Liverpool stun United to keep title race alive

Liverpool breathed new life into the Premier League title race with a stunning 4-1 win against 10-man Manchester United on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez’s side came from behind in an explosive clash at Old Trafford to move within four points of leaders United, who still have a game in hand on their bitter rivals.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first half penalty gave United the lead, but Fernando Torres equalised and Steven Gerrard scored from the spot to put Liverpool in front before half-time.

In the 77th minute, Nemanja Vidic was sent off for hauling down Gerrard and Fabio Aurelio scored from the resulting free-kick.

Andrea Dossena completed a memorable day for the Reds when he lobbed in the fourth in the 90th minute, handing United their biggest home defeat since QPR ran riot at Old Trafford on New Years Day 1992.

A rush of blood from Liverpool keeper Jose Reina had gifted United the lead in the 23rd minute. Carlos Tevez clipped a pass towards Park Ji Sung, who was going away from goal, and Reina rashly charged off his line to send the South Korea winger crashing to the turf.

Ronaldo made Reina pay for his misjudgement as the Portugal winger stepped up to lash home the penalty.

But United’s lead was short-lived. In the 28th minute, Vidic allowed a long punt forward to bounce over his head and Torres nipped in to rob the United defender and stroke a cool finish past Edwin van der Sar.

Just before half-time Torres sent Gerrard surging away from Patrice Evra into the penalty area. Evra could only hack Gerrard down and the Liverpool captain picked himself up to slot in the spot-kick.

Vidic’s nightmare day was complete in the 77th minute when he lost possession to Gerrard and hauled down the midfielder, earning a straight red card from referee Alan Wiley.

Aurelio rubbed salt into Vidic’s wounds as he curled the free-kick past van der Sar. Then Dossena ran clear to chip in the fourth, condemning the hosts to their first league defeat at Old Trafford since February 2008 and sealing Liverpool’s first double over United for seven years.

Pato confident of Champions League success next season

AC Milan youngster Alexandre Pato is confident they will win the Champions League next season.

The Brazilian ace has impressed for AC Milan in the Serie A recently and believes they will manage to qualify for the Champions League this season.

“Milan have won everything in the past,” Pato told La Gazzetta Dello Sport. “The fans and critics have always been used to seeing us win.

“It’s normal sometimes to go through a period like we have. However, I am sure we will return to the Champions League next season and we will win it. We will start a new cycle.”

Pato has scored 12 goals so far in the Serie A for AC Milan.

Football Legends - Peter Schmeichel

DENMARK
1981-2003
Gladsaxe-Hero (1981-1984) Hvidovre IF (1984-1987) Brøndby (1987-1991) Manchester United (1991-1999) Sporting Portugal (1999-2001) Aston Villa (2001-2002) Manchester City (2002-2003)

There has never been a better goalkeeper in the history of the Premiership than “The Great Dane.” Schmeichel had a pretty good career outside the Premiership, too, but it was his time at Manchester United where he became a legend. Schmeichel went to Old Trafford for the relatively paltry sum of £530,000, a price which Sir Alex Ferguson later teemed “The Bargain of the Century.” During his time in the Premiership, he kept clean sheets in 42% of his starts, the greatest ratio in league history. Schmeichel won 5 Premiership titles, 3 F.A. Cups, 1 League Cup, and, most notably, the 1998-1999 UEFA Champions League, where he served as skipper in place of suspended Roy Keane during the Finals and got to hold the trophy over his head on his last night as a United player. Schmeichel was voted UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year and World Goalkeeper of the Year in 1992 and 1993. He was recently voted “Greatest Goalkeeper of All-Time” in a Reuters poll, defeating the likes of Yashin and Banks.

Schmeichel had a successful international career as well. He remains the most-capped Danish player of all time with 129 appearances to his credit. He helped lead Denmark to the European Championship in 1992, and was the number one keeper for his country in the 1998 World Cup, where they fell to Brazil in the Quarterfinals.

Schmeichel wasn’t the nicest guy on the pitch. Indeed, the fiery keeper was accused of racism by Arsenal’s Ian Wright, and he was known for chewing out his own teammates for mistakes or errors. He was one of the few players to have survived a row with Sir Alex Ferguson, though. Evidently, the gaffer recognized his keeper’s worth and chose not to drive him away like he did with Keane, David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Jaap Stam, and others.

In any case, his shadow at Old Trafford remains so large that many quality goalkeepers have tried to replace him, and all have failed to measure up. Even Edwin Van der Sar, who has done well at United and has a chance to surpass the Great Dane in terms of trophies won, is always described as “the best goalkeeper since Schmeichel.” That’s a legend.

Football Legends - Dino Zoff

ITALY
1961-1983
Udinese (1961-1963) Mantova (1963-1967) Napoli (1967-1972) Juventus (1972-1983)

He was a winner with both club and country, and most pundits have ranked him among the top three goalkeepers of all time. He was one of the greatest keepers in Serie A history, winning six Scudetti, two Coppa Italia titles, and one UEFA Cup during his tenure at Juventus. He had to wait a bit before he could achieve success on the international level. He made one start for Italy during their run to the 1968 European Champions, picking up a win against Bulgaria in the Quarterfinals, and didn’t play at all during the 1970 World Cup. When he finally became the undisputed Number One, he immediately showed that it was a long-time coming. He didn’t concede an international goal for an astounding 1,142 minutes, a span that lasted from 1972 to 1974. He captained Italy to the 1982 World Cup and became the oldest man to ever hold the trophy.

He had outstanding instincts, lightning-quick reflexes, and was a great shot-stopper. He wasn’t all natural talent, however, as he also had an excellent sense of positioning. Unlike some of his counterparts, who played with fire and passion, Zoff was unflappable on the pitch, projecting a quiet, but strong confidence that was infectious. He rarely yelled at teammates, almost never humiliated them, and was revered for his sportsmanship. His leadership during the 1982 World Cup was widely praised as he held his team together amid stinging criticism from the press back home in Italy. After early setbacks, the Italian team came together and put together an impressive string of victories that included wins against the Maradona-led Argentinean squad, Brazil, Poland, and West Germany.

Dignified and cool under pressure, Zoff showed that you don’t have to have an outsized personality to be a successful goalkeeper.

Football Legends - Gordon Banks

ENGLAND
1955-1978
Chesterfield City (1955-1959) Leicester City (1959-1966) Stoke City (1966-1972) Cleveland Stokers (1967) St Patrick’s Athletics (1977) Ft Lauderdale Strikers (1977-1978)

Perhaps the greatest English goalkeeper of all time, Banks will live, forever, in English football lore for his time as England’s number 1 goalkeeper during the 1966 and 1970 World Cups. In 1966, Banks was virtually impenetrable, keeping four straight clean sheets before being beaten on a penalty kick from Portuguese legend, Eusebio. Banks conceded two goals in the final against West Germany, the first as a result of miscommunication with defender Jack Charlton, and the other on a deflected free kick, but was instrumental in shutting the door on West Germany during extra time, turning away a shot from Siggy Held that would have equalized the match after England had gone ahead.

In 1970, Banks would add to his legend, turning away a shot from Pele that’s been called the greatest save in football history. During their group-stage match, Brazil and England were deadlocked at 0-0 when Jairzinho beat his defender down the right wing and sent a long cross towards the far post where Pele waited. All Pele needed to do was get his head on the ball and he would, seemingly, have the easiest goal of his career. Surely, Banks, who had been guarding the near post and, as a result, was way out of position following Jairzinho’s cross, was easily beaten and wouldn’t have gotten to the shot unless he had bionic arms. So confident was Pele that his header was going in that he turned away and shouted “Goal!” as soon as he made contact. Banks, however, leap across his line with superhuman effort and managed to get enough of a touch to send it out for a corner. Pele was dumbfounded and later described that save as the best he had ever seen. England eventually lost to Brazil, but managed to advance to the Quarterfinals, where they lost to West Germany. Banks proved his value to the team, as he fell violently ill before the match and had to miss out. His understudy was breached 3 times and England’s title defense was over.

On the club level, Banks played extremely well for Leicester and Stoke, although the silverware was much harder to come by. He won the 1964 League Cup with Leicester, but memorably lost in the F.A. Cup Final to Manchester United in 1963, the latter playing in its first trophy since the Munich Air Disaster. Banks’ career was cut short after he was injured in a car accident that left him blind in one eye. He recovered enough to play for the NASL, but was never the same.

Football Legends - Lev Yashin

RUSSIA
1949-1971
Dynamo Moscow

He spent his entire career behind the Iron Curtain, but anyone who knew anything about football knew about Lev Yashin. Nicknamed “The Black Spider” because of his intimidating all-black kit and because he, seemingly, had eight arms due to all the breathtaking saves he made on a routine basis, Yashin was universally regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world by his peers. Yashin led the Soviet Union to three straight World Cups, carrying his team to the Quarterfinals in 1958 and 1962. He also led the Soviet Union to the Olympic gold medal in 1956 and the European Championship in 1960. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1963, becoming the only goalkeeper ever to win that prestigious honor. His dominance was such that he finished first or second in almost every single meaningful poll to determine the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

He was respected for his leadership abilities on the pitch and often acted as a de facto skipper, even though he never actually donned the armband. Yashin also changed the way goalkeepers played the game. Until Yashin, it was unheard of for a keeper to punch the ball away instead of try to catch it. Yashin was also one of the first to utilize the quick throw in order to ignite counterattacks, and frequently ventured out of the penalty area. We may take these things for granted nowadays, but these tactics were novel concepts when Yashin brought them to the game.

He was one of the greatest shot stoppers of all time, reputedly stopping over 150 penalty shots. His training regimen was unique, as well. He admitted to smoking before a match as a way of calming his nerves, and then drinking to loosen up his muscles. Clearly, a number of athletes from all sports can give him credit for that innovation.

Europe’s biggest stage is quickly becoming England’s "playground"

Before 1999 when Manchester United lifted the Champions League you had to go back to 1984 for another British winner when Liverpool won it. It then took another six years before another English side lifted the trophy (Liverpool again in what might have been the best final ever), but since then there has been a massive English domination at least one English finalist since the 2004-05 campaign. It’s easy to see that Europe’s biggest stage has never been more lopsided.

Don’t get me wrong, I always like to see English sides go through and do well, but I think what makes the competition so fantastic is when the rest of the Europe has a legitimate say as well. I don’t support one of the ‘top four’ teams, but when it comes to European football I will always follow the English sides. As an observer of the game though I want a bit more variety. When Liverpool drew Real Madrid the initial thoughts were it could be a tricky tie, but when Liverpool smashed Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate, was anyone really shocked? I know I wasn’t.

The real surprise is that we have no Italian representatives in the quarter-final stage of the competition. They all came up against English opponents and all of them were beaten thoroughly. Roma were only beaten by Arsenal on penalties, but if Arsenal had been more clinical in front of goal, especially in the first leg, they would have hammered them by a far greater margin.

So who still has a shot amongst the final eight? I’d put money money on Barcelona. They are probably the only side out of the four none English clubs left in the competition you can really see lifting the trophy. Perhaps Bayern Munich at a push (their record 12 goals in the last round was something to see) but I just can’t imagine Villareal or Porto getting any further than the next round (unless paired together of course).

As much as I love too see the English sides doing well and winning the competition it’s a shame to see Europe’s great clubs struggling against the Premier League opposition. When I first started following football the English league was a long way behind the rest of Europe, and it was rare that any English team advanced advanced at all.

Now though Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are expected to beat almost any other European side they come up against. This is great for the English game but perhaps not for the European game as a whole. In 1995 Ajax lifted the trophy with a side containing a large amount of players who had been brought through the club’s youth system, such as Patrick Kluivert, Edgar Davids and Ronald de Boers amongst others. In today’s game those players would have left for ‘bigger’ European clubs earlier in their career, and that’s why I can’t see the Dutch throwing out a winner anytime soon.

Man Utd defend deleting Rooney “hate” comment

Manchester United on Friday defended removing a detrimental comment about title rivals Liverpool by striker Wayne Rooney from their website.

Rooney, a boyhood fan of Liverpool neighbours Everton where he began his career, told United’s television station MUTV he hated the Anfielders, who visit Old Trafford for a key Premier League match on Saturday.

“I?m very excited about the game because I grew up as an Everton fan hating Liverpool - and that hasn?t changed,” said Rooney, adding United were out to finish off Liverpool’s title hopes with a win that would virtually wrap up a third consecutive title by sending the Red Devils ten points clear.

A club spokesman said the club had deemed it necessary to remove the comments.

“In advance of the game we felt this was the best option.

“The comments are open to wilful mis-reporting and neither the club nor Wayne wanted that to happen.”

A new abridged posting on the site read simply: “I?m also very excited about the game because I grew up as an Everton fan.”

Rooney did, however, praise Liverpool’s showing in Tuesday’s Champions League thumping of Real Madrid and added that, domestically, “Liverpool have been brilliant all season and put up a good challenge” in the Premiership.

Meanwhile, Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez has hinted he may leave if he feels the club does not have a long-term project to compete with United.

The Spaniard has been stalling for months on signing a new contract - his current deal runs out next year - but says he will decide where his future lies by the end of this month.

“I must decide on my future in the next two weeks and I want a medium or long-term project,” he told The Sun newspaper.

“I don’t want to be working from day to day always hanging on the latest result. I will work where I feel I can develop a project.”

“What I want is hard to find in Spain. Long-term projects do not exist, not like they do in England.”

Silva could join Juventus

Valencia star David Silva has admitted that he could join Italian giants Juventus at the end of the season.

The Spanish club is struggling with financial problems and could be forced their star players and the Bianconeri are looking to bring in someone to replace Pavel Nedved in the summer.

“Why would Nedved want to retire? He still looks very young when you see him in action,” Silva told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He has been one of European football’s greats and I don’t think I deserve to be compared to him.

“Juve were knocked out of the Champions League by Chelsea, but they went out with their heads held high.

“They are a great and prestigious club on the international stage and they have so many champions.

“Could I win the Champions League with Juve next season? Why not? I dream of the magical moment of lifting that trophy.”

United deny Mourinho re-run at Old Trafford

Sir Alex Ferguson avenged one of the most painful defeats of his managerial career as Manchester United advanced to the last eight of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan here on Wednesday.

Headers from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo sent the defending champions through exactly five years and two days after Mourinho had performed his famous sprint down the Old Trafford touchline in celebration of the last-minute equaliser that had seen United eliminated at the hands of FC Porto, the club he was to lead to glory in that season’s competition.

Inter had their moments in an evenly balanced first half and in the immediate aftermath of United’s second goal.

But United’s victory was ultimately comfortable enough to have the home fans singing “you’re not special anymore” for Mourinho’s benefit, long before the final whistle.

The 90 minutes of frustration the defending champions had been forced to endure in the first leg had largely been due to the efforts of Julio Cesar.

Here, Inter’s Brazilian goalkeeper found himself picking the ball out of the net inside four minutes. Ronaldo won a corner on the right, Giggs chipped it to the back post and Vidic took advantage of Patrick Vieira’s slip to head powerfully past Cesar’s right hand.

Half-chances for Dimitar Berbatov and Ronaldo quickly followed as Inter reeled.

But United’s early tempo soon subsided, passes started to go astray and Inter began to pose a threat, notably through Maicon’s forays down the right.

One cross resulted in Vidic slicing an attempted clearance over his own bar and it was the right-back who created Inter’s best chance of the opening period.

A dipping delivery from a deep freekick was misjudged by Rio Ferdinand, leaving Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a free header that the Swede powered into the turf in textbook fashion, only to watch in dismay as it rebounded up and on to the top of the bar.

A long range strike from Dejan Stankovic soon afterwards was sufficiently close for Edwin van der Sar to throw himself full length to his left and it was clear United were in for a far more testing evening than the opening exchanges had suggested.

John O’Shea, played into the box by Rooney’s flick seven minutes into the break, was denied by Cesar’s dive at his feet, but Inter could boast of equally good chances as the interval approached, most notably for Stankovic, who got goalside of Patrice Evra only to lift Ibrahimovic’s clever cross over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Ibrahimovic himself was only inches away with a drive across van der Sar and the Dutchman had to get down smartly to smother Maicon’s strike.

Inter were in the ascendant but their momentum was punctured by the sloppy defending that contributed to United’s second, three minutes into the second half.

Giggs was at the origin of it, weaving his way in from wide on the right. Scholes helped the ball on to Rooney on the left of the box and the England forward’s chip was nodded in by Ronaldo with Inter’s flat-footed back four pleading in vain that Berbatov, at the back post, was offside.

Even at 2-0 down, Inter knew a goal would put them right back in the tie with a 2-2 draw sufficient for victory on the away goals rule, and Mourinho’s men will curse the bad luck that contributed to Adriano’s flying volley coming back off the inside of the post rather than spinning into the net.

The chances continued to come at the end however with Cesar denying Ronaldo, at point blank range, and then Rooney, from 25 yards, in quick succession.

European Cups - Champions League - Result

March 11
-------------------------------------------
AS Roma | 1 - 0 | Arsenal --- Penalti Shoot-out (6 - 7)
Barcelona | 5 - 2 | Lyon
FC Porto | 0 - 0 | Atletico Madrid
Manchester United | 2 - 0 | Inter Milan

Roma game vital for Arsenal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits their Champions League clash with Roma tonight is vital for their season.

The Gunners have a 1-0 advantage, ahead of the clash at the Stadio Olimpico.

“In Rome we are playing for the destiny of the team, that’s what is at stake,” Wenger told The Sun.

“This is a defining moment for us and a night when everyone has to stand up and show what they are made of.

“This team has grown together and gelled well over the last three months going from strength to strength.

“They have resisted some extreme pressure and now they are ready to show their value on the biggest stage.

“With all our players back from injury we will be a very strong team and a real force in this competition, but first we have to get past Roma, which is a big hurdle to clear.”

Balotelli warns United

Inter Milan youngster Mario Balotelli has warned Manchester United ahead of their clash at Old Trafford tonight.

United only managed a 0-0 draw in the first leg and Balotelli believes they could end up paying for failing to find the net at the San Siro.

Balotelli told Sky Sports: “In a European tie, 0-0 is not a bad score. If we score there, they will need to score two goals, which is not easy.

“It is now 55-45 for them because they are at home. They are a great team as we all found out in the first leg, however we are also very good.

“We will be ready for Old Trafford, our manager has got a great record there as well, so we will be fine, but it will be difficult.

Spalletti vows to improved Roma showing

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti insisted that his side would put in an improved showing in Wednesday’s Champions League second leg clash against Arsenal.

Two weeks ago the Italians came off clearly second best in a 1-0 defeat in London that could easily have ended more emphatically in the Gunners’ favour.

Spalletti had admitted to being surprised by how well Arsene Wenger’s team played at the Emirates and he claimed they could be even better still at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

“I have already said that they had developed in a way that even they weren’t expecting given how they had been playing,” he said of Arsenal’s first leg performance.

“They played well in the first leg, playing good football with high fitness levels that they hadn’t shown in their previous matches.

“Now they have won their last few matches, they’ve got players coming back to fitness, they’re enthusiastic and that’s what I’m expecting.

“However, I know that we will be different from the team you saw in London and above all we will have our fans behind us, something which can make the difference.

“Even if it will be difficult, we can still progress to the next round.”

Roma have lost to Manchester United at the last eight stage in each of the last two seasons but in the group stage they finished above Chelsea.

At this stage last season they also knocked out Real Madrid, winning at home and away.

However, on this occasion, they have to overcome a deficit and Montenegro striker Mirko Vucinic said he can’t wait for the match to start.

“It’s an important match and just thinking about it gives me a headache,” he said.

Old Trafford feels like ´home´

Jose Mourinho has fuelled speculation he could succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager by revealing Old Trafford “feels like home” ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second-leg tie at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

The Inter Milan coach, a leading candidate to follow Ferguson when the 67-year-old Scot finally opts to end his now 23-year stint at the club, refused to distance himself from rumours linking him with a return to English football.

Mourinho, who enjoyed three successful seasons at Chelsea, has endured a difficult relationship with the Italian media since his arrival at Inter last year.

And he admitted that managing reigning European champions United had real appeal — even if he has to wait 20 years for Ferguson to quit.

Mourinho, whose Italian club team held United to a goalless draw in the first-leg, told reporters here on Tuesday: “2004 was the first time I came to Old Trafford with Porto, so everything was new for me.

“But now it is like home because, in the five years since I first came here, I have been a lot of times in the Premier League, Carling (League) Cup and FA Cup semi-finals.

“It has become part of my life and in that sense it’s a different feeling coming back,” the Portuguese added.

“I even know the groundsman. He is asking me to train on one side of the pitch because that side has no sun. I know the man, he’s a nice guy, so that’s okay!

“But succeeding Sir Alex? In 20 years maybe! He’s tough, he’s strong, he is happy and he loves it. He still wins, so let him be here for 20 more years!”

Mourinho, who is backing Argentinian defender Walter Samuel to prove his fitness in time for the second-leg, inspired Porto to a Champions League victory over United in the second round in 2004 — the year he guided the Portuguese club to the European title.

“Because of that goal, we could win the competition. Without it, we wouldn’t even reach the quarter-final.

“A few years later, a lot of people knew those Porto players, but at that time they didn’t. Who was this this crazy manager running down the touchline?

“It was a crucial moment in our career. Our careers changed and that team was destroyed because everyone had the potential for different flights.

“That was the goal which opened doors in England for me and my career was never the same. Of course I remember that moment really well, but that’s football, that’s over and I’m not one to look back.

“On Wednesday, we will try to do it against a very, very good team. We have in mind what we have to do and we know our qualities.

“Football is football. You never know what will happen, but we are prepared for the game and we believe we can do it.”

Majestic Reds leave Real down and out

The return of Fernando Torres provided the spark Liverpool have been missing of late as Rafael Benitez’s side swept into the last eight of the Champions League with a 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid here on Tuesday.

In more than half a century of European competition this was the nine-times European champions’s first visit to Anfield and, after what was a painfully chastening evening, they will be in no hurry to return.

It is now five years since Real last managed to advance beyond this stage of the competiton while Liverpool take their place in the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five seasons under Benitez.

Torres, sidelined since an ankle injury forced him to limp out of the first leg, capped an exhilarating display of pace and technique with a 16th-minute opener.

A double from captain Steven Gerrard, the first from the penalty spot, and a late strike by substitute Andrea Dossena completed a 5-0 aggregate win.

From the outset it was evident that Juande Ramos’s side would struggle to cope with the drive, pace and invention of a Liverpool side playing with a verve that belied their recent stuttering form in the Premier League.

More of the same at Manchester United on Saturday and the domestic title race might just be back on again, particularly if Torres can stay fit for the run-in.

Despite his two-week lay-off, the Spaniard was quickly reminding the Anfield faithful of what their side misses in his absence.

Collecting a pass from Gerrard on the edge of the penalty box, he pulled off the most audacious flick-and-turn combination to leave Fabio Cannavaro wobbling on his heels while the striker bore down on Casillas.

The goalkeeper’s boot frustrated Torres’s attempt at a cute near post finish but the tone for the evening had been set.

The corner that resulted from that piece of genius from Torres was cleared to Javier Mascherano, whose shot would have dipped under the bar but for the Spain goalkeeper’s second fine save of the evening.

Upended on the edge of the area, Gerrard curled an 8th-minute freekick around the Real wall. Casillas’s position was predictably immaculate but by this stage a goal for the hosts was looking a question of when, not if.

It duly arrived with quarter of an hour gone. Cannavoro and his fellow centreback Pepe failed to deal with a bouncing ball on the edge of their area, Torres muscled his way between them, fed the overlapping Dirk Kuyt and went on to stab home the Dutchman’s low cross.

A glancing header from Martin Skrtl drew another good stop from Casillas and the Real keeper excelled himself further to keep out Gerrard’s full-stretch volley after another piece of trickery from Torres had left Sergi Ramos sprawling on the left of the box.

Liverpool had done enough to earn a second goal but the penalty that brought it was unfortunate for Real. Gabriel Heinze unable to get out of the way when Alvaro Arbeloa’s attempted to chest the ball down sent it against his upper arm.

For once, Casillas made the wrong call, diving the wrong way as Gerrard thumped the spot-kick to his right.

Belatedly spurred into action, Real finally forced Pepe Reina into a save and it required a good one to keep out Wesley Sneijder’s free-kick, unleashed with rare ferocity before a wall had been assembled.

The Dutchman, whose season has been blighted by injury, tested Reina again just before the interval after Arjen Robben, largely anonymous until then, got free on the left and cut the ball back to his international team-mate.

Sneijder’s growing influence offered Real encouragement they might be able to make a game of it after the break.

But any optimism on that score was extinguished within two minutes of the restart as Real’s fragile defending was exposed again.

Babel found getting away from Sergi Ramos on the left far too easy and the winger’s cutback was perfectly measured for an untracked Gerrard to sidefoot past Casillas from 14 yards.

Dossena’s close-range strike finished Real off two minutes from time after Babel and Mascherano had combined down the right to open up their demoralised opponents.

Villarreal advance to last eight with Greek success

Argentine midfielder Ariel Ibagaza scored one goal and then turned provider for Joseba Llorente’s winner to lift Spanish club Villarreal into the Champions League quarter-finals after a 2-1 victory Tuesday night at Greek side Panathinaikos.

Ibagaza, a surprise starter by Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute when he took a well-aimed pass from Joan Capdevila to score from up close past Panathinaikos keeper Mario Galinovic.

But Panathinaikos came roaring back to score just six minutes later to delight - albeit briefly - a sellout 60,000 crowd at the Athens Olympic Stadium when striker Vangelis Mantzios headed the ball beyond goalie Diego Lopez’s reach after a perfect corner from midfielder Giorgos Karagounis.

Mantzios’ fourth goal in six UEFA Champions League matches made the score 1-1, just as in the first leg of the first knockout round of the competition in Spain.

The winning tally by forward Llorente came in the 70th minute from up close after a nifty pass from Ibagaza split the Panathinaikos defence.

The first half was mostly dull, with no threats from either team coming until the 28th minute when Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi had an ideal opportunity to score blasting a left-footed shot just outside the penalty box which was deflected wide after hitting two Panathinaikos defenders.

The visitors had a goal ruled out by referee Massimo Busacca in the 35th minute when Ibagaza scored from up close in a mixup in front of the Panathinaikos goalmouth, but the official ruled that Ibabaza fouled defender Loukas Vintra.

The best chance for the home team in the first half came when Mantzios broke away from two defenders after taking a perfect pass from midfielder Simao, but Mantzios’ hard, low left-footed shot was deflected by Lopez.

Chelsea oust Juve after 2-2 thriller

Goals from African pair Didier Drogba and Michael Essien earned Chelsea a 2-2 draw at Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday to send last year’s finalists through to the quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

In a pulsating match Juve finished with 10 men following the second half dismissal of Giorgio Chiellini but goals from Vincenzo Iaquinta and evergreen Alessandro Del Piero had briefly given them cause to hope.

Instead the first of three Anglo-Italian ties in the second round went the way of the powerful Premier League.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg and needing to score, Juve coach Claudio Ranieri picked an attacking line-up with Del Piero playing behind forwards David Trezeguet and Iaquinta.

Iaquinta played a one-two with Trezeguet, whose return ball flicked over his head was perfectly weighted, allowing his strike partner to outpace John Terry and finish past Petr Cech with aplomb.

Juve suddenly had a spring in their step and Del Piero tried his luck from distance, forcing Cech to tip the ball over.

The hosts were looking comfortable and having the better of things without looking like adding to their lead.

But the game turned on its head in a crazy spell at the end of the first period.

On 45 minutes Drogba lined up to take a free-kick which he bent around the wall and just inside the post.

Gianluigi Buffon got across his line to clutch the ball at the post at the second attempt but television replays showed it had just sneaked over the line.

It wasn’t given but Chelsea’s frustration fired them up enough to equalise in first half stoppage time anyway.

Frank Lampard set his sights from distance and his shot took a deflection and looped up with Buffon arching back to tip it onto the bar.

It came down and may too have crossed the line but Essien charged in to bundle the ball home and leave no doubt this time that the Blues were on level terms.

That changed the tone of the game and it took Juventus a full quarter of an hour of the second period to start looking dangerous.

When they did Del Piero was the architect of a move on 65 minutes that almost resulted in a score as he crossed for Trezeguet to head goalwards, only for Cech to produce a flying save.

Ranieri introduced young playmaker Sebastian Giovinco and he too almost created something but Del Piero couldn’t quite get a flick on his team-mate’s free-kick.

But 20 minutes from time any chance of a Juve revival seemingly died as Chiellini picked up a second booking for clattering into Drogba.

However, moments later Del Piero fired a free-kick into the Chelsea wall that struck Michael Ballack’s raised arms and the referee pointed to the spot, with Del Piero himself cooly slotting the ball home.

It was game on but seven minutes from time Chelsea sealed their passage into the last eight as substitute Juliano Belletti crossed for Drogba to poke home from close range for his fourth goal in five games.

Double for Podolski as Bayern set new record

Germany striker Lukas Podolski struck twice on Tuesday as Bayern Munich hammered Sporting Lisbon 7-1 to set a new Champions League record on their way to the quarter-finals.

Tuesday night’s rout at Munich’s Allianz Arena means the tie finishes 12-1 on aggregate and sets a new record for a Champions League knock-out stage tie - bettering Olympique Lyonnais’ old mark of 10-2 against Werder Bremen in the 2004/05 season.

Luca Toni and Franck Ribery had both scored two goals in Lisbon a fortnight ago in the first-leg Round of 16 tie to virtually ensure Bayern Munich a last eight spot when Sporting were hammered 5-0 in Portugal.

Both Italy’s Toni and France’s Ribery were missing with injury for the second-leg, but their absence was barely felt.

Having totally dominated in Lisbon, Bayern carried on where they left off as Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto flicked a pass to Podolski, who lobbed Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio after just seven minutes.

And having scored in the 5-1 hammering of Hanover in the German league last Saturday, Podolski made it three goals in two games with an opportunist bicycle kick after a Patricio error which he smashed into the net on 34 minutes.

And things went from bad to far worse for the guests when Sporting defender Polga knocked a cross into his own net on 39 minutes.

Lisbon captain Joao Moutinho hit a superb dipping effort into the top left-hand corner on 42 minutes to peg the arrears back to 3-1, but Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger scored less than two minutes later to make it 4-1 at the break.

Munich teenager Thomas Mueller took over from Schweinsteiger and the 19-year-old had played just two minutes of his Champions League debut when he set up Bayern’s fifth goal after 74 minutes.

Mueller beat the Sporting defence on the right and put in a pin-point accurate cross which Miroslav Klose headed back for captain Mark van Bommel to drill home.

And Klose grabbed one of his own when he was brought down by Sporting defender Pedro Silva, but the Germany star picked himself up from the turf to drill home his penalty on 82 minutes.

And Mueller profited from a saved shot from Podolski on 90 minutes when he was presented with a simple tap-in as Bayern became the first team to score 12 goals over two legs in a Champions League knock-out tie.

European Cups - Champions League - Result

March 10
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Bayern Munich | 7 - 1 | Sporting Lisbon
Juventus | 2 - 2 | Chelsea
Liverpool | 4 - 0 | Real Madrid
Panathinaikos | 1 - 2 | Villarreal

Park hopes Rio will be fit

Park Ji-sung admits it would be a ‘big loss’ if Rio Ferdinand missed Manchester United’s clash with Inter Milan, but has backed Jonny Evans to deputise.

“I don’t know if it is a big problem and I hope it isn’t,” said Park. “It would be a big loss for us if he missed the game, although Jonny has done very well for us this season and he can replace Rio and do well again.

“He gained experience from the match in the San Siro against them and I hope he can do okay.”

Ronaldo confident ahead of Inter clash

Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo is confident that they can knock Inter out of the Champions League on Wednesday.

The first leg in Italy ended in a stalement, so the clash between the English and Italian champions will be decided at Old Trafford.

“We have to score and we have to win,” Ronaldo told The Sun.

“It won’t be an easy game, but I am optimistic because I know we can do it.

“In the first leg we had lots of good chances and we should have taken advantage of them.

“But we will have more opportunities and the fans will be on our side.

“It’s hard to win the Champions League, but the feeling is magnificent and I want to relive that.”

Ferdinand in fitness boost for Man Utd

England defender Rio Ferdinand could yet feature for Manchester United in their Champions League clash with Inter Milan at Old Trafford here Wednesday.

The centre-back had been doubtful for the second leg of the holders’ last 16 clash against the Italian giants, goalless after he opening leg in Milan, having limped out of Saturday’s FA Cup win against Fulham with an ankle injury.

However, he took part in training on Tuesday and, provided he suffers no adverse reaction, Ferdinand is set to partner Nemanja Vidic as United look to reach the last eight of Europe’s premier club competition and so keep alive their bid to win five major trophies in the one season.

Long-term absentees Gary Neville and Wes Brown remain unavailable as does Rafael da Silva but otherwise United manager Sir Alex Ferguson can pick from a full squad.

Valencia without David Villa for two weeks

Valencia’s bid to put an end to their abysmal form on the pitch has been dealt a severe knock after it was confirmed that their leading scorer, David Villa, will be ruled out for around 15 days.

The in-form striker was omitted from the side that lost 2-1 at Numancia at the weekend and after further medical tests on Monday, the club have revealed on their official website that the 27-year-old is suffering from an inflammation in the joint in his left knee due to a partial dislocation.

Liverpool count on fans to beat Real

When it comes to experience of high-pressure European encounters, Real Madrid can hardly be placed in the category of innocent novices.

But even a club that can point to a trophy cabinet weighed down by nine European Cups, occasionally finds itself confronted with a new frontier, and Tuesday’s visit to Liverpool certainly has that kind of feel about it.

Having lost the tactical battle in the Bernabeu two weeks ago, Real’s players will duck under the “This is Anfield” sign with some trepidation before they embark on their attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit against opponents for whom the Champions League looks increasingly like a last chance of silverware this season.

One veteran of such occasions is expecting the magical atmosphere of Anfield on a European night to compromise Real’s chances of denying Liverpool a place in the last eight.

“Madrid haven’t played at Anfield and they won’t be ready for the atmosphere,” said the former Reds striker Ian Rush.

“They’ll say they know about it but look at Juventus in 2005. They said they were expecting it, but were blown away in the first-half. Chelsea were 1-0 down before they knew it that year too.

“When the players walk out onto the Anfield pitch in the Champions League it’s a completely different atmosphere to anything you’ll find anywhere else, and that could be the difference for us.”

Liverpool’s win in Madrid, courtesy of an unlikely header from Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun, underlined the vulnerability of Juande Ramos’s side, as well as making a mockery of pre-match comments from Real’s Dutch forward, Rafael van der Vaart, who had claimed the Merseysiders “were a little bit scared” by his club’s reputation.

In recent years it has been Liverpool, rather than Real, who have been performing like aristocrats of the European game.

As a result, their Brazilian left-back, Fabio Aurelio, believes Tuesday’s second leg is not one they will approach with any apprehension.

“If you look at the last few Champions League campaigns, Liverpool have been in the last four consistently,” Aurelio said. “And we have reached two finals in recent seasons. Where were Madrid? They are a great club with great history in Europe, but Liverpool are also famous in the competition.”

As a former Manchester Untied player, Real defender Gabriel Heinze knows how significant a role the “beautiful” atmosphere at Anfield can play in shaping the outcome of matches there.

“It will not affect us because we are used to playing in this type of atmosphere,” he said. “We just have to get a good result.”

A draw with local rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday ended Real’s ten-match winning run in La Liga while Liverpool were enjoying a weekend off and keeping their fingers crossed that the rest will have helped Fernando Torres complete his recovery from an ankle injury he incurred in the first leg.

Delivering on such hyperbolic claims could be made easier by the return from injury of Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, a player who combines technical excellence with a feisty spirit, and has a habit of displaying both when it matters most.

European Cups - Champions League - Fixtures

March 10
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Bayern Munich | ? - ? | Sporting Lisbon
Juventus | ? - ? | Chelsea
Liverpool | ? - ? | Real Madrid
Panathinaikos | ? - ? | Villarreal

March 11
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AS Roma | ? - ? | Arsenal
Barcelona | ? - ? | Lyon
FC Porto | ? - ? | Atletico Madrid
Manchester United | ? - ? | Inter Milan