Messi, judging the latter a better player.

"I think that the best player in the world in Leo Messi, and I say it because I see him play every day and I have never seen anything like it. Sooner or later, Messi will win the Ballon d'Or," Puyol said, according to Barcelona's website late Tuesday.

Ronaldo travels with United - Champions League

Eurosport - Mon, 24 Nov 17:04:00 2008

Cristiano Ronaldo has travelled out with the rest of the Manchester United squad to Spain ahead of the Champions League match against Villarreal.

The Portugal winger was considered doubtful after suffering a leg injury in the draw at Aston Villa on Saturday.

However, he trained with the group on Monday morning and showed no ill effects from his knock and looks likely to feature at some stage in the match.

Darren Fletcher also trained after missing the game against Villa because of a knee problem.

But goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar stayed in Manchester - it was understood he was rested and either Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak will play instead.

United will be without Dimitar Berbatov (hamstring) and Wes Brown (ankle) as well as long-term injury victims Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves.

Villarreal's top scorer Joseba Llorente has joined Turkey striker Nihat Kahveci on the injury list which leaves former United frontman Giuseppe Rossi and Guillermo Franco to lead the line.

At the back Uruguay's Diego Godin is also out injured.

Torres ends Spanish wait for glory

Eurosport - Mon, 30 Jun 13:23:00 2008

A first-half goal by Fernando Torres gave Spain their first major trophy in 44 years after a 1-0 Euro 2008 final win over Germany.

The Liverpool striker beat the hesitant Philipp Lahm to a Xavi through ball on 33 minutes and prodded it beyond Jens Lehmann.

Although a dominant Spain side never delivered a knock-out blow, it mattered little as Germany never seriously looked like mounting a comeback.

The victory at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna rounded off a superb tournament for the Spanish, for whom it was a second European triumph in addition to their 1964 win.

It vindicated the decision to keep faith with veteran coach Luis Aragones who came under fire for his results, team selection and an embarrassing racist outburst about France striker Thierry Henry in 2004. Aragones has set the bar high for incoming Spain boss Vicente del Bosque
There can be no doubt that Spain deserved to win the cup as - despite the excitement provided by Russia, Turkey, Netherlands and Portugal - they scored more goals and conceded fewer than any other team.

After a relatively cagey opening 10 minutes that saw Germany make most of the running, Spain slowly took control of the match with their calm possession and quick counter-attacks.

Sergio Ramos had his obligatory lapse of concentration as early as the third minute, although Miroslav Klose's terrible touch spared Spain and Ramos.

The Spaniards had the first effort on target when Lehmann was forced to save from Christoph Metzelder, who almost put Andres Iniesta's low cross past his own keeper.

Spain gained confidence and, with Iniesta in particular able to find space on the left, the single-pronged attack allowed them to break in numbers from midfield, with Torres and David Silva also profiting from great delivery by Xavi and Cesc Fabregas.

Germany, on the other hand, started to regress. Per Mertesacker looked particularly uncomfortable as Torres and Iniesta exploited his positional and decision-making frailties.

Aside from giving them the run of the penalty area and the occasional loose pass to latch onto, the tall Werder Bremen defender's trademark aerial ability was left in the dressing room as the much smaller Torres managed to beat him to crosses on three occasions, one of which saw the ball strike the inside of the post on 22 minutes.

Spain took the lead just after the half-hour when Torres snuck between Lahm and Lehmann to chip the ball home from the edge of the box.

Lahm was culpable as he seemed to let Torres get past when he appeared to have the ball covered. It was a sweet finish though, and no more than Spain deserved as they attacked from deep with pace and flair.

The Bayern Munich full-back paid for his error and was replaced by club team-mate Marce'l Jansen at half-time. It had little immediate effect though, as Spain continued to boss the match after the restart.

Lehmann saved from Xavi, Ramos was agonisingly close to backheeling Silva's low drive into goal, and Lehmann prevented a carbon-copy of Torres's opener when he rushed out to block the Liverpool man.

Germany had a chance when Ballack shot just wide, but that was a short blip and Spain continued to create opportunities - although they could have gone down to 10 men when a confrontation between Lukas Podolski and Silva saw the Valencia winger aim a headbutt at the Bayern striker.

Ramos should have scored but headed straight at Lehmann after shocking Germany marking from a Xavi free-kick, and Torsten Frings then cleared Iniesta's low drive off the line after a short corner.

Germany looked short of ideas and energy, so boss Joachim Loew gambled by bringing on target man Kevin Kuranyi.

It had little effect though as the three-time winners huffed and puffed while Spain sat back and picked their breaks at leisure.

There was a moment of controversy when Lehmann appeared to handle outside the area, while Brazilian-born Spain midfielder Marcos Senna almost capped off a dream tournament with a goal but was unable to connect with substitute Dani Guiza's excellent cushioned header back across goal.

Germany pressed late on, using long balls and throwing on misfiring striker Mario Gomez, but Spain held on for a comfortable win to finally break their run of underachievement.

Champions League - United triumph in Moscow shoot-out

Eurosport - Wed, 21 May 23:43:00 2008
Manchester United were crowned European champions for the third time in their history after a dramatic sudden-death penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in Moscow.

With the sides level at 1-1 after extra-time, courtesy of first-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard, it was left to Edwin Van der Sar to make the decisive save in the shoot-out and hand Sir Alex Ferguson his second European crown.

In an unbearably tense conclusion, Ronaldo's penalty was saved by Petr Cech and John Terry had the chance to win the final. But the Chelsea captain slipped and his effort clipped the post and went wide.

Into sudden death it went, and after Ryan Giggs calmly side-footed home, Van der Sar parried substitute Nicolas Anelka's spot-kick to provide a fitting tribute to those who died in the Munich air disaster 50 years ago.

In an open and entertaining match, there was little to separate the two sides, who both excelled technically and conspired to provide a scintillating night of European football that will live long in the memory. The only stain on an otherwise gleaming advertisement for the Premier League was a late red card for Didier Drogba, after the striker raised his hands to Nemanja Vidic.

United lined up with Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney in a three-pronged attack, and appeared intent on taking the game to Chelsea from the outset.

With Ronaldo driving down the left flank at every opportunity, ably assisted by Patrice Evra, and the duo of Owen Hargreaves and Wes Brown patrolling the right, the Premier League champions looked the most likely for the majority of the first half.

Chelsea were slow to start, and struggled to get Joe Cole and Drogba into the game as a result of United's tireless closing down. Tevez was at his feverish best, denying opponents time on the ball and easing the pressure.

The game's first incident of note came on 21 minutes, when Claude Makelele caught Paul Scholes with a clumsy challenge. While the foul went unpunished, both players were cautioned as a result of the melee which ensued.

Soon after, United took a deserved lead. Brown cut in from the right and sent a clipped left-foot cross to the far post. Ronaldo was being marshalled by Michael Essien, but he pulled away to find space ten yards out and head his 42nd goal of a remarkable season.

To that point Chelsea had offered little in the way of attacking ambition, but on 35 minutes Michael Ballack came desperately close to bring the Blues level. The German midfielder timed his run expertly to meet Drogba's far-post header across, but his effort was superbly saved by Van der Sar.

Suddenly the game was alive. United broke almost immediately downfield and Ronaldo's low cross was met with flying header from Tevez. Cech saved brilliantly, and recovered to block Michael Carrick's follow-up from the penalty spot.

Two minutes before the interval Tevez came closer still to increasing his side's lead. This time Rooney was the architect, bombing down the right to send over a low cross which evaded the Argentine's desperate lunge by inches.

Somehow Chelsea survived and moments later they were level. Essien's hopeful long-range shot was deflected of first Vidic, and then Ferdinand, to fall neatly into the stride of Lampard. The England midfielder finished with aplomb to send the teams into the break level.

As the second half got under way, Chelsea were visibly buoyed by the goal. Ballack began to assert himself in midfield, and Essien finally got a foothold in his battle with Ronaldo.

The complexion of the game was transformed, and United were now the side hanging on and surviving on scraps in attack. Just after the hour mark, Lampard saw his shot headed behind by Rio Ferdinand, and from his resulting corner Terry leapt highest to head just over the bar.

With a little over 10 minutes remaining, Drogba cut inside and crashed a swerving 20-yard shot against the post with Van der Sar beaten. Chelsea were getting closer, but United remained resolute in defence and refused to capitulate.

The closing minutes of normal time were predictably tense, but there would be no repeat of United's dramatic last-gasp victory in 1999.

Extra-time it was, and within three minutes Chelsea found the woodwork for the second time. This time it was Lampard who was denied, after spinning neatly in the box and shooting left-footed from 10 yards. Van der Sar was once again helpless, but the underside of the bar came to his rescue.

But United soon began to reproduce their first-half form, and came close to scoring themselves. Evra broke down the left and cut back for Giggs, on as substitute to make his record-breaking 759th appearance for the club. The Welshman connected well, but Terry put his head in the way to deny him a fairytale winner.

With five minutes remaining, and penalties looming, a confrontation broke out between Drogba and Vidic. Players swarmed in, hands were raised, and when the dust settled the Ivorian was sent off for slapping Vidic across the face. It was a petty and ill-advised act from the striker, which was out of character for a match played for most part in a sportsmanlike manner.

With that, went the last meaningful action of the game, and the dreaded penalty shoot-out ensued.

Sadly for Chelsea, Terry spurned a glorious opportunity to hand the side their first European title after Ronaldo's kick was saved, and it was left to Van der Sar to ensure the class of 2008 go down in history with United's all-conquering sides of 1968 and 1999.

Lyon celebrate toughest title

Eurosport - Mon, 19 May 13:26:00 2008

For once, winning the league title was not a formality for Lyon, now facing a challenge to remain the dominant force in French football.

For the first time since they claimed their first Ligue 1 crown in 2002, Lyon had to wait until the season's final round of matches to wrap it up.

Saturday's 3-1 convincing win at Auxerre gave them a record seventh successive title and they will now chase a first domestic double when they meet Paris St Germain in Saturday's French Cup final at the Stade de France.

Their league triumph, however, was far from smooth.

Nine points ahead of second-placed Girondins Bordeaux on March 30, Lyon saw that advantage dwindle to just two points five matches later after a patchy spell of form.

They were still only two points clear going into the final weekend, which ended with them on 79 points, four ahead of Bordeaux, who were held 2-2 at relegated Racing Lens.

"I admit that this seventh title was the hardest to win," said Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, who has helped transform the club from a sleepy provincial outfit into the yardstick for French sides.

"It was an extraordinary championship. We end up with nearly 80 points and we beat our record goal tally (with 74)."

Aulas certainly has reasons to be satisfied but will rue the fact Lyon again failed to make an impact in Europe, falling to Manchester United in the Champions League's first knockout stage.

The Lyon boss also realises his side could be tested at home next season by Bordeaux, who impressed in their first campaign under the guidance of former France defender Laurent Blanc.

"Bordeaux could have and maybe should have become the champions," Aulas said in a rare display of humility.

Lyon experienced rare problems when France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet and Brazil defender Cris, suffered long-term knee injuries at the beginning of the season.

Even after they returned, new coach Alain Perrin struggled to come up with a coherent game plan and to win acceptance from his players.

Aulas, who has a penchant for getting rid of title-winning coaches, hardly gave a ringing endorsement of Perrin and a question mark now hangs over the coach's future.

"The answer to the question on whether I will still be the Lyon coach next season does not belong to me," Perrin told reporters after Saturday's game. "All I know is I have a contract."

The good news for Lyon is that Karim Benzema, this season's revelation and Ligue 1's top scorer with 20 goals, has pledged his future to the club.

A potent mix of power and skill with the makings of a true great, the 20-year-old France striker was instrumental again on Saturday, clinically putting Lyon ahead after just 24 seconds.

Lyon still need to rebuild, some of their senior players, notably Coupet and Brazilian midfielder Juninho, comfortably the wrong side of 30.

Bordeaux and others will be hoping that this season marked the end of an era. Aulas's next mission is to prove them wrong.

Ibra returns to win title for Inter

Eurosport - Mon, 19 May 09:05:00 2008
Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a brilliant, decisive return from injury to fire Internazionale to their third straight Scudetto triumph after a 2-0 win over Parma on a thrilling last day of the Serie A season.

The Swede, who had not played for a month-and-a-half with a knee problem, scored both goals from the bench at a saturated Stadio Ennio Tardini to settle a nerve-jangling season finale.

Roma, who until Ibrahimovic's first strike on 62 minutes appeared to have one hand on the trophy, could ultimately only manage a 1-1 draw against Catania, meaning the Giallorossi ended their campaign three points behind the champions.

Jorge Martinez netted the equaliser for the Sicilians with just five minutes remaining to preserve their Serie A status next season, while Parma's defeat saw them relegated.

Catania's win meant that Empoli, despite a 2-1 win over Livorno, were also relegated to Serie B, while Fiorentina held on to the final Champions League spot thanks to Pablo Osvaldo's overhead kick in a 1-0 win over Torino.

Milan beat Udinese 4-1 at the San Siro, but the Rossoneri will have to be content with a place in the UEFA Cup next season.

Parma 0-2 Inter

Knowing nothing less than a win would be enough to preserve their Serie A status, Parma started the better of the two sides and were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead after just 13 minutes. But Stefano Morrone's close range effort was well blocked by Julio Cesar in the Inter goal.

It proved to be the hosts' best chance of the game as Inter found their feet and began to enjoy far more possession as the game wore on. Cesar, then Maicon, both landed efforts over the Parma cross bar before Julio Cruz headed wide from a 39th minute Mario Balotelli cross.

But while Inter were enjoying the better of the game, they lacked a finishing touch. Ibrahimovic soon changed that when he entered the fray on 51 minutes as a replacement for Cesar. His first came on 62 minutes, a low hard shot into the bottom corner after an exquisite touch had set him on his way towards goal.

The Swede's introduction proved inspired as he went on to feature in most of Inter's best attacking moments from then on. Balotelli was unlucky not to find the back of the net three minutes after the opener, having been found by Ibrahimovic, and the maestro himself should have done better on 78 minutes when clear through on goal.

Moments later he atoned for his miss, volleying home Maicon's cross at the far post to seal the win on the day, and Inter's third consecutive title.

Catania 1-1 Roma

Mirko Vucinic took just eight minutes to calm any nerves that may have existed in the Roma camp on Sicily, the Montenegrin finishing well into the far corner after having broken free of the Catania back line.

Mancini should have doubled Roma's lead just after the half hour mark, but the Brazilian dragged his shot wide of the mark and he was nearly made to regret his miss just minutes later when Giacomo Tedesco was denied by a superb point-blank save from Doni.

After the break, news of events in Parma filtered through and gave the hosts added impetus as Roma struggled to keep their concentration. Substitute Takayuki Morimoto wasted a hat-trick of chances, hitting the crossbar once, while Marco Biagianti also struck the woodwork with a powerful drive from outside the box.

Catania's pressure appeared to have eventually paid off when the ball hit the back of the net on 82 minutes, only for the linesman's flag to indicate Giuseppe Mascara's offside position.

But the premature pitch invaders' blushes were spared three minutes later when Martinez latched on to a goalmouth scramble to slot home and secure the Sicilians' top flight status for at least another year.

Torino 0-1 Fiorentina

Pablo Osvaldo's spectacular second-half volley gave Fiorentina a 1-0 win in Turin that secured fourth place and Champions League qualification for next season.

Both sides exchanged chances in an open first half, with Alessandro Rosina and Roberto Stellone testing Viola goalkeeper Sebastien Frey while Fabio Liverani and Alessandro Gamberini drew excellent saves from his opposite number Matteo Sereni.

Torino had the best of the second period, with Aimo Diana having a volley harshly ruled out for offside before Osvaldo headed Martin Jorgensen's right-wing cross into the air before sending an overhead bicycle kick flying past Sereni.

Milan 4-1 Udinese

Milan will compete in the UEFA Cup next season after coming from a goal down at the San Siro to earn a win that was not enough to snatch Champions League qualification from Fiorentina.

Giandomenico Mesto gave the visitors the lead on 32 minutes when he cut infield from the right and drove a left-footer inside the far post from a difficult angle, only for Milan substitute Alexandre Pato to equalise from close range five minutes into the second half.

Pato turned provider shortly afterwards, chesting Massimo Ambrosini's pass down for Filippo Inzaghi to turn the ball home, and after Kaka had seen a penalty saved, late goals from Cafu - on his last appearance for the club - and Clarence Seedorf made the game safe.

Atalanta 2-0 Genoa

Atalanta's Sergio Floccari netted with a chip after beating the offside trap and Michele Marconi extended the lead late on.

Genoa had two sent off in the mid-table battle with Danilo Sacramento and Omar Milanetto both picking up two bookings.

Cagliari 2-2 Reggina

Nicola Amoruso bagged a brace for Reggina as both sides enjoyed the final game of the season having recently secured their Serie A place.

Joaquin Larrivey rifled in from inside the box to put the Sardinians ahead before Nicola Amoruso equalised in the second period. Paolo Bianco grabbed Cagliari's second only for Amoruso to net a penalty four minutes from time.

Empoli 2-1 Livorno

The home side did their job but were relegated because of Catania's draw. A defeat for Catania would have meant Empoli stayed up given their better-head-to-head record.

Antonio Busce scored early when he slid into an empty net against already-relegated Livorno. Luca Saudati hit the post with a penalty early in the second half but netted a few minutes later with the outside of his boot.

Alessandro Diamanti bagged Livorno's last top flight goal for at least a season seven minutes from the end.

Lazio 2-1 Napoli

Home striker Tommaso Rocchi rounded off the season with a stylish shot into the corner and Fabio Firmani doubled their advantage from close range but doubts remain over coach Delio Rossi's position after Lazio's disappointing mid-table finish.

Maurizio Domizzi grabbed a consolation for Napoli, who will be happy with their eighth place finish in their first season back in Serie A.

Siena 2-2 Palermo

Home striker Massimo Maccarone bagged a brace in the mid-table clash, with Palermo's Amauri not playing ahead of an expected move to Juventus or Milan.

Maccarone raced on to a through ball and finished with aplomb early on before skipping a challenge and slotting home in the second half.

Bosko Jankovic and striker Fabrizio Miccoli with a clever header scored for Palermo in between Maccarone's strikes.

UEFA Cup - Rangers broken-hearted in UEFA final

Eurosport - Thu, 15 May 10:24:00 2008
Igor Denisov's 72nd-minute goal broke Rangers' stubborn resistence as Zenit St Petersburg ground out a 2-0 victory in a predictably tight UEFA Cup final at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Denisov slotted past Neil Alexander with 18 minutes to go to break the hearts of Walter Smith's men and the estimated 100,000 fans they brought down from Glasgow to Manchester.

Midfielder Konstatin Zurianov prodded home a second to seal the win with the last kick of the match.

Rangers were predictably cagey game until the hour mark as Dick Advocaat's side struggled to find a way through the blue wall, but Zenit took advantage of the increasing space in the final half-hour to grab the goals that make them only the second Russian club to lift the trophy.

Rangers had endured an epic journey which saw them play no fewer than 18 European games to come this far only to fall at the final hurdle at the hands of the Russian champions, denying the Scots their first European trophy for 36 years.

Contrary to all the pre-match hype, the match enjoyed an open start and both sides had early chances; first Andrei Arshavin shot the wrong side of the near after he was released down the left channel, before Jean Claude Darcheville opted to cross rather than shoot when through on the left, Radek Shirl intercepting on his own six-yard line.

After their early chance, Rangers settled back as Zenit mounted some pressure on their goal, the Scots finding it difficult to maintain any decent possession as the Russian side harried and pressed in midfield.

But despite all their possession in the Rangers half, Zenit were unable to create any decent shooting opportunities as the blue wall did its job on the edge of the box, although the Russians were disappointed not to be awarded a penalty moments before the break when Arshavin's cross hit the arm of Kirk Broadfoot.

Rangers were convinced they should have had a penalty of their own ten minutes into the second half. Darcheville's first-time shot on the turn brought a fine save out of Vyacheslav Malafeev and when Barry Ferguson pounced on the rebound, the ball bounced up and struck a Zenit arm - although the referee ruled the defender knew nothing about it.

As Rangers finally began to commit a few more players forward, Zenit also began to look more threatening and the Russians came within a whisker of taking the lead just after the hour-mark.

Keeper Alexander made a rash decision to come out of his goal as Arshavin chased a long punt upfield, and the goal opened up when the striker just nicked the ball away from the keeper 35 yards from goal - however, his chip goalwards was headed off the line by the retreating Sasa Papac.

However, the chance seemed to spark some renewed belief in Zenit and after a spell of pressure, they finally made the breakthrough with 18 minutes remaining.

Rangers were caught on the hop after they surrendered possession from their own throw just inside their half; the ever dangerous Arshavin running at the heart of the Rangers defence before slipping a fine pass through to the run of Denisov, who finished calmly past Alexander.

Rangers boss Smith quickly sacrificed a defender for substitute striker Nacho Novo, although Zenit had an immediate chance to double the lead moments later, midfielder Zurianov screwing a shot wide after a low cross found its way through to him at the far post.

Novo almost grabbed Rangers a last-gasp equaliser, but he prodded over the crossbar from eight yards out after Ferguson's long throw bounced through to him at the back post.

And Zurianov made sure of the victory when he burst into the box to bundle home Tekke's low cross after the Turkish striker had been released again by the brilliant Arshavin.

Giggs strike caps United triumph

Eurosport - Mon, 12 May 08:55:00 2008

Manchester United sealed their 10th Premier League title in 16 years with a 2-0 win against Wigan Athletic.

On the day he equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 first-team appearances, Ryan Giggs scored the second goal late on to secure a nervous victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a first-half lead with a disputed penalty - his 31st league goal of the season.
Bolton's injury-time equaliser against Chelsea meant United ended with a two-point cushion, but the result at Stamford Bridge was rendered irrelevant thanks to the Reds' vastly superior goal difference.

United were the division's top scorers and finished with the best defensive record. Few neutrals - if such people exist - would deny they merited their championship.
Ronaldo's 31 goals match the best-ever haul for a 38-game domestic season, with Alan Shearer having set that mark for Blackburn Rovers in 1995/96.

Chelsea proved no less efficient at achieving results, but their inability to produce the fantasy football demanded by Roman Abramovich eventually proved fatal to their title hopes - and could also sound the death knell for Avram Grant's reign as manager.

They will regroup ahead of the Champions League final - against United - in Moscow in 10 days' time.

Any talk of a summer stroll in the park for United proved well wide of the mark. Inexperienced left-back Maynor Figueroa was the only non-regular in the Wigan first team while persistent drizzle gradually turned the pitch into a bog.

Wigan tore into their opponents, with strikers Emile Heskey and Marcus Bent providing a muscular, awkward threat up front.

The enigmatic Jason Koumas also started, and soon set about peppering Edwin van der Sar's goal with 30-yard shots.

Sir Alex Ferguson had complained that United would have been champions weeks ago but for bad luck with injuries and refereeing decisions - particularly in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last month.

But his side certainly got the benefit of Steve Bennett's doubt in a controversial first half.
On 22 minutes Rio Ferdinand blocked a Jason Koumas shot with his upper arm but Bennett said 'no penalty'.

Ten minutes later he had little hesitation in pointing to the spot when Emmerson Boyce brought down Wayne Rooney as the ball pinballed around the Wigan box.

His challenge was more clumsy than malicious, but Ronaldo punished him with a cool spot-kick, sending Chris Kirkland the wrong way and slotting low into the right side of the net.

Bennett found himself in the thick of things on 36 minutes when Paul Scholes shoulder-barged Wilson Palacios.

The midfielder had already been booked for a tackle from behind on Palacios and had the game been less important or the player less illustrious, Bennett may well have flashed the red card. But he kept his cards in his pocket.

The second half saw United playing impossibly nervy football, particularly after news came through that Chelsea were beating Bolton.

Chris Kirkland kept Wigan in the game with brilliant saves to deny Rooney - a surprise starter following his hip injury - Carlos Tevez and Ronaldo.

Meanwhile Scholes was denied what looked a clear penalty when Bramble tripped him with a rash sliding tackle.

At the other end Heskey headed narrowly over but Wigan proved unable to capitalise on their opponents' jitters.

It was all over 10 minutes from time when Giggs, a man who has played a part in all of Ferguson's title-winning sides, found himself in acres of space at the edge of the penalty area.

Rooney found him with a simple pass, and the Welshman located the corner of the net. Cue wild celebrations from the away fans.

At 34, Giggs's skills might be on the wane, but he still has an eye for the big occasion and capped off a glorious season in fitting fashion

Champions League - Moscow bursting at seams

Eurosport - Thu, 01 May 16:34:00 2008

For the 42,000 English fans arriving to watch the Champions League final Moscow has said it will expedite visas, clear runways, extend subway hours and build a bridge.

Hotel rooms to accommodate Manchester United and Chelsea supporters descending on the Luzhniki stadium on May 21 were more of a problem, however.

Moscow has about 34,000 hotel rooms for about 75,000 guests according to US State Department statistics. Some 5,500 are so-called Western-standard hotel rooms and local media say almost all are booked during the Champions League final.

"It's a well documented fact that Moscow does not have enough hotel rooms for an event of this magnitude. Especially in the three to four-star range, where most football fans are likely to stay," said Natalya Anashkina, Editor in Chief of the Russian Hotel Association's magazine 'Concept Hotel'.

"There are a lot of five-star hotels now but the prices there are expensive even by European standards," said Anashkina.

Calls to two Moscow five-star hotels, the Baltschug-Kempinski and the Ritz-Carlton, showed no available rooms. Not even the $3,920 per night Honeymoon Suite was available for the Champions League final.

One idea floated by deputy mayor Valeriy Vinogradov, the man organising the city's efforts for the championship, is for fans to fly in the morning of the match and leave Russia immediately after.

Such a plan would mean the city would not reap the benefit of extra tourist spending, however.
"I think the city administration is thinking more about the kinds of fans who come to football matches and probably wants them to stay for as little time as possible," Anashkina said.

"I've been to a few football matches myself and I can tell you, they are not always filled with the most desirable clientele," she added.

The Russian foreign ministry has dispatched teams of extra embassy workers to Manchester and London to expedite entry formalities and officials said all fans would get their visas on time.

On Monday, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov told Russian news agency RBK they would build a temporary footbridge over the busy road along Luzhniki Stadium and officials said the city would open its smallest airport Bykovo to comply with a UEFA requirement that opposing fans arrive separately.

The city's vast and sprawling metro would also run an extra three hours into early hours of the morning after the game, the first Champions League final between two English sides.

United and Chelsea chief executives David Gill and Peter Kenyon were due to meet UEFA officials in Moscow to discuss preparations for the final.

Each club has an allocation of 21,000 tickets with the capacity at the Luzhniki Stadium being set at 69,500 for the final.

UEFA director of communications William Gaillard told Sky Sports News: "We have no specific worries or problems.

"I think both clubs have developed a tradition of travelling abroad and both clubs are very well organised.

"We have never had any problems with either of those clubs' fans. We are looking forward to welcoming them in Moscow and sure they will put on a great show."

United and Chelsea fans who cannot get a final ticket as part of their clubs' allocation may buy tickets from other sources but Gaillard warned: "I would very much discourage them. There is no guarantee that the ticket they get is a bona fide ticket. Also every ticket has a number and every number identifies a person."

Bundesliga - Bayern clinch title

Eurosport - Sun, 04 May 21:14:00 2008

Bayern Munich secured their 21st German league title and completed a domestic double for the third time in four seasons when they drew 0-0 away to VfL Wolfsburg.

Bayern's draw stretched their lead over closest rivals Werder Bremen to 10 points with three games left and set off the traditionally soggy celebrations, as the players soaked each other, and anyone else on the field, with beer.

"It's a special achievement," outgoing coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said between soakings. "There was a lot of expectation and the pressure was enormous but now we've done it."

The Bavarian club's 20th title since the Bundesliga era began in 1963 follows their German Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund in Berlin last month.

Their only other German Championship success came back in 1932.

Bayern played poorly on Sunday against Wolfsburg, who missed the chance to keep them waiting for the title when Grafite burst through on goal in the final minute only to shoot five metres wide.

With 31 games played, Bayern lead with 67 points, followed by Werder on 57 after their 2-0 win over Energie Cottbus on Saturday. Schalke 04 are two points further back in the third and final Champions League place after a 1-1 draw at home to Hanover 96.

"All in all it's been a fantastic season," club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said before being drenched in traditional Bavarian Weissbier by midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. "We played great football and took a big step forward this season."

"And Bastian is going up for sale," he joked in an aside. Bayern were humiliated 4-0 in their UEFA Cup semi-final second leg against Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday, dashing their hopes of a treble in Hitzfeld's final season before he makes way for incoming coach Juergen Klinsmann.

That heavy defeat should not take too much away from what was a near perfect domestic season for a team inspired by the artistry of midfielder Franck Ribery and the brutal efficiency of Luca Toni up front.

Bayern, who finished outside the Champions League places last season, started the campaign with a 3-0 win at home to Hansa Rostock and they have not relinquished the lead in the table all season.

They have lost just twice in the league so far, and boast the top scorer in the Italian striker Toni, who has bagged 21 goals in 29 Bundesliga matches in his debut season in Germany.

Ribery, the French playmaker signed from Olympique Marseille for 30 million euros, has been a delight to watch, while Oliver Kahn has proved in his final season at the club, and at the age of 38, that he remains one of the world's best keepers.

Real snatch dramatic win to take Spanish title

Sun 04 May, 11:13 PM

MADRID (Reuters) - Real Madrid fought their way back after a sending off and going a goal down to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory at Osasuna and win their 31st Spanish league title on Sunday.

With Villarreal beating Getafe 2-0 in an earlier match, Real had to win the game to retain the championship but suffered a major setback when defender Fabio Cannavaro was dismissed at the start of the second half.

Real looked to be in even more trouble when Osasuna midfielder Patxi Punal struck home from the penalty spot after centre-back Gabriel Heinze had handled in the area with eight minutes to go.

But Dutch winger Arjen Robben equalised in the 87th, heading in after Gonzalo Higuain whipped a free kick into the area and the Argentine struck the winner when he lashed past Ricardo a minute from the final whistle.

With three matches left to play, Real have an unassailable 10-point lead over Villarreal at the top of the table. It is the first time they have won back-to-back league titles since they won five in a row between 1986 and 1990.

"This team demonstrated that it has guts, determination... everything," Real president Ramon Calderon told Canal Plus television.

"This team can never be written off and they won the title in heroic fashion. Winning the title two years in a row is a huge achievement."

HAPPY ENDING

Real coach Bernd Schuster said he was delighted to have won his first major trophy as a coach.
"It was like one of those American sports films when you have to fight and suffer but you eventually get a happy ending," said the German.

"We are going to enjoy the moment, celebrate with our fans back in Madrid and have a great time when we play Barcelona at the Bernabeu on Wednesday."

Villarreal made sure Real had to win the game by beating Getafe 2-0 at home, Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci scoring both goals with neat finishes either side of halftime.

The victory meant that Manuel Pellegrini's side retain their four-point advantage over Barcelona in the race for second place.

The Catalans hammered a beleaguered Valencia 6-0 at the Nou Camp, to record their first win in six games.

France striker Thierry Henry and youngster Bojan Krkic scored two goals apiece while Lionel Messi weighed in with a penalty and Xavi with a fine 20-metre drive.
Valencia, who have lost five of their last six league games, remain just two points above the relegation zone.

RELEGATED

Real Murcia were relegated after they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at high-flying Racing Santander and will now join Levante in the second division.

With Osasuna fighting for survival in the top flight, goalscoring opportunities were at a premium in an intense and hard-fought contest at a rain-soaked Reyno de Navarra.

Osasuna fought tooth and nail in midfield and kept Real at bay for the remainder of the half and they received a major boost when Cannavaro was sent off after picking up a second booking for a foul on Czech midfielder Jaroslav Plasil.

Real looked as they would have to put the champagne on ice when Punal fired home from the penalty spot, but showed the sort of determination and fighting spirit that has characterised their season to battle to victory.

Robben got in front of two defenders to nod in past Ricardo and the unmarked Higuain sparked wild celebrations among his team mates when he fired past the keeper after Sergio Ramos slid the ball to his feet on the right side of the area.

Rijkaard: Final won't be pretty

Wed 30 Apr, 12:30 AM

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has applauded English football for its first Champions League final - but he does not expect a classic showdown.Paul Scholes' goal at Old Trafford on Tuesday gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory over the two legs against Barca to set up a final in Moscow with either Liverpool or Chelsea.

Despite calls for him to resign in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, Rijkaard intends to remain in his job, at least until the end of the season.

The former Holland star was magnanimous enough to say English clubs deserve their success but Rijkaard, tipped as a potential successor to Chelsea coach Avram Grant, is not a great lover of the way they play.

"The level of English teams is high," he said.

"It is very difficult to beat them because they are very strong. They are very organised and all get behind the ball. It is very tough to beat an English team.

"The type of football they play is only in the Premier League. They defend as though their lives depend on it. And they are very successful.

"If they didn't play each other, they could easily have had four English teams in the semi-finals.
"But I do feel English teams have a lot more to give. I just feel it is a great pity it is not the most beautiful kind of football to watch."

Rijkaard claimed he was happy with his side's performance, bemoaning only their failure to score over the two legs.

And, rather than attack his players for their failure, he feels they should be backed by ultra-critical supporters as they bid to at least secure an automatic path to next year's competition.
"We did everything but score," he said.

"We gave everything and had the better of the play but the rules of the game are that the team who scores goes through - and they scored.

"It is a difficult defeat to stomach, a tough one to take. But the players require help and support and they need to show character and courage."

Rijkaard insists he will stay at the club, even though it seems certain his tenure at the Nou Camp will end this summer.

"Leaving has not entered my head. I have no intention of leaving," he said.

"It would be a different thing if the players were saying it's time for me to go but that's not the case.

"Barcelona is a massive club with plenty of people capable of making decisions at the end of the season if decisions need to be taken.

"It will be time to draw conclusions at the end of the season. but it would be overplaying it to say the season has been a failure."

Champions League - Scholes sends United into final

Eurosport - Tue, 29 Apr 22:54:00 2008

Paul Scholes's stunning first-half strike earned Manchester United a nervy 1-0 win over Barcelona at Old Trafford that sent them through to the Champions League final.

Scholes put United ahead with a superb long-range effort after a quarter of an hour before Ji-sung Park, Nani and Carlos Tevez all went close.

Lionel Messi proved a constant threat with his daring running from deep, but as in the goalless first leg he was unable to provide the spark Barcelona needed.

Instead United held firm in a frantic last 10 minutes of constant Barcelona attacks to secure a place in the final in Moscow on May 21 and ensure that the winner of the 2007-2008 Champions League will definitely be an English side.

United had been dealt a sizeable blow prior to kick-off when it emerged that Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney would not be able to feature due to the injuries they sustained in the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea at the weekend, so Wes Brown continued to deputise for the Serbian at centre-half, with Owen Hargreaves starting at right-back and Nani coming into the side in place of Rooney.

The home side got off to an edgy start, with Scholes conceding a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area for a trip on Messi inside the first minute and Samuel Eto'o having a low cross cleared after Edwin van der Sar had sliced a clearance straight to him.

Barcelona settled quickly by comparison and looked typically comfortable in possession until a loose pass from Gianluca Zambrotta gave Scholes the chance to test his shooting boots from 25 yards, and he made no mistake with an unstoppable right-footed effort that soared into the top-right corner.

Visiting keeper Victor Valdes then spilled a free-kick from Nani as the home side, emboldened by the roars of the crowd, threatened to over-run them, before Messi reminded them of the unique danger he poses with a run and shot that forced van der Sar into a save.

The shackles of the first leg cast off, chances were exchanged by both sides, with Park slotting narrowly wide from Cristiano Ronaldo's lay-off and Deco twice going close from the edge of the United penalty area.

As the first half drew to a close United found themselves increasingly penned back, and they were lucky to escape when van der Sar dropped Messi's cross right in front of Eto'o, only for Patrice Evra to intervene at the vital moment.

Nani flashed a header wide of Valdes's left-hand post minutes before the break and United went close again just before the hour when Tevez stung the Barca keeper's palms with a rising left-footed effort after a lovely exchange of passes with Ronaldo.

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard responded to the growing need for a goal by introducing Thierry Henry with half an hour to go, and the Frenchman put a header straight at van der Sar with just over 10 minutes remaining.

United's defenders came to the fore in the game's dramatic closing stages, with Brown first tackling substitute Bojan Krkic as he prepared to shoot before sliding in to cut out Carles Puyol's centre from the left.

A head injury to Evra - who had to be replaced by Mikael Silvestre - prompted six minutes of added time, but with Ferguson anxiously checking his watch referee Herbert Fandel blew his whistle to send United through to a showdown with either Liverpool or Chelsea that will be the first all-English final in the competition's history.

Premier League - Ballack strikes for Chelsea

Eurosport - Sun, 27 Apr 08:39:00 2008

A controversial late Michael Ballack penalty moved Chelsea level on points with Manchester United following a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

The German nervelessly despatched an 86th-minute spot-kick after the assistant referee flagged for a handball by Michael Carrick.

So often a maligned figure for Chelsea, Ballack supplied both goals in a pulsating encounter, heading the home side in front late in the first half.

Wayne Rooney equalised after a blunder by Ricardo Carvalho but was later taken off injured.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher both had potential equalisers cleared off the line in a frantic climax to the game.

Having trailed the champions by eight points, Chelsea now join them on 81 points with two matches to go. However, a goal difference advantage of 16 means that United will retain their title with wins over West Ham and Wigan.

However, with no wins out of three in a traumatic week, that is far from a foregone conclusion.
Life has been no less difficult for Chelsea, whose key midfielder Frank Lampard sat out the game following the death of his mother.

The players paid tribute after the opening goal, before Ballack stepped effortlessly into Lampard's penalty-taking shoes to drill home the winner.

Sir Alex Ferguson complained on Friday that United were victims of a fixture list that saw the match sandwiched between two games against Barcelona - all within six days.

With an eye on Tuesday's Champions League return leg at Old Trafford, he left RonaldoCarlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves on the bench, while Patrice Evra and Paul Scholes were omitted from the squad altogether.

If United were unconvincing in the Camp Nou on Wednesday, they were much worse in the first half at Stamford Bridge as a powerful and determined Chelsea side overran them.

Salomon Kalou and Michael Essien started especially strongly, running with the ball at their feet against a remarkably timid visiting defence.

Within a minute Wes Brown played Edwin van der Sar into trouble with a poor back header, although Essien's eventual shot flew over.

Mikael Silvestre looked unsteady at left-back and things got worse when the increasingly injury-prone Nemanja Vidic was taken off, looking groggy, after sustaining a bloody mouth.

On 21 minutes Joe Cole surged untracked through the centre but, fatally, delayed his killer pass to Essien too long and appeared to have lost out.

However, Brown's clearance hit a team-mate and fell to Cole, whose snapshot rattled back off the right angle of post and bar.

But it was only a matter of time until the goal came, and it arrived in first-half stoppage time.

The hitherto quiet Didier Drogba teased a right-foot cross to the edge of the six yard box, where Ballack arrived to power his header past the helpless Van der Sar.

United were much brighter after the break, stringing passes together and creating crossing opportunities for Nani, most of which were spurned.

But few could imagine the equaliser would come from such a reliable player as Carvalho.

Chelsea took a free-kick just inside their own half and, under no pressure, Carvalho appeared to panic and tread on the ball.

Rooney seized possession and sprinted goalwards, one-on-one with John Terry in his wake. His lack of decisiveness in such situations has brought criticism from England manager Fabio Capello, but he steeled himself and drilled a low shot in off the left-hand post for his first goal against Chelsea.

United looked comfortable as Avram Grant threw Nicolas Anelka and Andriy Shevchenko into the fray.

Everything changed when Carrick handled an Essien cross and the linesman raised his flag. Ballack had earlier argued with Drogba over a free-kick, but there was no doubt over the penalty taker.

The midfielder powered his shot into the left corner, but the game was not over yet.
Ronaldo hit a left-foot shot that Ashley Cole scuffed clear, before Fletcher had what looked a certain leveller cleared by the unlikely figure of Shevchenko.

- Chelsea groundstaff and Manchester United players were involved in a bizarre fracas on the pitch after the match between the two teams.

None of the United players who played in the match were involved but Patrice Evra, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Gerard Pique and John O'Shea were all warming down when an argument began with the groundstaff tending the pitch.

Stewards quickly moved in to separate those involved but after the situation quietened down the row flared up again, although no punches were thrown.

Premier League - United trio agree new deals

Eurosport - Fri, 18 Apr 12:58:00 2008

Manchester United defenders Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, along with midfielder Michael Carrick, have agreed new contracts with the club.

The 29-year-old Ferdinand is enjoying the form of his life at United, his central defensive partnership with Nemanja Vidic galvanising a miserly defence that has conceded just 18 Premier League goals all season

Fellow England defender Brown, who has started 41 games in all competitions this season, could have left the Old Trafford club on a free transfer when his current deal ends in June.

The Manchester-born Brown made his United breakthrough as a right-back in the club's 1998-1999 Treble-winning season, and was quickly rewarded with a call-up to the England squad.

Naturally a centre-half, he has been deployed at right-back this season in place of the injured Gary Neville, and it is at full-back that he started England coach Fabio Capello's first two games in charge.

Michael Carrick arrived at Old Trafford from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006, and has become an intergral part of the United midfield.

United end Arsenal title bid

Eurosport - Sun, 13 Apr 18:56:00 2008

Manchester United came from behind to earn a 2-1 Premier League win over Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Emmanuel Adebayor put the Gunners ahead early in the second half but a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and Owen Hargreaves free-kick secured a vital win for United, who established a six-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the table.

The defeat effectively rules Arsene Wenger's side out of the title race as they are now nine points off the lead with four games remaining.

Arsenal were impressive in the first 45 minutes and Adebayor was guilty of no less than five misses when put in good shooting positions.

The first was on 18 minutes when he shot tamely at Edwin van der Sar following a one-two with Robin van Persie, and the second was an identikit back-pass after brilliant work by Alexander Hleb on 35 minutes.

Gilberto Silva then found his shot blocked by team-mate Alex Song after United failed to clear a corner, while Cesc Fabregas fired wide from a good position.

The hosts had their chances too. Most of their attacking threat came from Wayne Rooney, who forced one good save from Jens Lehmann after an impudent flick by Ronaldo who bamboozled Song on the United left.

Lehmann was standing-in for the injured Manuel Almunia and the veteran German produced a superb save from Rooney, who had stroked the ball towards the bottom right corner after leading a counter attack. Lehmann somehow stuck his left boot out to divert the ball behind for a corner and the sides went in level at the break.

Arsenal took the lead when Adebayor exploited hesitancy between Van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand after a quickly-taken free-kick allowed Van Persie to cross into the six yard box.

Ferdinand stopped and the Togo striker nicked ahead of the Dutchman to flick the ball home with what appeared to be his hand. United's protests were waved away and Arsenal had a lead that threatened to derail Sir Alex Ferguson's title hopes.

But, as has often happened recently, Arsenal conceded almost immediately.

They had been agonisingly close to doubling their lead when Ferdinand's attempted clearance was spectacularly saved by Van der Sar.

Ferdinand then hooked the loose ball away and United countered. Michael Carrick played the ball into the box and William Gallas handballed to gift United a penalty. Ronaldo converted twice, the first strike disallowed after Park Ji-Sung encroached and the second drilled low to Lehmann's right.

The match was blown wide open, and substitute Carlos Tevez almost netted with a long-range effort, while Wes Brown deflected a Gael Clichy cross towards goal that Van der Sar did very well to tip onto the post.

United's second goal came on 71 minutes - and from two unlikely sources. Left back Patrice Evra got forward, playing through Rooney and winning a free-kick off Gilberto on the edge of the box after the England striker's shot was blocked.

Hargreaves stepped up and asked Ronaldo to move aside. The former Bayern Munich midfielder then unleashed an immaculate shot that dipped over the wall and curled away from Lehmann into the bottom left for his second goal of the season, a carbon copy of his first strike against Fulham.

The stuffing was knocked out of the Gunners, although they attacked with intent late on and sub Nicklas Bendtner should have made Van der Sar work harder to save his far-post header after he was found by Fabregas.

United held on at the end and now lead Chelsea by six points at the top of the Premier League.

Tevez eases United through

Eurosport - Wed, 09 Apr 22:36:00 2008

Carlos Tevez's second-half header gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory over Roma at Old Trafford that sealed their progress to the last four of the Champions League with a 3-0 aggregate victory.

After making a strong start to the game United nearly went behind when Roma were awarded a penalty after half an hour, but Daniele de Rossi blasted a wretched spot-kick well over the crossbar.

Roma continued to put United under pressure in the opening stages of the second period, before Tevez's header from the superb Owen Hargreaves's inch-perfect cross finally put the tie beyond the Italian side.

United went into the game leading 2-0 on aggregate after a convincing first leg performance in Rome, but manager Alex Ferguson betrayed his anxiety with a conservative 4-5-1 formation that saw Tevez starting up front on his own, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on the bench.

Rio Ferdinand returned at centre-half after being forced off in the 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough, and he was partnered by young Spaniard Gerard Pique, with Mikael Silvestre starting at left-back in place of compatriot Patrice Evra.

United started in purposeful fashion, and Park Ji-Sung flashed a shot across goal before Wes Brown directed a free header over the bar from Ryan Giggs's left-wing corner.

Giggs almost created an opener moments later when his pass set Hargreaves scampering into the visitors' box, but the England man's shot was turned away by Doni.

Mirko Vucinic tested Edwin van der Sar with a shot from a tight angle after 15 minutes, but United were soon back on the attack and Giggs extended Doni with a half-volley from Hargreaves's zipped right-wing cross.

Hargreaves was finding plenty of room down the United right in the game's opening stages, and it took a joint effort from Juan and Marco Cassetti to deny him after he was set free once again by Giggs.

The home side were cruising, but with half an hour gone the stadium fell into stunned silence when referee Tom Ovrebo adjudged Brown's challenge on Mancini illegal and pointed to the penalty spot.

Midfielder De Rossi - who scored a spot-kick in Italy's 2006 World Cup final shootout triumph over France - stepped up, but lifted his penalty high into the stands.

Roma went close again shortly after the break when Van der Sar spilled Vucinic's long-range effort but Cassetti just could not get to the rebound.

Rodrigo Taddei was then denied by a tremendous block from Silvestre as Roma continued to threaten, before Hargreaves and Tevez combined to put the result beyond their opponents with 20 minutes remaining.

Tevez found Hargreaves rampaging down the right wing, and the Argentine was perfectly placed to meet the ensuing cross with a deft near post header that gave Doni no chance.

With United's progress secure Ferguson took the opportunity to give Gary Neville his first action of the season after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury, and his every touch drew huge cheers from the home fans.

The result represents a record 11th consecutive home win in the Champions League for United, for whom Barcelona await in the semi-finals.

Chelsea set up Liverpool semi

Eurosport - Wed, 09 Apr 00:43:00 2008

Chelsea will face Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals for the third time in four years after goals from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard saw them past Fenerbahce at Stamford Bridge.

Trailing 2-1 from the first-leg, Avram's Grant's side started with real purpose and took just three minutes to level the tie on aggregate when Ballack rose to head home Joe Cole's right-wing cross.

Despite dominating possession and creating enough chances to end the contest before half-time, the home side were forced to endure a nervous final quarter before Lampard blasted home in the 87th minute to ensure their progress.

Fenerbahce will look to a superb double-save from Chelsea's substitute goalkeeper Hilario as their best chance to steal an undeserved victory.

With 10 minutes remaining the Portuguese got down to deny substitute Ugur's deflected shot before tipping Colin Kazim-Richards's powerful 25-yard drive over the bar. It was the closest the visitors came to a goal.

Fenerbahce were strangely subdued in the first half and failed to muster a single shot on target. They had come to defend; yet after conceding they appeared unable to adapt their approach. The Turkish side were fortunate to go in at the break just one goal behind.

Minutes after Ballack's towering leap, Chelsea came within inches of a second when Salomon Kalou's near-post cross found Joe Cole. The England midfielder cut across his marker to engineer an opening, but stabbed his shot against the upright.

Soon after Carlo Cudicini was forced to withdraw. With Petr Cech sidelined after a training ground injury, third-choice goalkeeper Hilario took the field.

Chelsea were unquestionably in the ascendancy, but there were worrying signs of defensive fallibility. Diego Lugano and Deivid both found themselves unmarked in the box, but each headed harmlessly wide.

Striker Deivid appeared Fenerbahce's most likely - but even he was reduced to shooting from fully 40 yards as the visitors struggled to penetrate.

As a disjointed second half unfolded, neither side appeared capable of holding possession. Chelsea made and spurned a host of chances, while the Turks were limited to long-range speculative efforts.

After Hilario's crucial intervention, Chelsea finally sealed the tie with three minutes remaining.
Michael Essien broke down the right and teed up Lampard from five yards to bring a welcome sense of relief to the frustrated home support.

After picking up a needless yellow card for throwing the ball away, however, Essien will miss the first leg of their all-English semi-final.

Chelsea will be seeking to defeat Liverpool at the penultimate stage of the Champions League at the third attempt - having lost semi-finals to their Premier League rivals in 2005 and 2007.

Champions League - Liverpool dump Arsenal in thriller

Eurosport - Wed, 09 Apr 00:22:00 2008

Liverpool reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with a dramatic 4-2 victory over Arsenal at Anfield to go through 5-3 on aggregate.

A contentious penalty decision allowed Steven Gerrard to put Liverpool on course with four minutes remaining only three after Emmanuel Adebayor's goal seemed set to send the Gunners through on away goals.

Ryan Babel made it four in injury-time on the break as Arsenal attacked. However the away side's fluid midfield had initially taken the game to Liverpool and they were rewarded on 13 minutes when Abou Diaby fired inside the near post.

The faltering home team earned a lifeline after half an hour when Sami Hyypia headed home a Gerrard corner from the penalty spot in-off the post and Fernando Torres dipped a stunning shot into the far-post top corner in the second period to put them ahead.

Substitute Theo Walcott's thrilling run from deep to the by-line and pull-back for Togo striker Adebayor could have settled the match, had Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt opted not to point to the spot when Kolo Toure chased down another sub Ryan Babel at the other end moments later.

The match was frenetic from the start, Arsenal the more likely as Adebayor strayed offside on a couple of occasions.

They had the breakthrough when Cesc Fabregas found the lanky striker. His effort from close by the post came back past the Spaniard yet Alexander Hleb was behind him to lay on Diaby, and the wide man finished clinically past Jose Reina.

Reina just got to a near-post Gael Clichy> cross as Adebayor lurked, denying Arsenal a two-goal cushion and they were pegged back when Gerrard's swinging set-piece was thumped towards goal by long-serving defender Hyypia. Fabregas lunged on the line to deflect clear with his own head, but was inches from contact with the ball.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was forced to bring on Gilberto Silva when Mathieu Flamini picked up a knock in an innocuous collision with Gerrard before the half. Anfield waited to see whether penalty kicks would be the order of the day once more in Europe after their triumph last season against Chelsea.

Crouch, again starting a rare match after his goal at The Emirates in the league at the weekend, was unfortunate when a Dennis Bergkamp-esque flick ran just past the post yet his lethal strike partner Torres put paid to expectations that at least extra-time would be required.

As the game settled into a nervous rhythm largely devoid of chances, the hit-man fed off a Crouch flick-on in the area, turned Philippe Senderos and stuck the ball into the far top corner with aplomb.

Robin van Persie and Walcott appeared as Arsenal went in search of the goal that would put them through on away goals. 10 minutes after their introduction for Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue, Walcott led a counter-attack to lodge Liverpool hearts in mouths.

Skipping past challenges from several Reds players on his way from one end of the pitch to the other, he pulled back to the waiting Adebayor - and the ball was promptly dispatched into the net to give Arsenal a sight of the semis.

However a cruel twist snatched it away from them, Babel - himself recently on as a sub for Crouch - bursting into the penalty area and bundled down under a minimal challenge from the chasing Kolo Toure.

In the first leg in London Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt had seemingly gotten away with a far more obvious tug on the shirt of Hleb, yet Wenger's men were not afforded the same leniency and paid for it with their place in the competition.

Gerrard smashed the kick into the top corner and Babel made it four in the final seconds, fighting off Fabregas shoulder to shoulder before scoring inside the near post to set Anfield dreaming of another famous European triumph.

United and Barca move towards semi-final clash

By Zoran Milosavljevic
BELGRADE, April 1 (Reuters) - Manchester United beat Roma 2-0 away and Barcelona won 1-0 at Schalke in their Champions League quarter-final, first-leg matches on Tuesday to take big steps towards a semi-final showdown.

Goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney either side of halftime gave United victory at the Stadio Olimpico as the English champions continued to torment Roma.

Alex Ferguson’s side have beaten their Italian rivals in three of their last four matches and appear set to send them packing from Europe’s premier club competition again after an 8-3 aggregate drubbing at the same stage last season.

United won the second leg of that contest 7-1 and only an unlikely slip-up in the second leg at Old Trafford will prevent them from reaching their second successive semi-final.

If they do meet Barcelona it would renew an old rivalry for United who beat the Catalan side 2-1 in the 1991 European Cup Winners’ Cup final and fought out two enthralling 3-3 draws in the group stage of their 1999 Champions League triumph.

Ronaldo headed United into a 39th minute-lead at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday with his 36th goal of the season in all competitions and Rooney sealed the win midway through the second half when he scrambled home a loose ball from close range.

United weathered an early second half onslaught but could have won by a bigger margin after Ronaldo shaved the post and Michael Carrick came close with a curling low drive.
Ferguson, though, said the victory was far from comfortable.

“It’s a very good team we played against of course. We had to defend really well at times,” he told ITV.

Ronaldo added: “It’s a very good performance. Everyone knows it’s a tough game. Roma played very well but we created a few chances. I think we deserved this win.”

SECOND-YOUNGEST

Barca striker Bojan Krkic scored his first Champions League goal and became the second-youngest scorer in the competition at the age of 17 years and just over seven months to put the Catalans in the driving seat of their tie against Schalke.

He diverted the ball into the roof of the net after Thierry Henry’s initial shot was blocked at the near post and kept his composure to square it back for the teenager to pounce.

Barcelona were more comfortable in possession throughout and held off Schalke’s attempts at a comeback with some ease despite missing injured trio Deco, Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho.

Having reached the last eight of the European Cup for the first time since the 1958-59 season, the German side never looked capable of upsetting the 2006 winners, whose victory took some of the pressure off coach Frank Rijkaard.

Rijkaard, under fire after Barca’s 3-2 Spanish league defeat to Real Betis at the weekend, praised his team for holding on in the closing stages when Schalke produced a flurry of shots.

“It’s a good result and you have to congratulate the team for their hard work,” Rijkaard said. “In the second half we just got sucked into their aerial game a bit.”

On Wednesday, Arsenal are at home to last year’s finalists Liverpool in an all-English clash while Turkish champions Fenerbahce entertain Chelsea in the other quarter-final.