Lacklustre show at Camp Nou

Samuel Eto'o said before the match that Messi "plays amazing football,as if he were on PlayStation"....The entire show yesterday was lacklustre,mundane football with neither team showing a hunger to score goals..especially United,considering that it was an away tie for them and they would have loved to notch up a goal or two.They had their chances though,the closest of them being Ronaldo's surprising missed penalty...the Red Devils,coincidentally,resembled a kid who was playing his first "professional" level game on his PlayStation..They struggled,with amazingly less shots on target,particularly considering that Barca are not in top form.Fergie tried rotating his men,Nani's introduction for Roon doing no good to the team.

The only superb performance of the game came from old foe Thierry Henry with a couple of shots from outside the box which stung van der sar's fingertips,and a trademark free kick which was just saved by our goalie.Rijkaard could've substituted Henry for Messi,instead of Bojan Krkic...some more time on the field,and he would have made all the difference

United have themselves to blame,and nothing less than a win at Old Trafford will take them to Moscow. But considering the talent and bench strength that United have,fans can afford to fancy their team's chances,what with the next one being a home game...

STNADINGS FOR THIS WEEK-34

Barclays Premier League 2007/08 WEEK-34

Pos. Team p W D L F A GD Pts
1 Man Utd 34 25 5 4 72 18 54 80
2 Chelsea 33 22 8 3 58 23 35 74
3 Arsenal 34 20 11 3 64 29 35 71
4 Liverpool 34 18 12 4 60 26 34 66
5 Everton 34 18 7 9 50 28 22 61
6 Portsmouth 34 16 9 9 47 33 14 57
7 Aston Villa 34 15 10 9 62 44 18 55
8 Man City 34 14 10 10 39 40 -1 52
9 Blackburn 34 13 12 9 44 42 2 51
10 West Ham 34 12 8 14 35 41 -6 44
11 Tottenham 34 10 11 13 63 57 6 41
12 Newcastle 34 10 9 15 40 58 -18 39
13 Middlesbro 34 8 12 14 31 48 -17 36
14 Sunderland 34 10 6 18 33 52 -19 36
15 Wigan 33 9 7 17 30 47 -17 34
16 Reading 34 9 5 20 37 63 -26 32
17 Birmingham 34 7 10 17 39 52 -13 31
18 Bolton 34 7 8 19 31 52 -21 29
19 Fulham 34 5 12 17 32 56 -24 27
20 Derby 34 1 8 25 16 74 -58 11

MANUTD BEATS ARSENAL 2-1

Manchester United gets better of Arsenal, 2-1

Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves celebrates after scoring against Arsenal on Sunday during an English Premier League game at Old Trafford Stadium.
The third-place Gunners' chances of winning the English Premier League title are all but ended with loss. Owen Hargreaves is difference-maker with free kick goal that curled just inside left post.


An astonishing free kick goal by Canadian-born midfielder OwenHargreaves earned English Premier League leader Manchester United a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, all but mathematically ending the third-place Gunners' chances of winning the title.Hargreaves' goal, which curled just inside the left post, came 18 minutes from the end of a pulsating match that saw Arsenal take the lead on a goal by EmmanuelAdebayor only for Cristiano Ronaldo to tie it with a penalty kick for his 38th goal of an extraordinary season.But it was former Bayern Munich player Hargreaves who got the postgame plaudits with a shot that was struck so well that it left Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, Germany's No. 1, frozen and helpless on his line.The goal was the 100th in 50 games in all competitions this season for Manchester United, and Alex Ferguson, the team's manager, was almost ready to celebrate.

"If we win the next two games, we are champions," Ferguson said.

Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger was ready to concede that his team, now nine points behind United with only four games to play, has dropped out of the running."We have to accept we will not win the title, and that is difficult to swallow because I don't feel there is a difference in quality between us and Chelsea and Manchester United," Wenger said.


It was the second time in a week that Hargreaves had produced something special.

Manchester United's game-winning goal in Wednesday night's European Champions League quarterfinal victory over AS Roma was scored on a diving header by Argentina's Carlos Tevez, but it was only made possible by a perfect cross from Hargreaves.Afterward, praise came from the master of the perfect cross.

"It was a great goal," David Beckham said, "but I was more interested in the cross. I've played with Owen before and I've always said that he was one of the best. Even when he was getting all the criticism [while] playing for England, I've always been a big fan of his because I know what sort of player he is and how hard he works on his game."Now that he's at a club like Manchester United, he's going to move forward, he's going to become a great player."

The only Premier League team that now has a chance of catching Manchester United is second-place Chelsea, which needs to defeat Wigan on Monday to close to within three points of United.Unless Chelsea or Manchester United slips up before then, the title probably will be decided April 26 when United visits Stamford Bridge.Even a Chelsea victory that day might not be enough, however, because of the far superior goal difference free-flowing Manchester United has piled up.

INDIA DESTROYS SOUTH AFRICA IN 1ST INNS

It took nine days for the series to finally witness an absorbing battle between bat and ball. While Chennai produced a featherbed and Ahmedabad saw a track with generous sprinklings of green, Kanpur laid out a crackling surface that assisted turn. South Africa made the most of winning the toss, grinding out 265 at the end of a tense first day, but India's spinners, with some good support from Ishant Sharma, ensured they remained in the hunt.

A bone-dry pitch with conspicuous cracks gradually deteriorated through the day. Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla thrived when conditions were best for batting, steering South Africa to 152 for 1, before India clawed their way back through turn and bounce. Seven of the ten wickets fell to spinners, both specialist and part-time, but plucky contributions from the lower order stretched the score past 250. With the ball stopping on the batsmen, and a few starting to stay low, it could well turn into a match-winning total.

South Africa ensured they didn't miss out on scoring opportunities. Smith led the early charge and the plucky duo of AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher made valuable contributions down the order. None of the batsmen were completely assured at the crease - they survived vociferous appeals every once in a while and the ball regularly beat the outside edge - but made sure they scored at a healthy clip.

India's shoddy fielding hurt them, as did their inability to sustain pressure. Barring Harbhajan Singh, who was miserly throughout the day, the rest regularly doled out loose deliveries that allowed the batsmen to break free. Both Piyush Chawla, in his second Test, and Ishant struggled with their accuracy and a number of misfields only hurt them further. How Anil Kumble would have wished to be out in the middle rather than nursing a groin injury back in the dressing room.

Kumble's absence, for the first time since December 2003, meant that Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first wicketkeeper to captain India. He didn't have a great start, though, losing the toss and then watching his faster bowlers squander the new ball. Sreesanth had a perilously close lbw appeal turned down in the fourth ball of the match - against Neil McKenzie, who shouldered arms to one that came in - but didn't go on to make the batsmen play enough. Ishant's first six overs cost 35 and allowed South Africa's openers to lay a solid base.Sreesanth didn't cause too many flutters through the day but Ishant came back with renewed enthusiasm. Managing reverse-swing at a pace close to 140kph, he broke through Amla's defences during his mid-afternoon spell. He returned late in the day to nip out Boucher, with one that jagged back and kept low, and polished off Paul Harris with one that uprooted leg stump.

The spinners, though, had most of the say. Chawla created the first breakthrough, beating McKenzie in flight and luring him out of the crease, while Yuvraj foxed Smith with one that fizzed off the surface. It was a crucial wicket, especially because of the confidence with which Smith was handling the spinners. He appeared to have sussed up the situation perfectly - clattering the loose balls and showing the temperament to overcome the nervy moments. Along with Amla, who milked the spinners with wristy manoeuvres, he was threatening to take the game away.

Yuvraj, though, should have had Smith with his very first ball. Turning one across Smith, he caught him on the shuffle with a ball that would have gone on to rattle leg stump. Undeterred with the decision, Yuvraj struck a few overs later and triggered a mini-collapse - Amla, who had added 91 with Smith, was undone by Ishant's reverse-swing, deflecting a pacy ball onto his stumps, and Kallis lasted only seven balls, playing on to the stumps to Harbhajan.

The rest of the day was a cat-and-mouse battle - South Africa's middle order snaffling runs at the slightest chance, the spinners beating the bat, appeals flying and puffs of dust appearing on the pitch. Ashwell Prince was bogged down by 21 dot balls in a row while de Villiers refused to be tied down, doing his best to use his feet against the spinners. Boucher held the lower order together - with Morne Morkel and Harris chipping in - but just when he appeared to shut India out, the bowlers mopped up the tail. Harbhajan ended with 3 for 52 in a marathon 32-over effort but on another day, with more luck, he could have easily doubled the wickets tally.
(ref:cricinfo)

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE WEEKEND PREVIEW!!

Birmingham City vs Everton

It’s been a difficult week for Birmingham City after managing director Karren Brady and co-owner David Sullivan were questioned by police on charges of alleged corruption. City fans will hope that the turmoil taking place behind the scenes doesn’t affect the team’s performance on Saturday, as Birmingham will have to be at their best to challenge the fourth-placed Toffees. Hopes will be buoyed by the return to fitness of midfielder Oliver Kapo from a hamstring injury and key defender Liam Ridgewell from a two-game suspension. Striker James McFadden is doubtful as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

Everton have some big injury worries coming into the match, with Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar and Tony Hibbert all major doubts for Saturday’s game. Manager David Moyes is still confident that his remaining players can get all three points, commenting “They have been terrific for us all season, so I see no reason why that will change now.” A win for Everton would see them equal on points with Merseyside rivals Liverpool, who face Blackburn at Anfield on Sunday.

Bolton Wanderers vs West Ham United

These are desperate times for Bolton, sitting third from bottom; they need to make the most of their remaining games to stand any chance of avoiding the drop. The task on Saturday will not be made any easier with the absence of keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and midfielder Ricardo Gardener. Defender Nicky Hunt is also unlikely to feature as he is still struggling after dislocating his shoulder is the game against Arsenal. Kevin Nolan is available again after a two-match ban, but has been troubled by a back injury as of late.

West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley has recently said that his side has not lived up to expectations this season. Curbishley will be looking to put things right on Saturday against a struggling Bolton side and the return of defender Matthew Upson from injury should help the side’s chances. Striker Bobby Zamora returned for the defeat at Portsmouth last week and should be returning to match fitness. Midfielder Mark Noble did not feature in the Portsmouth match due to a hamstring injury and is doubtful again this weekend.

Derby County vs Aston Villa

Derby County’s dismal season has seen them pick up only 11 points so far and adding to that total does not look likely this weekend, with some key injury concerns before the upcoming match against Aston Villa on Saturday. Midfielders Mile Sterjovski and Robbie Savage are both highly unlikely to feature, while defender Dean Leacock and striker Tito Villa are likely out with a hamstring and groin problem respectively.

Aston Villa will be hoping to grab all three points this weekend and remain ahead of Blackburn in the race for the final European slot. The team has few new injury worries, although the ruptured Achilles tendon sustained by defender Curtis Davies during the team’s draw with Arsenal will see him ruled out for seven months. Midfielder Craig Gardener is doubtful after straining a thigh while on England Under-21 duty.

Tottenham vs Middlesbrough

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has recently said he is loving life at White Hart Lane and he’ll hope to turn that contentment into goals this weekend as he marks his 250th appearance for the club in the Saturday clash with Middlesbrough. However, some key injuries may make life difficult for Spurs. Goalkeeper Paul Robinson is on the sidelines with an ankle injury, along with England Under-21 international Jamie O’Hara who has a bruised foot. Ledley King, Gareth Bale and Benoit Assou-Ekotto are all unavailable for the rest of the season due to injuries.

Middlesbrough need to find points from their last five games in order to guarantee safety from the drop. There are quite a few injury woes for Boro though. Striker Mido is possibly out for the season after a hernia operation, Robert Huth may miss out due to an injured foot while defenders Matthew Bates and Seb Hines are both out for the rest of the season. Keeper Brad Jones will also likely miss out after dislocating a finger in March.

Reading vs Fulham

Reading sit only six points clear of the relegation zone, and need three points on the weekend to ensure they maintain that gap. Reading may have some issues in the centre of the park come Saturday though, as midfielders Brynjar Gunnarsson, Jimmy Kebe, Glen Little and Oliver Bozanic are all out, Bozanic for the rest of the season with glandular fever.

Fulham’s chances of survival are looking less and less likely with each poor result and if they want to stand any chance of avoiding the drop they need to grab points against relegation rivals like Reading. The Cottagers are largely injury-free, but they will nevertheless face a tough task improving this season’s dire away form this weekend.

Sunderland vs Manchester City

Last week’s 3-1 victory away at Craven Cottage lifted the Black Cats ten points clear of the relegation zone and looking more or less safe from the drop. Manager Roy Keane will be hoping his side can increase that cushion further with a victory over visiting Manchester City this weekend. Midfielder Dwight Yorke missed the trip to Fulham last week with a damaged knee, but should be fit again this week. Dickson Etuhu also missed last weeks match with a knee injury and may be unavailable again this weekend.

There has been much talk over the past week about the possibility of Brazilian Ronaldinho joining the club, but Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is focused on the upcoming clash with Sunderland and the ongoing battle with Aston Villa and Blackburn for the final European berth. He will have to do so without defender Nedum Onuoha who dislocated his shoulder in the match against Chelsea and is out for the rest of the season. Fellow defender Micah Richards is also doubtful as he is still recovering from knee surgery.

Portsmouth vs Newcastle

Portsmouth’s progression to the FA Cup final may still be the talk of the town, but manager Harry Redknapp still has to focus on the last five Premier League matches, especially as he has said he wants to take Pompey to fifth place in the league. The return from injury of striker David Nugent against West Ham means he is gaining match fitness and available for this weekend. Jermain Defoe is also available again after missing last week’s match due to his grandmother’s funeral. Milan Baros and John Utaka both missed out last week due to injury and will both be potentially absent again.

Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United have been on a good run of form recently with three straight wins and they’ll need to keep it up to avoid a record-low point’s return of less then 43 points this season. Defender Claudio Cacapa is potentially out for the rest of the season after suffering a groin strain. Emre will also likely miss out after sustaining a calf injury in a match for the reserves. United will be buoyed by the return to fitness of midfielder Charles N’Zogbia from a knee injury and defender Stephen Carr from a hamstring problem; although it is doubtful either will be in the starting line-up come Saturday.

Liverpool vs Blackburn

After a thrilling victory mid-week over Arsenal that saw the Reds advance to the Champions League semi-finals, Liverpool will be looking to keep ahead of Merseyside rivals Everton in the race for fourth place and the final Champion’s League spot for next season. Manager Rafael Benitez will have to make do without midfielder Javier Mascherano, due to his three match suspension and will also be unable to play Jermaine Pennant, who missed the mid-week clash with Arsenal, as he is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Long-term absentees Daniel Agger and Harry Kewell are also unavailable due to injury.

Blackburn also has Europe on their minds, as they are locked in a tight battle with Aston Villa over the seventh and final European spot. Manager Mark Hughes will hope to stage an upset at Anfield on Sunday, despite Blackburn’s average recent form. Defenders Brett Emerton and Christopher Samba both returned to Blackburn’s squad last time out against Tottenham, and will be returning to full match fitness for the crucial match.

Manchester United vs Arsenal

Manchester United joined fellow English sides Liverpool and Chelsea by making it to the Champions League semi-finals with a 1-0 home victory over Roma, making it a record 11 home wins in a row in the competition for the Red Devils. United are focused on winning the league title as well though and a victory this week over Arsenal would greatly help their chances, as well as effectively end Arsenal’s. Man United will feel confident following the return to action of veteran defenders Gary Neville and Mikael Silvestre after long periods of absence due to injury. The return of Neville and Silvestre should help ease fears over United’s back line, even though Nemanja Vidic will still be absent on Sunday.

Arsenal have seen their season’s hopes all but fade recently, and with the mid-week Champions League exit at the hands of Liverpool, winning the Premiership is now their only chance for silverware this season. That already looks to be an exceptionally difficult task, but a loss at Old Trafford this weekend would make it all but impossible. Manager Arsene Wenger has suffered two major injury blows with Mathieu Flamini and Barcary Sagna both ruled out for this crucial fixture. Wenger will find some consolation in the availability of Robin van Persie though, who has overcome a thigh complaint.

Manchester United-Arsenal: Welcome to the Big Boys League

This Sunday will be huge in Premier League Football with English Champions Manchester United facing off against rivals Arsenal.

The Red Devils come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win against AS Roma in the Champions League which confirmed a semi final place for them.

United will be boosted by the return of skipper Gary Neville, who is unlikely to start after playing a mere 10 minutes against the Italians.

Cristiano Ronaldo who has 37 goals this season was rested on Wednesday and should be fresh and firing to face the Gunners. Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney are also expected to return to the line up alongside Patrice Evra.

However, Arsenal come into the game after a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Liverpool. The Gunners believe they were victimised by several poor decisions by the referees over the two legs.

Arsenal, who are out of the FA Cup, the Champions League and now apparently out of the race for the Premier League are heading for another trophy less season. Arsene Wenger denied a rift between him and Jens Lehmann and has revealed the Gunners will hope for a repeat performance of their 1-0 win at Old Trafford last season.

Adebayor and Van Persie are both expected to start in Manchester. However, Wenger may choose to give young Theo Walcott another opportunity to impress.

Arsenal would be dejected after the defeat to Liverpool but it will be a very exciting game.

Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal: Reds finish with flourish
Gerrard




Gerrard and Torres celebrate after a scintillating performance.

Wednesday April 09, 2008
LIVERPOOL - Liverpool marched into their third Champions League semi-final in four years after a stunning triumph over Arsenal at Anfield.With seven minutes left, Arsenal looked like were through as the score stood at 2-2.But Steven Gerrard became the first Liverpool player in history to score in four successive home European matches to send his side ahead again from the penalty spot, before Ryan Babel's breakaway goal sealed a victory which sets up another semi-final clash with Chelsea.

Arsenal scored first through Abou Diaby, before Sami Hyypia and then Fernando Torres forced Liverpool ahead. Another Adebayor strike with seven minutes left looked to have finished off the Anfield men.

But Gerrard's penalty and Babel's late break sealed another sensational night at this emotional old stadium.

With Tom Hicks back in Dallas, his co-owner George Gillett took the chance to be in the directors' box with son Foster, while Hicks' son Tom junior was also in attendance. But just for once they went unnoticed and the club's laughable politics took second place to the real drama on the pitch.

The end of the week-long trilogy between these English giants saw one surprise selection, with Benitez opting for Peter Crouch.

Arsenal were without Robin van Persie from the first leg, the Dutchman's injured knee not risked beyond the bench initially.

The Gunners started in sensational style, displaying blistering pace, strength in the tackle and sublime passing skills. Liverpool were stretched every way possible.

Alexander Hleb, in a central role supporting Adebayor, was a constant danger and they were ahead in the 13th minute.

Anfield was stunned into silence as Hleb threaded a ball down the right for Diaby to surge into the box before crashing home a shot between Jose Reina and his near post.

The disbelief from the Kop made you wonder for a second whether the ball had gone in. But the delayed roar from Arsenal fans at the other end soon confirmed Arsenal's deserved advantage.

With Gerrard deployed on the left, Arsenal were destroying Liverpool's midfield, and flying at a frantic defence.

For 30 minutes Arsenal had been magnificent and Liverpool mesmerised by the quality swirling around them.

Somehow they needed a foothold in the game, just to draw breath if nothing else, such was Arsenal's superiority.

And it came from veteran Hyypia. The 34-year-old, with a newly-signed contract this week, produced a towering header from Gerrard's corner that crashed into the net on the half-hour off Manuel Almunia's post.

Suddenly Liverpool were alive. Gerrard flashed a 30-yard shot wide, Dirk Kuyt's drive was charged down and Philippe Senderos - already booked for a foul on the Liverpool captain - started to struggle against Crouch's height.

Then Arsenal suffered the blow of Mathieu Flamini being carried off after looking to have fallen awkwardly on an ankle. Gilberto came on after 40 minutes. By now Liverpool looked a changed side; steaming forward, their confidence restored.

England boss Fabio Capello and Manchester United chief Sir Alex Ferguson sat side by side, enthralled, as Arsenal steeled themselves to defend in front of the Kop after the break.

Fabio Aurelio's shot was deflected agonisingly wide by Crouch, Torres having provided the cross.

It was the Spain striker, quiet up to that point, who forced Liverpool ahead. Crouch's flick-on reached the Liverpool goal machine in the box, he turned Senderos with ease before firing his shot into the top corner.Anfield erupted. Benitez, tie askew, urged his men on while Wenger replaced Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue with Van Persie and Theo Walcott, knowing another Arsenal goal would put them through.Adebayor missed when clean through, the tension by now could be cut with a knife. Babel came on for Crouch, who left the field to a standing ovation.Liverpool switched back to their preferred system, with Gerrard working behind Torres while two holding players protected the midfield.But Liverpool were caught searching for more, and Arsenal caught them cold on the break. Walcott embarked on an amazing run from his own half before pulling the ball back for Adebayor to drill in the equaliser after 83 minutes.Hyypia collapsed in anguish, all around Liverpool players could see the end of their dream.But astonishingly they rallied. Straight from the restart, some Gunners still celebrating it seemed, Babel surged into the box and was brought down by Kolo Toure.
Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt pointed to the spot, and with the Kop in hushed agony, Gerrard drove the penalty high into the net.John Arne Riise came on for Torres, Liverpool desperate for the end now. Another Gunners goal would again see them through.But with Arsenal all up in Liverpool's box for a free-kick, the ball broke from the mass of players to be belted forward for Babel to outpace Fabregas to gloriously drive home the fourth.Alvaro Arbeloa came on for a shattered Kuyt, and there was nothing left now from Wenger's men as Anfield celebrated.

Champions League Quarter-final Preview


Liverpool vs Arsenal

Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant is set to miss the quarter-final game against his former club Arsenal after sustaining a hamstring injury in Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw, ironically, at the Emirates Stadium.

The 25-year-old joins long-term casualties Daniel Agger and Harry Kewell on the sidelines. Other than that, Rafael Benitez has a full squad to choose from.

Arsenal will be missing midfielder Tomas Rosicky for the clash at Anfield tonight, with the Czech international picking up a knee injury in the Gunners' FA Cup victory over Newcastle way back in January. The 27-year-old has not played since.

Full-back Bacary Sagna is the other notable absentee for the Gunners.

There is some good news for Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, as forward Robin van Persie is fit for selection after overcoming a thigh problem he has been suffering lately. He joins leading scorer Emmanuel Adebayor, Alexander Hleb, Gael Clichy and Philippe Senderos in the trip up north.Liverpool and Arsenal drew 1-1 in the first leg and Benitez has said his team will not sit back and defend in this match.

Chelsea vs Fenerbahce

Petr Cech suffered a terrible training ground accident, clashing with Israeli centreback Tal Ben-Haim that needed 50 stitches to patch up.The Czech international has since had surgery on his lips and chin, but this injury sets the goalkeeper back another two weeks before he is able to resume play for the London club.Striker Didier Drogba and centreback Ricardo Carvalho should figure in Chelsea boss Avram Grant's plans when they take on Fenerbahce.For the Turkish club, striker Colin Kazim-Richards is set for a place on the bench, despite his heroics in the first leg of the competition. Fener are set to go on the defensive away from home to protect their 2-1 advantage.

Manchester United vs AS Roma

The Red Devils will miss out on the services of centreback Rio Ferdinand, after the 29-year-old limped off in their 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough and left the Riverside with his foot in protective plastic casing.Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is said to be looking at Gerard Pique as the possible replacement for Ferdinand in the centre of defence while the England international sits out.Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is the more worried manager of the two sides, his AS Roma team will be without playmaker and skipper Francesco Totti.The Giallorossi have confirmed Francesco Totti will not travel with the squad, the club's top scorer sidelined with a thigh injury since the club's 1-1 draw with Cagliari on the 29th of March.The Red Devils have a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Rome and look to score more at Old Trafford to secure passage into the semi-finals.

Barcelona vs Schalke 04

Frank Rijkaard may have forward Lionel Messi available for the second leg against Schalke at the Nou Camp. The Spanish giants currently lead the tie 1-0, courtesy of an early strike from Bojan Krkic.The Catalans are still missing playmaker Ronaldinho through injury, but the Brazilian might not have played anyway even if he was fit, with the broken down relationship he has with the staff of the Blaugranes.Schalke boss Mirko Slomka will hope that striker Kevin Kuranyi will rediscover the form that made him so lethal in front of goal. The German international could not get near any of the crosses Schalke sent into the penalty area and had to be replaced by Vicente Sanchez on the hour mark.

STANDINGS

Clubs P W D L GF GA GD PTS
Man Utd 33 24 5 4 70 17 53 77
Chelsea 33 22 8 3 58 23 35 74
Arsenal 33 20 11 2 63 27 36 71
Liverpool 33 17 12 4 57 25 32 63
Everton 33 18 6 9 49 27 22 60
Portsmouth 32 15 8 9 46 33 13 53
Aston Villa 33 14 10 9 56 44 12 52
Blackburn 33 13 12 8 43 39 4 51
Man City 33 13 10 10 37 39 -2 49
West Ham 32 12 8 12 35 39 -4 44
Tottenham 33 10 10 13 62 56 6 40
Newcastle 33 10 8 15 40 58 -18 38
Sunderland 33 10 6 17 32 50 -18 36
Middlesbrough 33 8 11 14 30 47 -17 35
Wigan 33 9 7 17 30 47 -17 34
Reading 33 9 5 19 37 61 -24 32
Birmingham 33 7 9 17 38 51 -13 30
Bolton 33 6 8 19 30 52 -22 26
Fulham 33 4 12 17 30 56 -26 24
Derby 33 1 8 24 16 68 -52 11

WEST INDIES SQUARE UP THE SERIES

West Indies v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Trinidad, 4th day

Sarwan ton helps West Indies square series

April 6, 2008

West Indies 294 (Sarwan 57, Muralitharan 5-79) and 254 for 4 (Sarwan 102, Chanderpaul 86*) beat Sri Lanka 278 (Silva 76, Dilshan 62, Edwards 4-84) and 268 (Samaraweera 125, Taylor 4-52) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Ramnaresh Sarwan's century ensured that West Indies squared the series 1-1 in Trinidad © AFP

Each time West Indies or Sri Lanka took the upper hand in the second Test in Trinidad, the other team clawed back to bring the match into balance. It took an innings of exemplary application from Ramnaresh Sarwan to decisively swing the closely-fought contest towards West Indies on the fourth day, and his partnership of 157 with Shivnarine Chanderpaul levelled the series, ensuring Sri Lanka's quest for a maiden series triumph in the Caribbean remained unfulfilled. The six-wicket win was West Indies' first at the Queen's Park Oval since 2000.

A target of 253 over two days with ten wickets in hand wasn't the most daunting but only twice had teams chased higher totals to win in Trinidad. Add to that the unpredictably of the West Indian batting order, the Chaminda Vaas-Muttiah Muralitharan factor and the task was anything but simple. The fourth day began with Sri Lanka taking early wickets before Sarwan started the recovery effort, single-handedly at first, later finding a steady partner in Chanderpaul, who remained unbeaten on 86 at the end.

Sri Lanka were banking on the wizardry of Muralitharan to run through the batting order but he was blunted by Sarwan and Chanderpaul's patient approach. Not until the final stages did Sri Lanka's bowlers give it up but the pressure created by Vaas and Muralitharan was not sustained by the inexperienced support cast of Thilan Thushara and Ishara Amerasinghe, which allowed the batsmen to score steadily without having to look to hit boundaries.

It was fitting that Sarwan sealed victory with a hundred because he had scored three consecutive half-centuries in the series. West Indies needed a century from one of their batsmen and Sarwan did not throw it away after passing fifty. He started fluently, flicking and cutting Thushara to the boundary, and eventually hit him out of the attack by taking three fours - two straight drives and a leg glance - off his eighth over. Against Vaas, Sarwan stayed in his crease and gave himself time to drive the ball through the off side while his team-mates struggled on the front foot.

He was reprieved early in his innings by Tillakaratne Dilshan, who missed the stumps at the non-striker's end with Sarwan well short. Had he hit, one sensed that the chase would have been over, for apart from Sarwan's fluent innings the batsmen looked edgy. Even Chanderpaul had testing moments against Vaas, who caught the left-hander by surprise with a couple of deliveries that reared sharply off a good length.

The pair steered West Indies to 93 for 3 when rain forced the umpires to take an early lunch, giving Vaas and Muralitharan an hour to recharge. On resumption, they offered few scoring opportunities but Sarwan and Chanderpaul were up for the challenge. Chanderpaul concentrated on rotating the strike, often moving forward and across to work the ball through the leg side for singles and twos. He had a calming influence on Sarwan, who brought up his fifty with a slog-swept four followed by a cut towards point, and talked him through lapses in concentration such as a slash past the slips off Amerasinghe.

Sarwan used the cut effectively against the fast bowlers, forcing Mahela Jayawardene to put a fielder on the point boundary and successfully negotiated the threat posed by Muralitharan; he consistently worked him for ones and twos and occasionally moved out of his crease to hit him over midwicket or drive him straight down the ground. Sarwan was more positive as he moved towards his hundred, swatting Thushara twice from outside off stump to the wide mid-on boundary and the Trinidad crowd grew louder as they sensed a West Indian win.

A significant psychological barrier was crossed when Chanderpaul drove a full toss from Amerasinghe to the cover boundary to bring the runs required below 100. Another shower made the players take tea early, with Sarwan on 95, but when play resumed he reached his tenth Test hundred by sweeping Muralitharan to the long-leg boundary. By then, Chanderpaul was doing most of the scoring, repeatedly cutting and driving Vaas and Amerasinghe through the off side. Sarwan was eventually caught at bat-pad off Muralitharan for 102 but, with only 23 to get, the match was nearly won.

The game looked like it would be a lot closer during the morning session when West Indies' openers, Chris Gayle and Sewnarine Chattergoon, began tentatively. West Indies lost Gayle on 23 when he tried to slog Thushara. The ball moved away from him and the outside edge flew over point where Dilshan ran backwards to take the catch. Chattergoon fell in the next over, misjudging the line of a straighter one from Vaas and was trapped plumb in front.

At 24 for 2, Marlon Samuels joined Sarwan and they added 49, although Samuels looked out of sorts. He moved too far across his stumps against Vaas and survived several lbw shouts when the ball swung back and hit his pads. He eventually spooned a slower one to Malinda Warnapura at point. The match was in the balance at 73 for 3 but the three-hour partnership between Sarwan and Chanderpaul shut Sri Lanka out of the contest.

RESULTS OF BAHARAIN GP

Results of Bahrain Grand Prix after 57 laps of Sakhir circuit on 6 April, 2008:

1 Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari one hour 31 minutes 6.970 seconds
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari +3.339 secs
3 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber +4.998
4 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber +8.409
5 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes +26.789
6 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota +41.314
7 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault +45.473
8 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota +55.889
9 Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota +1:09.500
10 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault +1:17.181
11 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda +1:17.862
12 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Ferrari one lap behind
13 Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes one lap
14 Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota one lap
15 Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari one lap
16 Anthony Davidson (GB) Super Aguri-Honda one lap
17 Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda one lap
18 David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault one lap
19 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Ferrari two laps
R Nelson Piquet Jr (Brz) Renault 40 laps completed
R Jenson Button (GB) Honda 19 laps
R Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 0 laps

Fastest lap: Kovalainen, 1:33.193, lap 49.

Formula One: Massa wins in Bahrain

Sunday April 06, 2008
BAHRAIN - Felipe Massa proved himself a contender for world title glory this season on a day when Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso seemingly resumed their bitter rivalry.

Massa cruised to victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, taking the chequered flag for the first time since last August's race in Turkey, and the sixth of his career.

Despite Poland's Robert Kubica starting on pole for the first time in his Formula One career, the BMW Sauber driver was unable to prevent a Ferrari one-two.

World champion Kimi Raikkonen captured second to sweep to the top of the leaderboard by three points from Nick Heidfeld in his BMW Sauber, with the Finn on the podium for the 50th time in his career.

The bulk of the drama, though, unfolded once the five red lights disappeared to signal the start of the 57-lap race at the Sakhir circuit.

Hamilton, who came into the race with a three-point cushion in the drivers' standings but now trails Raikkonen by five, appeared to temporarily stall.

That forced McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen into a swerving manoeuvre around Hamilton's seemingly stricken car.

But then the 23-year-old finally pulled away, finding himself amongst the mid-field runners heading into turn one and around the first lap, by the end of which he was running ninth.

Immediately ahead of the Briton was bitter rival Alonso, with no love lost between the duo following their feud last season when they were both at McLaren.

On lap two Alonso appeared to ease off the accelerator for a split second.

But that was enough for Hamilton to run into the back of two-time world champion Alonso, losing his nose cone in the process, while the Spaniard also damaged his rear-end plate.

Hamilton then struggled for the remainder of the lap to return to the pits for a new nose, following which he dropped to 19th.

That was due to Sebastian Vettel retiring on the first lap after he was shunted from behind, while in a disastrous day for the Brits, David Coulthard and Jenson Button suffered early punctures.

The Red Bull and Honda duo, running at the back of the field in the wake of their trouble, then came together on lap 19.

Button tried to dive down the inside of Coulthard, but succeeded to only remove his front nose cone, forcing him out of the grand prix.

For the remainder of the race, Hamilton was unable to make severe inroads into the field ahead of him and could only finish 13th as it appeared his car had suffered more damage than merely to its nose.

Out in front, the Ferraris were in a class of their own after the 26-year-old Massa succeeded in overtaking Kubica on the run down to the first corner.

In a wheel-to-wheel battle on lap two, Raikkonen also claimed the Pole, and from that point on it was a relative procession.

But unlike in Malaysia a fortnight ago when Raikkonen took the win as he blasted past Massa in the first round of pit stops, the Finn was unable to make any impression on this occasion.

For Massa, it was his second successive victory on this circuit, and after all the speculation about his future in the wake of his poor start to the season, he is up and running and in the picture.

Kubica held onto third for the remainder of the race from team-mate Nick Heidfeld, and with the 11 points from the duo it means BMW Sauber lead the constructors' championship for the first time in their history.

The team hold a one-point lead over Ferrari and two to McLaren, who barely salvaged a miserable day with Kovalainen's fifth place.

Jarno Trulli in his Toyota was sixth, followed by the Red Bull of Mark Webber for a second successive seventh place, with Williams' Nico Rosberg taking a point for eighth place.

UNITED 2-2 BORO

Barclays Premier League
The Riverside Stadium, Sun 6 April

MIDDLESBROUGH
Alves 35, 55

MANCHESTER UNITED
Ronaldo 10, Rooney 74
06/04/2008 12:24, Report by James Tuck
Report: Boro 2 United 2

Wayne Rooney rescued a point for United after Afonso Alves' double had looked set to give Middlesbrough a shock win at a wintry Riverside Stadium.

Rooney converted from close range with 16 minutes left after good work by substitute Ji-sung Park to ensure the Reds extended their lead over Chelsea at the top of the table to three points.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s 37th goal of the season had given United an early lead, but Alves produced two superb finishes in each half to put Boro in command in an end-to-end game.

United’s defence, shorn of Nemanja Vidic, was frequently made to look uncharacteristically shaky by a lively Boro outfit and only a series of last-ditch tackles prevented the Teessiders from extending their lead in the second half.

Rio Ferdinand came off with what looked like a leg injury with 20 minutes left and, although United also had chances to win it, Sir Alex Ferguson will perhaps settle for a point after a testing encounter in the driving north-east snow.

As so often this season, United began brightly and took the lead inside 10 minutes. Ryan Giggs, making his 750th United appearance, swung over a deep corner to Michael Carrick, who made space before firing the ball back across goal for Ronaldo to convert left-footed from close range.

It was the winger's 27th league goal of an extraordinary campaign and it looked set to give United

Manchester United reduce Roma to ruins

Oliver Kay in Rome

Sir Alex Ferguson headed back from Italy in high spirits after Manchester United’s outstanding 2-0 Champions League quarter-final, first-leg victory over AS Roma at the Olympic Stadium last night, his joy tempered only by an injury to Nemanja Vidic that will be assessed this morning. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney scored United’s goals, putting them on course for a semi-final showdown with Barcelona, after Vidic twisted his left knee when falling awkwardly in the first half.

The Serbia defender joined his team-mates on the flight home in the early hours of this morning but he will be sent for a scan today, with the club’s medical staff concerned that he may have damaged ligaments. “We hope it’s a nerve injury and I pray it’s not serious because he is such a vital part of our team,” Ferguson said.

Even without Vidic, Ferguson’s team stood firm for the final hour as they underlined their status as favourites to lift the European Cup. Their record away from home in Europe had been questioned, not least by Daniele De Rossi, the Roma midfield player, but a disciplined performance rounded off by goals from their young superstars earned them their first victory on Italian or Spanish soil since February 2003.

Ronaldo’s remaining detractors were surely silenced by his 36th goal of a remarkable season, a brave header six minutes before half-time. Ronaldo had been subjected to some strong challenges, Christian Panucci catching him with a stray elbow in the first half, but once again he enjoyed the last word, putting United ahead when he rose to head home from Paul Scholes’s cross. Rooney scored from close range midway through the second half to give his team what is surely an unassailable lead for the second leg at Old Trafford next Wednesday.

“I think it’s an absolutely outstanding result for us,” Ferguson said. “We showed great discipline and composure on the ball. I don’t think Roma showed any real threat in the first half.

“Ronaldo’s goal changed the game. It was a fantastic header. After that we rode our luck for a period at the start of the second half, but I thought we deserved our win. It’s a fantastic result, but in football you can never take anything for granted.”

It was a “good header” and a “very good performance”, according to Ronaldo. He believes that United have a great chance of winning the tournament. “The team is playing fantastically,” he said. “It is more mature. The Champions League is different from the league. Manchester United want to win it this season.”

Equally satisfying was that last night’s game passed peacefully. There were some missiles thrown between the rival supporters, but, with a heavy police presence inside and outside the stadium, there was no repeat of the ugly scenes that accompanied the clubs’ meetings last season.

Barcelona lie in wait for United in the last four, Bojan Krkic, their outstanding 17-year-old forward, scoring in a 1-0 win away to Schalke 04. That would mean United returning to the Nou Camp, the scene of their dramatic victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 final, but Ferguson will not allow his players to look beyond their Barclays Premier League match away to Middlesbrough on Sunday as they continue their quest for glory on the domestic and European fronts.