Reds loose more ground on title race...

Tuncay Sanli blasted a huge hole in Liverpool's Premier League title challenge as Middlesbrough gave their survival hopes a massive boost with a 2-0 victory.

The Turkey international struck for the second time in four days after Xabi Alonso's own goal had given the Teessiders an unlikely half-time lead.

It was Boro's first league victory and the Reds' first league defeat in 15 attempts, and was hugely significant to both clubs for starkly contrasting reasons.

The hosts last won at Aston Villa on November 9 and had not collected all three points at the Riverside Stadium since 11 days earlier, and Alonso's goal was their first in the league for 526 minutes.

However, Gareth Southgate's men were well worth a win which gives them genuine hope of escaping the drop, but leaves Liverpool's title hopes in shreds with leaders Manchester United seven points clear with a game in hand.

Liverpool arrived on Teesside with talk of manager Rafael Benitez's unsigned contract and the impending departure of chief executive Rick Parry dominating the headlines.

However, the only focus at the end of a week which brought the club a famous Champions League victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium was the league title which has eluded them since 1990.

Even after Boro's creditable performance in beating West Ham on Wednesday evening to book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, few in a crowd of 33,724 - the biggest of the season at the Riverside - were expecting a home win.

Indeed, for the opening half-hour, there seemed only one likely winner despite Gary O'Neil forcing a good reaction save from Jose Reina from Stewart Downing's 11th-minute cross.

Opposite number Brad Jones had already kept out close-range efforts from Nabil El Zhar and Dirk Kuyt as the visitors piled on the pressure, although even the craft of returning skipper Steven Gerrard, making his 300th start for the club, and Alonso could not break the Teessiders down on a consistent basis.

But when the opening goal finally arrived, it came at the other end, and ended an agonising wait for the home side.

Not since Afonso Alves' 45th-minute strike in the 1-1 derby draw with Sunderland on January 10 had Boro found the back of the net in a league game, and they needed a helping hand to end the drought.

Alonso instinctively stuck stuck out a leg as Downing's 31st-minute corner sped across the six-yard box, but only succeeded in diverting the ball past the helpless Reina.

The goal seemed to galvanise the home side, who might have extended their lead four minutes before the break when Downing robbed full-back Martin Skrtel and forced Reina into a good save.

However, Southgate's men returned expecting an onslaught and knowing there was a long way to go before they could even contemplate all three points.

Liverpool should really have been back on level terms within three minutes of the restart when Gerrard ghosted into the box and pulled the ball back invitingly for El Zhar.

However, the youngster hammered his shot high over the bar to let Boro off the hook.

Jeremie Aliadiere might have increased the visitors' woes three minutes later when he was picked out by O'Neil inside the box, but he was similarly inaccurate.

Benitez's side continued to dominate possession, but they were struggling to do anything meaningful with it as Boro's stubborn defence proved more than adequate to keep them at bay.

The game's second goal came with 63 minutes gone, and again it was the visitors who found themselves on the wrong end of it.

O'Neil slid the ball into the path of Aliadiere down the right and when he squared for Tuncay, the Turkey international guided his shot past Reina into the bottom corner to send the home crowd into raptures.

Jones saved from Gerrard and Kuyt failed to connect with his skipper's cross with the goal at his mercy as the game slipped further from Liverpool's grasp, and things might have been even worse with 18 minutes remaining.

Downing and Tuncay combined to open up the Reds once again and present Marlon King with a glorious opportunity, but Reina came to the rescue with a two-handed save.

In truth, the visitors never looked like pulling off a rescue mission as Boro coasted to a fine win.

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Liverpool Top UEFA Ranking's

Liverpool's victory at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid has propelled them to the top of UEFA's rankings.

This is the first time Liverpool have topped the co-efficient rankings since 1985 when the European ban was imposed.

UEFA's latest rankings:
1 Liverpool FC (114.077)
2 Chelsea FC (110.077)
3 Barcelona (109.403)
4 AC Milan (109.306)
5 Arsenal (101.077)
6 Sevilla (100.403)
7 Man Utd (99.077)
8 Bayern Munich (93.664)
9 Lyon (90.576)
10 Inter Milan (87.306).

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City to swap robinho for terry

Manchester City will use playmaker Robinho as a bait to lure England and Chelsea captain John Terry to the Eastlands.

City are believed to have had a bid for the England international turned down earlier this season and will not give up trying to lure Terry to Manchester.
Robinho has been underwhelming for City since joining them seven months ago - especially away from home.

There are also reports that senior City players are unhappy about his lack of work-rate.

Robinho was the Abu Dhabi United Group's first purchase on their first day in power last September. He is also the club's leading scorer with 12 goals in 27 appearances.
The Brazilian did not covered himself with glory when he he was fined two weeks' wages - roughly £320,000 - for sneaking out of a mid-season training camp in Tenerife to fly back to Brazil before his 25th birthday.

There was also a rumoured falling-out with new teammate Craig Bellamy.
While Hughes may not be able to get the best out of Robinho, he could use him as a sweetener for Chelsea in exchange for Terry.

Terry is the type of leader Hughes has in mind to help build his team.
City's information is that Terry, despite his public statements to the contrary, is not as settled at Chelsea as supporters of the London club would like to believe.
City have the financial power to double his weekly £135,000 salary and their inquiries have convinced them that the England captain wants to hear about the plans of the club's owners in Abu Dhabi.

The involvement of Robinho, City's so-called 'marquee signing,' will shock the club's supporters but prominent figures in Abu Dhabi are confident that disappointment will be offset by a planned £200m recruitment programme in the summer, with David Villa, Yaya Toure, Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz also on the extensive list of targets.

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Eto wants to sign new contract with Barca

Samuel Eto'o has moved to dampen speculation about his Barcelona future, telling a local TV station he wants to stay at the club beyond the end of his contract in 2010.

"Of course I want to continue," Eto'o told Canal Catala. "I have learned to love Barcelona over the last few years although I have never hidden the affection I have for (former club) Real Mallorca."

The Cameroon international's future has generated a lot of media speculation after he told a French publication he had made up his mind over his future but would not reveal his intentions.

Barca told Eto'o he was surplus to requirements at the end of last season, before he convinced new coach Pep Guardiola to change his mind.

He has gone on to establish himself as the Primera Liga's leading scorer with 23 goals in the current campaign.

"I'm very happy and see no reason to leave," he said. "I'm going to stay to the end of my contract and if the club want me I would like to stay longer."

Eto'o was asked if he would ever consider returning to Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid.

"If I leave one day it will not be to the Bernabeu," he said. "I could never hurt the Barca fans by doing that."

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Hiddink warning to united

Guus Hiddink has warned his Chelsea stars not to drop another league point between now and the end of the season in May.

Chelsea face Wigan Athletic on Saturday knowing that three points are vital if they are to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester United who play Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup final a day later.
With the Stamford Bridge outfit currently trailing the Red Devils by some ten points and second-placed Liverpool by two, Hiddink - who has dismissed United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claims that Chelsea are out of the title race - realises just how crucial it is to win all 12 remaining games.
"Alex Ferguson is in the lead and in the driver's seat and he can talk as he does," explained the Dutchman who recently replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari on a part-time basis.
"They (Manchester United) are in the lead and we are some points away, but there is still some way to go.
"There has to be a lot done on our side to challenge them, but we will try. We cannot to drop a single point.
"Everyone wants to see Chelsea going up the league and not in the position they are now," he added.
In a bid to reduce the gap, Hiddink has promised a return to the Chelsea attacking style of old.
"I like the home team to dominate, not giving a lot of space to the opponent.
"That might have risks because I like to play with the whole team as much as possible as high as possible.
"Of course there are risks but, at the end, you get your advantage.
"Sometimes you can get caught but when you are calculating, then out of the numbers game you will get more advantage if you don't give them a lot of space to even breathe.
"That's the way I like it. And we must not forget that we play to enjoy ourselves - seriously but also to be attractive to the fans.
"It's possible to do both."

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Benitez wants to progress with the deal

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is hopeful that he will have talks about a new contract at some point during the coming week.

Benitez's contract negotiations have been the source of much speculation, with reports of the Spaniard's demands for more control over transfers and his refusal to agree to co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett's revised offers constantly emerging.
The Anfield angst came to a head on Friday when Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry, a man Benitez famously struggled to work alongside, announced that he would be leaving his post at the end of the season.

Parry's announcement came at the end of a week that also saw rumours suggesting that Benitez was on the verge of quitting Liverpool, something the former Valencia coach has, however, been quick to rubbish.

Although Benitez has denied that Parry's exit will persuade him to sign a new deal - his current contract runs out in 2010 - the Spaniard seems optimistic that the wrangling will be sorted out sooner rather than later.

"We will have new talks maybe next week," Benitez declared.
"We will see whether we can progress, it is not about who is there or not at the moment, it is about the future.
"It is important to finalise my contract, but we have been working for months on this, so let's see where we go from here."
"I have been talking about the need for the owners and my advisors to talk, and they are still to talk," he added.

The other possible reason for Rafa's reluctance to sign could be also because of a possible sale of the club. Benitez may be stalling and will not sign a new deal until he knows who possible new owners could be.

One source said: "He is in a strong position. The owners will get a better price if he stays as manager, that has been confirmed to them by advisors to a Middle East group interested in buying."

Benitez wants the financial muscle to compete with Manchester United in the transfer market and, if he discovers potential new owners are not in the super-rich bracket, he may consider the change of power is no better than the current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Benitez will now put Champions League progress and a defiant bid for the Barclays Premier league title - starting with today's trip to Middlesbrough - above all other considerations.

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Mourinho wants to be the Chelsea boss

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho admits he hopes to again work for Chelsea.

He told Sport Express: “It was still my team, my players – people I have spent a lot of my life with – so I was sorry.”

He added: “Chelsea are a great team.”

Mourinho has already indicated that he intends to return to the club at some point, but again stressed that he does not have any particular time in mind.

“I am 46 and want to work until I am 96, so I have half a century ahead [to return to Chelsea],” he said.

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Robinho to leave Man city in summer

Manchester City are ready to sell Robinho at the end of the season, it has been revealed

The Daily Mail says according to sources close to City’s Arab owners in the Middle East, the Barclays Premier League club will cut their losses on England’s best-paid player if they receive an acceptable offer.

It is understood that City’s owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, are aware of the fact that, despite occasional moments of brilliance, Robinho has not proved the consummate success they hoped when they bought him for £32.5million from Real Madrid on the last day of the August transfer window.

Robinho’s away form has been poor and he is becoming a negative influence on other members of Mark Hughes’s squad along with his fellow Brazilian Elano.

The City manager is not actively trying to push Robinho out but is aware that the club are likely to receive offers in the summer as the 25-year-old has made it clear he is not happy at Eastlands.

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Klinsmann linked with Man City job

Bayern Munich boss Jurgen Klinsmann admits he's flattered by reports linking him with Manchester City.

He said: "I always tell my players, like Franck Ribery, that if there is speculation about other clubs wanting you, it is a compliment to Bayern and yourself.

"If you hear of an offer, you must be flattered, and it applies to managers and coaches as much as players. But I am under contract to Bayern until the end of next season, and my only thought at the moment is trying to win as many trophies as possible in that time."

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Guess fergie takes advice from whom??

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits he consults with Ryan Giggs before making many major decisions.

Ferguson said: "He's part of the second unofficial tier of my staff, if you like. I do confide in him and I do take his advice. He understands the club and young players better than anybody.

"You give him a seven-day rest and he's like a young buck. Unbelievable. He's almost better than ever now. He has so much time on the ball, such is the level of composure he has reached."

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Gomez a possible replacement for tevez

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson sees Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez as a like-for-like replacement for Carlos Tevez.

Gomez has scored 13 goals in 19 games for the Bundesliga outfit this season and his form has caught the eye of United.

But Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos is also said to be keen on the 23-year-old, who has a £30million buy-out clause in his contract.

According to German newspaper Bild, Ferguson has had Gomez watched on numerous occasions this season.

And with Argie ace Tevez said to be considering his future at United due to a lack of playing time, the Red Devils supremo could turn to Gomez as a replacement.

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Arbeloa out with a hamstring injury

According to reports, Alvaro Arbeloa will miss Liverpool’s next two matches with Middlesbrough and Sunderland.

The Liverpool full-back has been struggling with a hamstring injury and means Jamie Carragher will most likely move to right back to cover for the Spaniard, with Phillip Degen again injured.

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Liverpool to bid for barry again ??

Rafa Benitez will sign a new contract after winning his power struggle with Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry and his first move after putting pen to paper will be to launch a £20m raid for Aston Villa and England midfielder Gareth Barry.

But owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have decided the club's imminent failure to regain the Premier League title was because of a lack of quality purchases in the transfer market last summer.

That was when Benitez set out his stall to lure Barry from Villa to Merseyside only to be thwarted in hs plans when the Reds refused to increase their £16m to match Martin O'Neill's £18m valuation.

There was a bizarre twist when Liverpool then splashed out £20.3m for Spurs striker Robbie Keane only for Benitez to run him out of town last month when he returned to White Hart Lane for just £12m.

The Liverpool manager still wants Barry to team up with talismanic Steven Gerrard as he feels they would form a midfield partnership which would be the fulcrum to Liverpool's success.

Now Parry is stepping down, after apparently losing Gillett's support, Benitez hods the upper hand although he will be under pressure to produce silverware next season.

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Madrid win a landmark for title

Rafa Benitez is hoping the Champions League win over Real Madrid will give his players the belief to put pressure on league-leaders Manchester United.

Liverpool are now seven points behind United after a disappointing 2009 in which they have drawn with Stoke, Everton, Wigan and Manchester City, but Wednesday night’s 1-0 win at the Bernabeu showed the team are still eager for success.

And, ahead of the Premier League games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland on Saturday and Tuesday, Benitez is hoping his players will be reinvigorated by that result.

"We have to win almost every game, and this is the first one since Manchester United went seven points clear,” he said.

"We have to get three points if we want to stay close to them and put the pressure on a little bit.

"But the confidence, the atmosphere, the mood among the players is very positive after the win in Madrid. Hopefully that will have a good impact on the club.

"We have two important games now to play in the league before the second leg against Real Madrid and our aim is to win both to cut the gap at the top. Six points in four days is possible."

The players have had to contend with various reports about activity behind the scenes at Anfield this season, and this week became aware of rumours that Benitez was set to leave the club.

However, the Spaniard feels it has not affected his squad and feels they are fully focused on winning silverware.

"Despite all the things that seem to be going on off the pitch, the behaviour of the players has been very good,” he said.

"Whatever they read or see on TV, they continue to do well and now they have won in the Bernabeu. They have shown what good professionals they are."

He added: "We are in a very good position in the title race. Now, after Madrid, hopefully everyone will be very focused.

"The players have not given up the fight. They still really believe it is possible.

"It is not a good position to be seven points behind, so we have to win to get closer. You never know then what could happen – we could then go to Old Trafford next month and win.

"When I arrived here in Liverpool all I was hearing was that we wanted to be title contenders.

"This season, we have got closer. People felt it was the season at one point, but now we are not in such a good position.

"But for many people, this is a good position. If we can finish second, it will be good – an improvement – but we are still thinking of winning the title.

"We have to be ready to pounce if they do slip up, we must be close enough to take advantage. I recall winning the title when Valencia were eight points behind, so we must believe it can be done."

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Don't blame me for parry exit

Rafa Benitez revealed on Friday that talks over a new contract are still ongoing, despite confirmation that Ricky Parry will leave the club.

Liverpool confirmed on Friday that chief executive Parry will leave at the end of the season, as co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett try to take the club forward.

The decision will inevitably by viewed as a triumph for Benitez, who is angling for total control over transfers, but the Liverpool admitted he is still to agree a new deal with the Anfield club.

“In the last interview I spoke of the contact between the owners and my advisers and still they have to talk,” stated the Spaniard.

“We still have to talk, my advisers and the owners still have to talk.”

Parry’s exit from the club is just yet another off-field headline created by Liverpool this season, but Benitez is adamant it will not affect their stuttering title challenge.

He also distanced himself from any role in Parry’s departure, insisting the decision was based on his relationship with the owners.

“I think it’s a decision between the owners and Rick Parry, he will stay here until the end of the season so we will all work together in the best interests of the club. After this, we will wish him all the best.

“I like to concentrate on football. I don’t think it will be a problem to work with Rick for the rest of the season, we all want the best for the club.

“We haven’t had time to get distracted by these things, we’ve just arrived this morning from Madrid. OK we heard the news but we’ve just been deciding on the squad – who’s fit to play. That’s the things I can control. I will say again I am just thinking about football operations, this is between the owners and Rick Parry.”

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Rick Parry will quit Anfield this summer

Liverpool will announce today that Rick Parry will leave the club at the end of the season.

The chief executive, who has been embroiled in a power struggle with Rafael Benitez, will depart from Anfield, which will represent a massive victory for the manager.

Parry has been negotiating a payoff for the past few weeks.

This development comes at the end of a fraught week for the club during which rumours have circulated that the manager had been dismissed. Benitez has emerged stronger after the Champions League victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday, but the painful politics of Liverpool mean that even today's development does not make the manager's situation palpably clearer.

Parry was known to be an ally of George Gillett Jr, the club's co-owner, but the pair are believed to have fallen out over the stories that surfaced on Wednesday suggesting that Benitez was about to leave the club.

Gillett has found no buyer for his 50 per cent stake, but this latest development opens the door to a change of ownership at Anfield because the co-owner has lost his last ally at the club.


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Mascherano wants Benitez to stay at liverpool

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has led the calls for boss Rafael Benitez to stay at the club.

The Champions League victory at Real Madrid was overshadowed by constant speculation that Benitez would quit as his contract talks floundered.

After the 1-0 win Benitez made it clear he was staying and had no intention of resigning, with further talks on his contract due with American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks scheduled for the next couple of days.

But this did little to allay the concerns of Benitez's players, 15 of the 18-man squad on show in the Bernabeu having been signed by the Spaniard.

Mascherano said: ''The manager brought me to Anfield, he has done a very good job here. We can get to the quarter-finals again and he has shown that against the top sides like in Barcelona, at Inter Milan last season and now at Real Madrid he is a very good coach for us.

''We are always a team who works very hard and every Liverpool supporter have to be very happy with this. Every players gives everything for the club.

''He is important for me. When I came to Liverpool I did not have any confidence after being at West Ham.

''The manager gave me that confidence. The only thing I can say to Rafa is thank you, he helped me during a bad moment in my career and now I try to do everything for my team and for him.

''I cannot say what is going to happen, but with him Liverpool is doing a great job. If we want to keep going in the Champions League and Premier League it is important to have him with us.''

Spain international Alvaro Arbeloa agreed adding: ''As for the manager and all the talk about him, I do not really know what the problem is but people must know how important he is for us.

''I hope he will continue with us for many years, but in these things you never know.''

Albert Riera added: ''As for the situation regarding the manager, we are aware of the dispute over his contract. But it is not something we were talking about in the dressing room, the match took up all our thoughts.

''Of course we want Rafa to stay. I wanted to play for Liverpool and he was a very important person in achieving that for me.

''Not only for me but for the other players too, we all want Rafa to be with us. If you asked everyone, 100% they would say they want Rafa to stay with us.''

Mascherano also revealed the players' delight at their victory in Madrid, adding: ''It was a great victory for us, in particular because we did not have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres was injured very early in the match.

''We would always want to have them with us on the pitch, but it is good that we can show we can win games like in Madrid without key players.

''So we are happy with the way the first leg went. But the job is not done, we have to make sure we do the same job at Anfield to take us into the quarter-finals.''

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Pepe: Real couldn't break Liverpool's defence

Real Madrid’s Portuguese international Pepe was understandably disappointed with his side’s 1-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool, but insists the Spaniards can overturn the deficit in the second leg at Anfield.

Pepe’s men were held at bay with relative ease by the English team, who controlled large spells of the match at the Bernabeu before scoring an 82nd-minute winner through Yossi Benayoun, giving them a crucial advantage in the last-16 knockout tie.

“Logically, we are disappointed with this result as we let the match slip away because of a silly error from a set-piece,” Pepe told Goal.com.

“But throughout the entire game, the big mistake that we all made was that we couldn’t break down Liverpool’s defensive system. They had two lines of four in front of their goalkeeper at all times and that made it impossible for us.”

Looking ahead to return leg in England in 12 days, the former Porto stopper said: “We will go to Anfield with the mentality that we can overturn this tie. We are going there with the kind of winning spirit that has always characterised Real Madrid.

“It’s very unpleasant to take a 1-0 deficit there but we are going to do everything to make it up to our fans. It is necessary to have faith that we can achieve it.”

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Torres out for few games again...

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is facing a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

The Spain international sustained the problem during the first half of Wednesday night's 1-0 UEFA Champions League victory away to Real Madrid.

Former Atletico ace Torres played on until the 61st minute of the first leg of the last 16 encounter, when he was replaced by Holland international Ryan Babel.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez expects his star forward to miss Saturday's Premier League trip to Middlesbrough and admits he could be a doubt for the home meeting with Sunderland on Tuesday

Liverpool have the chance to close the gap on league leaders Manchester United to just one point as the champions are not in action again until Wednesday when they travel to Newcastle.

But the Anfield outfit will have to cope without Torres, and Benitez is still unsure how long the striker faces on the sidelines.

The Liverpool boss said: "With Torres, we don't know. Probably, he will miss some games.

"We have one game in three days' time (at Middlesbrough) so it will be difficult for him to be ready."

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Kalou wants Arsenal move

Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou has said he would consider joining Arsenal at the end of the season after being told of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's apparent interest in him.

Speaking to Setanta after Chelsea's 1-0 first-leg, last-16 Champions League win over Juventus on Wednesday evening the 23-year-old revealed he was honoured to be linked with Arsenal before heaping praise on Wenger and his side's style of play.

''Wenger said he thought of signing me? That's an honour for me, an honour'', said Kalou. ''He is a very great coach and I know that every single player in the world dreams of playing for him. I have a lot of respect for him, he is one of the best coaches in the world so why not?

''I am still under contract with Chelsea but of course I have plenty of friends who play for Arsenal in Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue and Emmanuel Adebayor. They are achieving huge things at Arsenal and watching them play is just beautiful.''

Kalou's revelation could prove to be destablising for Chelsea who have attempted to distance themselves from reports of in-fighting and under interim boss Guus Hiddink have appeared a more unified squad.

With Joe Cole ruled out through injury Hiddink has started Kalou in both of his two games in charge of Chelsea, but a lack of first team football before the Dutch coach's arrival could tempt Kalou to consider his options in the summer.

''You are never guaranteed to be in the Chelsea starting XI. Every single player fights to earn his place, including me, and the coach is the one that has the final word.

''At the present time I'm happy at Chelsea and I hope that the things that I want to happen will happen. I will think of my future once the season is over,'' added Kalou.

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Official : Rafa denies quit reports

After steering Liverpool to a memorable 1-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg win over Real Madrid Rafael Benitez dismissed reports that he is planning to resign and insists he remains confident of progress in prolonged contract negotiations.

The build-up to Wednesday night's victory in the Bernabeu, sealed by a late Yossi Benayoun header to put the Reds in pole position to progress to the last eight, was marred by widespread reports that Benitez was poised to quit.

However, the Spaniard insists: ''I was very surprised to hear rumours that I was going to resign. I can assure you that I have not been considering such a move, and it was a shock to hear such suggestions.

''It needs to be clear that I was not thinking of resigning. My aim is to keep working and winning and to tell the owners that on the pitch.''

Benitez has been locked in talks with owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks over a new four-year deal for several weeks. And he strenuously refuted claims he was considering his position, reiterating he is happy at the club.

''My lawyers and advisors have been talking to the club's owners over the past few days about the contract and I believe that problems we have can be overcome. I expect talks to continue between my lawyers, my advisors, myself and the owners,'' added Benitez.

''I am really pleased with my position at the club, I have not been thinking about resigning. My aim is to win every game that is possible for this club, and my advisors will continue to talk. We will see what happens then. We are still talking, so we will see what happens in the future.

''I was not thinking about resigning, obviously I cannot control other things that I could be fired, but I was just concentrating on the game. The club has made it clear this rumour was not true. That is important for everyone.

''Stability is the key if you want to be successful. And the players were able to do their talking on the pitch, not beforehand.''

It is believed that Benitez is hoping to gain more autonomy over club business, particularly transfer, from chief executive Ricky Parry and this has led to fractious relationship between the two.

Problems between manager and chief executive have been exacerbated by each taking a different side in the civil war between Liverpool's US co-owners; Parry is aligned with Gillett and Benitez has sided with Hicks.

Hicks and Gillett have clashed over the running of the club and the current economic climate is thought to have added further strain, but at present an uncomfortable truce appears to have taken hold as they try to steady the club.

Benitez was thrilled with the victory which gives him the opportunity to lead Liverpool to the Champions League quarter-final for the fourth time in five seasons.

''This was a very important victory,'' he said. ''Particularly as we did not have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres was troubled by an ankle injury from the first minute.

''But we were able to play them on the counter-attack. We knew how Real play and we were able to organise our tactics accordingly.''

Benitez expects Torres to miss Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough with his ankle injury, but believes Gerrard could start the game following the hamstring injury that restricted his involvement against Real to the last few minutes.

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Warning to Mourinho

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo insists they are good, but will get even better.

The Red Devils only managed a goalless draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League at the San Siro last night.

But Portuguese winger Ronaldo has warned Inter boss Jose Mourinho that the best is still to come from United.

He said: “We played better than Inter in my opinion.
“We created more chances, especially in the first half. But we didn’t score.
“We have the second leg at home. We have a better chance than here.
“I know here is always difficult to play but we’ve shown we are a great team and we deserved to win.”

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Madrid beaten on their own turf

Rafael Benitez masterminded another magnificent European away triumph as Liverpool confounded the odds with a stunning 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.

Whatever the Liverpool manager's future is after months of rumours, he did his cause no harm at all thanks to Yossi Benayoun's headed winner.

Benitez has coached Liverpool to remarkable performances away to Juventus, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Chelsea in recent seasons in the Champions League, but this was by far the most impressive.

Real have been rampant of late and unbeaten this year, but Liverpool dug deep and Benayoun headed the late winner to give his side every chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Despite days of intensive treatment, Steven Gerrard did not make the starting XI, the midfielder initially left on the bench.

It meant Jamie Carragher captained the side with Benayoun on the right of midfield and Dirk Kuyt pushed forward in support of Fernando Torres.

Gerrard's absence was a bad blow but confirmed how Benitez would play the first leg. Contained defence, a combative and mobile midfield and hard running were the order of the day.

In the opening exchanges there was a calmness about Liverpool in this intimidating arena, five tiers of fervent passion pouring down in support of Real.

They defended with discipline and long before the break Real were trying their luck from distance.

The Spanish champions, who had scored 10 goals in their last two games, still had their moments.

Arjen Robben's pass gave Raul the chance of a shot on the turn held by Jose Reina, while Brazilian Marcelo also tested the goalkeeper.

And it took a fine saving tackle by Carragher on Gonzalo Higuain to snuff out another dangerous moment.

But the longer the game went on, the more Liverpool seemed in control defensively.

It also saw them coming out on the break and Torres should have done better after 20 minutes as he was allowed to run onto a Reina long clearance, but Iker Casillas palmed away a shot across the face of the goal.

Casillas then got a firm block on Benayoun close-range shot as Liverpool sought to snatch something from a period of growing confidence.

Higuain thought he had scored with a close-range header, only to be rightly penalised for offside, before Marcelo and Robben, twice, tried their luck unsuccessfully from outside the box.

Real had most of the possession but it was Spanish international Xabi Alonso who almost broke the deadlock with an audacious shot from inside his own half.

The midfielder is famous for such effrontery, once scoring a similar goal at Luton, but this time Casillas had to scramble back to touch the effort over the bar.

Madrid sent on Guti for Marcelo at the break, with Fabio Cannavaro booked for a foul on Dirk Kuyt soon after the restart.

Liverpool had not allowed Real to indulge themselves with the expansive game that has swept so many aside of late. Javier Mascherano's snap and drive in midfield was the yardstick for others to follow.

Torres, kept under close control by Cannavaro, was booked for a swipe at Lassana Diarra's ankles, the game now stretched as both sides searched for the vital breakthrough.

Benitez, never one to be bothered about reputations, then replaced a disappointing Torres with Ryan Babel after 62 minutes, to predictable derision from the home fans at the former Atletico Madrid man.

Mascherano was next into the book for a foul on Fernando Gago, Reina yet to have a serious shot to save in the half.

That was to come after 70 minutes when Reina touched over a dipping drive from Robben, Madrid starting to show more urgency as the minutes ticked away.

However, Liverpool were still comfortable and things got even better with eight minutes left.

Gabriel Heinze's foul on Kuyt gave Fabio Aurelio the opportunity to curl in a free-kick that Benayoun headed past Casillas from six yards.

Benayoun was engulfed by his jubilant team-mates and way up above them, 3,000 Liverpool fans erupted.

Albert Riera was booked, and then taken off injured, allowing Gerrard into the fray with three minutes left and Lucas replaced Kuyt in the final seconds, the game now won.

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Drogba puts chelsea in the driving seat at the bridge

Didier Drogba rekindled Chelsea's Champions League ambitions with a first-half matchwinner as Juventus were beaten 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

It gives Guus Hiddink's side a slender advantage ahead of their last-16 second leg in Turin in a fortnight.

Drogba, his season hampered by injury, suspension and a fallout with axed coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, looked back to his predatory best when he took a pass from Salomon Kalou and despatched the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon in the 12th minute.

Former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri, now in charge of Juve, was given a warm reception by the home fans before the game.

Ranieri is still held in high esteem by Chelsea fans even though he failed to win a single trophy during his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.

Ranieri's welcome was reciprocated by the home fans for their new interim coach Guus Hiddink moments later.

Hiddink was taking charge of a Chelsea side at home for the first time since his temporary appointment.

It was the English side who made the first inroads towards goal with Jose Bosingwa forcing Gianluigi Buffon into a save with a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the fourth minute.

Four minutes later Drogba almost opened the scoring when he got ahead of his marker to turn a cross from Bosingwa just over the crossbar.

But the Ivorian put the home side in front in the 12th minute when a superb through ball from Salomon Kalou provided him with a clear-cut shooting opportunity and Drogba supplied the required finish in style.

It was the perfect start for the English side although Juventus claimed Drogba was offside before he fired the ball home from 10 yards.

In the 15th minute, Drogba should have made it two when he met a corner from Frank Lampard inside the six-yard box.

But the Ivorian inexplicably headed the ball wide of Buffon's right-hand upright.

It required a fine save from Petr Cech to preserve Chelsea's lead in the 21st minute, when Alessandro Del Piero tried to find the corner with an angled drive that was tipped round the post.

Juventus were enjoying their best spell of the game with Del Piero always a threat.

In the 31st minute, Ashley Cole saw a 30-yard shot deflected wide of the target with Buffon flatfooted.

The Serie A side were struggling to match Chelsea's determination and the English team's passion was underlined by two bone-crunching tackles from John Terry in space of a few seconds.

The second one left Mohamed Sissoko requiring treatment before being classed as able to resume his duties.

In the 41st minute, Pavel Nedved tested Cech with a 20-yard low drive that the Chelsea goalkeeper dealt with adequately enough.

Juventus were finding it hard to cope with the physical side of the game and Mauro Camoranesi also required lengthy treatment before continuing.

Two minutes before the interval a handball by Drogba gave Del Piero the chance to level the scores but his free-kick was hit straight at Cole.

It could have been worse for the visitors had Kalou not slipped as he tried to get on the end of Cech's long clearance.

Chelsea continued their high tempo at the start of the second half.

Some fine work by Lampard on the edge of the penalty area culminated in a shot from Michael Ballack that was wide of the target.

An away goal would have tipped the tie in favour of the Italians and Nedved again tried to outwit Cech with a long-range effort but the Chelsea keeper was at his most alert to deal with the threat.

Drogba, a constant threat, almost scored his second of the night when he got ahead of Nicola Legrottaglie to head a cross from Bosingwa just wide.

In the 50th minute Juventus lost the services of Camoranesi with a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Marco Marchionni.

Moments later John Mikel Obi was the recipient of a bad challenge by Cristian Molinaro and the Juve player was justifiably booked.

Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty when Drogba was brought down by Legrottaglie in the 53rd minute but Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca rejected their appeals.

It was all Chelsea now with a sustained spell of pressure ending in a 20-yard shot by Lampard straight at Buffon's midriff.

In the 57th minute, Ballack was yellow-carded for a foul on Nedved.

Cech was in trouble with a free-kick from Del Piero in the 59th minute. The Czech Republic international twice failed to gather the ball before it was eventually cleared by Terry.

Marchionni then gave Cech a scare with an angled 25-yard drive that flashed just over the bar. Juventus piled on the pressure as the game entered the last 15 minutes but Chelsea's rearguard admirably stuck to its task.

Indeed, they prevented the Italian side from engineering a clear-cut chance despite having the lion's share of possession in the closing stages.

But it was Anelka who almost gave Chelsea the cushion of a second goal when his 20-yard effort flashed inches wide of an upright in the 87th minute.

Nedved was wide by a similar margin in stoppage time but Chelsea held on for a deserved victory.

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Sporting Lisbon 0 - 5 Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich took a big step towards a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as Franck Ribery inspired them to a 5-0 thrashing of Sporting in the first leg of their last 16 tie in Portugal on Wednesday.

Bayern came into the match following a home defeat against Cologne in the Bundesliga, but were a team transformed here, scoring goals from almost all of their chances.
"The result is positive for us as it opens the road to the quarter-finals," Bayern manager Jurgen Klinnsmann said.

"It is positive, especially since the last games did not go that well for us, but we cannot become overly enthusiastic and must prepare calmly for the match on Sunday against Werder Bremen," he added.

Sporting made history by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, but will not recall this baptism fondly.

"The feeling is one of frustration. It's not normal to lose with this type of result in this phase of the Champions League" said Sporting manager Paulo Bento.
He added that Sporting had been the better team in the first half, but became "disorganised in the second half and let the more experienced and mature Bayern take control of the game".

The Portuguese team created the first chance of the match after 11 minutes with Anderson Polga's shot cleared off the line by Martin Demichelis, but Bayern responded moments later with Ribery shooting wide.

The Frenchman did not waste his next chance, stealing the ball in Bayern's half, beating three defenders and scoring from inside the Sporting box on 42 minutes.
Sporting were unable to put Bayern under pressure at the start of the second half, and Miroslav Klose doubled the lead on 57 minutes from an assist by Luca Toni.
Ribery scored his second goal on 63 minutes, converting a penalty after a foul by Fabio Rochemback on Philipp Lahm, and and was also involved in Bayern's fourth, crossing from the left wing for Toni to head in.

The Italian completed the scoring in the 90th minute from close range after some poor defending by Sporting.
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Villarreal 1 - 1 Panathinaikos

Panathinaikos gave themselves an excellent chance of qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals by scoring a vital away goal in the first leg of their last-16 clash with Villarreal.

Giorgos Karagounis gave the Greek side the lead midway through the second half in Spain and although Guiseppe Rossi equalised with a penalty seven minutes later, Henk Ten Cate's men will fancy their chances of going through when the teams meet in Athens in a fortnight.

Playing in the knockout rounds for the first time in seven years following three consecutive wins in the group stage, Panathinaikos had few chances but stifled Villarreal, who squandered a number of opportunities, particularly in the first half.

The hosts were the first to threaten when Angel Lopez latched on to Marcos Senna's raking cross-field ball, cut inside and shot from the right corner of the box but Mario Galinovic was equal to it, saving well with his legs.

The visitors made their first real foray forward in the 10th minute but Evangelos Mantzios was just caught offside chasing a clever ball from Gilberto Silva.

Mantzios then blasted over the crossbar from a corner and at the other end Rossi fired a free-kick straight at Galinovic.

As Villarreal began to dominate, a neat exchange between Senna and Rossi created an opportunity for the latter in the 20th minute but Giannis Goumas made a superb last-ditch tackle to deny the striker the chance to shoot.

Karagounis made his first contribution midway through the half when his 20-yard strike was comfortably held by Diego Lopez, but Villarreal quickly responded with another chance for Rossi, who was again thwarted by Galinovic.

The hosts could have gone behind just after the half-hour mark when Diego Lopez, in catching a Karagounis free-kick, stepped back over his goal line but although television replays suggested the ball may have gone over, the referee waved play on.

Villarreal continued to have the upper hand after half-time but could not break the deadlock, Rossi mistiming a header which looped straight to Galinovic.

That chance summed up the lack of quality on show at El Madrigal and neither team produced anything to suggest they will go beyond the next round.

Panathinaikos injected a much-needed spark into the match in the 59th minute when Karagounis burst through from a counter-attack and unleashed a rasping right-footed shot into the top left corner.

Galvanised by the goal, the visitors almost doubled the lead when Mantzios flummoxed the Villarreal defence with some neat skill and a fierce shot but Diego Lopez turned away his effort.

The Yellow Submarine were soon level though, the instrumental Rossi firing home from the spot in the 66th minute after he was fouled by Jakub Wawrzyniak.

Substitute Robert Pires provided some flair as Villarreal pressed for a winner but he, Rossi and Senna were all denied in the closing stages.

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Gerrard will be warming on the sidelines

Steven Gerrard has been named on the Liverpool bench for tonight's Champions League second round clash with Real Madrid.

Xabi Alonso returns to the Reds XI after suspension, while Dirk Kuyt partners Fernando Torres up front.

Rafa Benitez's team in full is: Reina, Aurelio, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Riera, Benayoun, Alonso, Mascherano, Torres, Kuyt. Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Gerrard, Lucas, Babel, Ngog.

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Benitez not going any where

Liverpool have denied rumours that Rafael Benitez is on the brink of leaving the club.

Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's top bookmakers suspended betting on Rafael Benitez's future at the club after huge sums of money were placed on him being the next Premier League manager to lose his job.

But Liverpool have now come out and insisted the stores are "ridiculous" and Benitez was going nowhere. It had even been claimed the manager could be ousted before the trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

A source close to the club said: "Rafa is not going to be sacked, such suggestions are ridiculous.

"We are aware of the rumours and speculation that has been buzzing around in Madrid but it is just not true.

"This has not bothered the manager or the team. Everything we have done since we arrived in Madrid has been spot on.

"Nobody has even mentioned this and we are surprised that such suggestions have been raised. Rafa Benitez is not about to be sacked by Liverpool.''

Both Skybet and William Hill had taken large sums of money on the Spanish manager to depart since Tuesday evening forcing them to stop taking bets.
William Hill reported that they were forced to drop the odds on Benitez being the next Premier League manager to leave his job, either sacked or through resignation, from 20/1 into even money before they suspended the market. And Skybet saw a flurry of bets on Benitez not to be at Anfield at the start of the 2009-10 season before reinstating that market at odds of 1/4.
The odds on former boss Kenny Dalglish returning as their next manager have been shortened to 3/1.
Fans may question the timing with Liverpool at the Bernabeu. Real have been strongly linked with Benitez for some time and with his Anfield contract wrangle no nearer a conclusion the rumours are sure to intensify.
Benitez has been in discussions over a new contract on Merseyside for months but has failed to reach an agreement with his current deal running out next summer. It was reported at the weekend that the 48-year-old has rejected four separate drafts of the contract.
Benitez dodged questions about his future during Tuesday's press conference in Madrid.
The main sticking points have surrounded control of transfers and the club's Academy, with Benitez wanting full responsibility for the direction the club is taking.
It appears owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are reluctant to rubber stamp a move which would marginalise the position of chief executive Rick Parry.
Benitez is a hugely popular figure among Liverpool fans and his departure would cause great anger, no matter what the circumstances, though at present there is no concrete evidence that Benitez will walk away from Anfield.

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Liverpool's Madrid Training Session Pictures

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Torres desperate to score against old rivals

NO sooner had Fernando Torres stepped on to the tarmac at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport yesterday, he was surrounded by a swarm of yellow-bibbed runway workers brandishing pens and paper, eager for an autograph.

But while clearly still regarded with great affection by many in the Spanish capital, the Liverpool striker can expect a more frosty reception when he steps out at the Bernabeu this evening.

His match-winning strike in the Euro 2008 final against Germany last summer may have earned Torres the adoration of the entire country.

However, Madrilenian pride means the forward will be public enemy number one to home supporters when Real Madrid host Liverpool in tonight’s blockbusting Champions League first knockout round first leg tie.

Torres, of course, forged his reputation at Real’s city rivals Atletico Madrid, with no love lost between the bitter neighbours.

And despite changing club, country and cultures, the striker once again finds the Bernabeu outfit standing in his way of glory.

Injury deprived Torres of the chance to play in either group game against his former club earlier in the competition.

But now free of the hamstring problems that have hampered his campaign, the 24-year-old believes he is playing for two sets of supporters tonight.

“I have no feelings for Real Madrid,” says Torres. “I played for Atletico, so know that if Liverpool beat Real, it will make lots of Atletico fans happy as well.

“Those games against Atletico in the group stage were very important and I was so disappointed to miss out through injury.

“I was looking forward to the reception but wasn’t even allowed to travel to the Vicente Calderon.

“It was very frustrating for me not to be able to play in either game, but afterwards it was great for me to see the Atletico and Liverpool fans changing shirts and scarves and singing together.

“They were two fantastic days for the fans in Liverpool and Madrid.

“I couldn’t celebrate if I had scored against Atletico. I would have shown respect for my former club where I spent 12 years, the club that helped me become the person I am today. But if I score against Real Madrid, I will celebrate for sure.”

Torres is all too aware of the difficulty in overcoming Real, having never been on the winning side or even scored at the Bernabeu during his time at Atletico.

Indeed, the striker scored only once in a Madrid derby, and has yet to find the net in Europe this season after scoring six times in 11 games during Liverpool’s run to the semi-finals last year.

“It would be great for me to get my first goals in Europe this season against Madrid,” says Torres. “I feel confidence is coming back at the right time and I am sure the goals will follow.

“When I played in Madrid derbies for Atletico we were often the underdogs so it was always very special if we could beat Madrid.

“For the last 12 years or so Atletico have rarely beaten Madrid, it’s been a very long time. It’s always been a very difficult game to beat Madrid.

“When the draw was made, Real were not in their best moment but have improved recently. They are one of the biggest clubs in the world and we have to be aware of that.”

Under the guidance of interim coach Juande Ramos, Real have won nine consecutive games and thrashed Real Betis 6-1 at home in their last outing on Saturday.

The Spanish giants have scored 22 goals and conceded just twice in that period, compared to the 37 goals they leaked during their first 19 games of the campaign.

Tonight represents Liverpool’s first-ever visit to the Bernabeu for a competitive fixture. And while Torres believes the travelling supporters will be impressed by the stadium, the atmosphere pales in contrast to that of Anfield, which hosts the return game on March 10.

“To play in the second leg at Anfield, which is such a magical stadium for us in the Champions League, could be an advantage, especially if we get a good result at the Bernabeu,” says the striker.

“There’s nothing like playing at Anfield. I don’t think there is a ground in the world like Anfield – certainly not the Bernabeu. Liverpool fans will be impressed with the Bernabeu because it is a great stadium but the atmosphere won’t be anything like Anfield.

“It was the same at Atletico. That was a special club with a special feeling and Liverpool is even more so. It will be a close game but it is good that we play at Anfield second. We will have a better atmosphere and it is the small details that will decide this tie.

“Real Madrid will not like playing us because over two games we are very difficult to beat. We are one of the hardest sides to beat in ties like this.”

For Torres, tonight’s game also provides an opportunity, should it really be necessary, to emphatically prove his credentials to those doubters that remain in his home country.

“If you don’t play for Barca or Real in Spain then people just don’t rate you as highly,” he says. “Now I’ve moved to England I still think there’s some of that. I still think some people look at me like an Atleti.

“But maybe now because I am not a rival there’s a bit more affection for me. Moving to Liverpool has given me that chance to show I’ve arrived.”

A debut Bernabeu goal this evening would underline that fact.

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Carra on Raul and about gerrard injury

Jamie Carragher says Liverpool can win in Spain even if Steven Gerrard fails to overcome his hamstring problem ahead of the Real Madrid game.

A late decision will be made on Gerrard's fitness to figure in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg clash.

Carragher said: "We can get a good result without Steven. We have done it in the past, he is a great player - one of the best in the world - and we hope he will be fit.

"But when we won the trophy in 2005 there were plenty of games when Steven didn't play. Obviously we are a better side when he plays, and hopefully he will be playing."

Carragher was in buoyant mood despite Liverpool's perilous position in the domestic title race with Manchester United seven points clear at the top of the Premier League - and he is looking forward to playing in the Bernabeu.

He said: "It is fantastic to be here, I get very excited about ties like this because you want to experience playing in the big stadiums. We have never played here so a lot of us were really pleased with the draw.

"This is against the team who are probably the biggest in European football, and Liverpool are proud that we are up there alongside AC Milan and Real as the three most successful teams in Europe.

"For two of those teams to be pitted against each other in the Champions League shows now how big this game is.

"There's 14 European Cups won between us, and hopefully we can make it six for us this season."

As for the chances of winning in Europe and in the Premier League, Carragher said: "We have to still believe we can win both competitions.

"They are both important to Liverpool and we know we have dropped another couple of points behind Manchester United, but there are more than 30 points still to play for so anything can still happen.

"We will never give up until it is mathematically impossible, but for now we are putting all that behind us to concentrate on beating Real Madrid.

"But it will be a pleasure to be on the same pitch as Raul, a true legend at this club. There have been times when people have been writing him off, but he has shown great character to continue to prove them wrong.

"There have been so many big name players at Madrid for big money, and he is still around, still scoring the goals to break club records like he has just achieved.

"He is similar to Steven Gerrard. When you think of Real Madrid you think of Raul. When you think of Liverpool you think of Steven.

"Their good current form could be a boost to their confidence, but let's wait and see what happens on the pitch."

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Raul : Torres is worlds best

Real Madrid talisman and Champions League record goal scorer, Raul, believes moving to Liverpool has given Fernando Torres the chance to become the best striker in the world as the two Spaniards prepare to meet at the Bernabeu.

Raul, who is Real’s all-time top scorer with 309, also holds that accolade for the Spanish national team, and as such is better placed than most to assess the quality of his young compatriot.

“He will go as far as he wants to go,” says Raul. “It depends on how much he pushes himself and I think he is the kind of player that pushes himself to the absolute limit.

“He is a striker with a tremendous amount of power and pace. An aggressive centre-forward who hits the ball very hard, who is superb in the air and is very capable of getting away from defenders.

“He was third in the Fifa World Player which shows you what national team coaches and captains think of him. He scored over 30 goals last season, something that is beyond most strikers. And on top of all that he is still very young and yet already with so much experience.”

The pair were on opposite sides in many Madrid derbies, when Torres played for Atletico.

However, for all his talents, the Liverpool forward is still to break his Bernabeu duck, something Raul is wary of happening tonight when two of the most famous names in European football meet for the first leg of their first knockout round of this year’s Champions League.

“He is now in a team where he is fulfilling his potential,” Raul told the Independent. “He feels important at the club but there are other big players there too, to share the burden.”

“That run without a goal [against Real] came in very different circumstances. They were derby games with a lot of tension and a lot of pressure on him. It was too much. Now the load is much lighter.”

The load to be carried by a visiting forward to the Bernabeu these days is heavier than even a few months ago.

The Spanish champions have conceded just two goals in their last nine games, an improvement on their early season form that Raul credits with the arrival of former Tottenham manager Juande Ramos.

“At the start of the season we let in a lot of goals. We suffered a lot. Since Juande’s arrival the team looks much more solid and we can still improve – we have only been together under him for two months.”

In England Ramos might well be remembered as a failure, but in his homeland he is anything but, having guided Sevilla to European glory and now, incredibly, having revived the Spanish title race - since he arrived Real’s record is better than domestic and European champions elect Barcelona.

“When Juande arrived [at Tottenham] the team improved drastically in a very short space of time. Then the club sold two strikers. Robbie Keane and Berbatov were very important for a team like Tottenham,” said Raul.

“Juande’s career record is there for all to see. For what he achieved at Seville [five trophies in two years] and for those first few months at Tottenham – if he had had the players that he wanted then perhaps the club would have been in another position.”

“It’s going to be a very tactical encounter because [Rafael] Benitez will have studied every last detail and Juande is very similar,” he says. “He is someone who studies the opposition and he knows Liverpool from his time in England.

“When he was at Tottenham they played against them and practically every week we are seeing Liverpool’s matches on TV. There will not be any big surprises. These games will be decided by the smallest of details.”

One detail occupying Liverpool fans’ minds today is that of Steven Gerrard’s fitness. And for Raul and his team-mates, too, whether the Liverpool captain, who is included in the squad despite recently recovering from a hamstring injury, plays or not is of key significance.

“He is one of the best players in the world,” says Raul. “He has so much quality and he knows how to help his team-mates. I’ve seen a lot of games where it has been him who has won difficult matches for them by making or scoring the all-important goal. He is a fantastic player.”

“Gerrard is the soul of that team. He is Liverpool. It is very difficult to think about Liverpool without him in the side, or to think of Gerrard in another team.”

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Decider at the theatre of dreams

Sir Alex Ferguson will have to do something he has managed just once in 13 meetings and defeat Jose Mourinho after a masterful Manchester United display went unrewarded after a goalless draw in the San Siro.

Despite a succession of clear chances, including one in the last seconds that Cristiano Ronaldo cannoned into Julio Cesar's chest, a vital away goal would not come.

So while Sir Alex Ferguson's men will be confident of getting a goal in the second leg at Old Trafford, they remain vulnerable to Mourinho's guile.

It was expected a meeting between the undisputed kings of Italy and England would be a keenly-fought affair with little give on either side.

In fact the first half turned out to be a landslide in every respect but the scoreboard.

The sheer speed of United's movement caught Inter napping almost as much as Ferguson's decision to leave Wayne Rooney on the bench.

Their swift snappy passing, allied to movement off the ball gave Inter a problem they struggled to solve. Indeed, they would not have managed it without an outstanding individual performance from Julio Cesar.

Brazilian goalkeepers may have been derided down the years but no-one was complaining among a noisy and increasingly agitated home contingent as Cesar made a string of saves to keep United at bay.

Ryan Giggs was denied at one point but the main victim was Ronaldo, who took aim with a series of free-kicks and found the Brazilian in the way every time, sometimes theatrically but always effectively.

Ronaldo did beat him once with a point-blank header but it flashed wide.

The world player of the year was a conclusive winner of his head-to-head duel with Zlatan Ibrahimovic though.

Mourinho rates the Swede as number one on the planet right now but there was precious little evidence to back up such a lofty claim as United's defence, reinforced by John O'Shea and Jonny Evans - who both overcame fitness concerns to start - kept him at bay, with Adriano virtually non-existent.

The major worry, especially with a coach as wily as Mourinho in the opposing dug-out, must be United's failure to score.

It was not as though they lacked the opportunity. Lone striker Dimitar Berbatov surged clear in the box at one point, only to look up and see no-one in support as he prepared to cross.

Inter's frustrations were summed up just before the break when Cesar's deputy, Francesco Toldo, was booked for protesting on the touchline at another decision that had gone against his team.

Ferguson must have sensed Inter would finally flex their muscles after the break, and so it proved.

Adriano had already flashed one shot wide when he crashed to the turf under Ferdinand's challenge as Javier Zanetti crossed.

The Brazilian screamed for a penalty but TV replays suggested Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo was right to say no.

But Inter tails were up and Stankovic was narrowly wide with another shot before attempting to release Ibrahimovic, who had strayed narrowly offside when otherwise he would have been clear.

United were not quite clinging on as their opponents had been earlier. However, they were being tested and it took them some time to regain their earlier composure.

Their goal threat had become sporadic with Zanetti's far-post clearance to prevent Giggs reaching Ronaldo's low cross the summit of United's danger until the veteran Welshman was allowed to gallop into the Inter box, where his shot was blocked by Ivan Cordoba and Carrick fired the rebound over.

After seeing Cordoba fail to make the most of a Mario Balotelli corner, Ferguson gave Rooney seven minutes to make a difference, and was no doubt not meaning for Rooney to pick up a booking for a foul on Stankovic.

However, it was a peripheral moment, with Ronaldo taking centre stage one last time to unleash another 20-yard thunderbolt. Cesar remained defiant and saved with his chest.

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Arsenal will travel to Rome with just one goal lead

Arsenal will take a slender 1-0 advantage over Roma to the Olympic Stadium after Robin van Persie's penalty gave them victory in the first leg of their Champions League, last 16 tie on Tuesday.

The livewrire Dutchman was bundled over by French defender Philippe Mexes after 37 minutes and got up to smash a low spot kick past keeper Doni.
Roma, knocked out of the competition for the last two seasons by Manchester United, had a handful of chances to pocket an away goal, but Arsenal should have built a bigger lead for the return leg.
Nicklas Bendtner wasted their best chance shortly after halftime, blazing wastefully over the crossbar while Roma's best effort came from a John Arne Riise drive that shaved the post.

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Henry levels for Barcelona

Barcelona were reliant on, of all things, a Thierry Henry header to secure a 1-1 draw away to Lyon in a Champions League Last 16, first leg clash at Stade Gerland.

The Frenchman, renowned for his fleet of foot and not for his aerial acumen, dived in at the back post to secure a draw that Pep Guardiola's side deserved having rode out a first-half storm from the home team.

Aside from Henry's intervention with his head midway through the second half it was a match of relatively few surprises.

Juninho gave Lyon the lead with a free-kick, Victor Valdes was culpable for the goal.

Just as against Espanyol on Saturday, accusing fingers were being pointed at Barcelona's goalkeeper, this time just seven minutes in.

Juninho's free-kick from the left-hand side of the area that may have been intended as a cross sailed on and on until it was over the head of Barca's hapless keeper and Lyon were celebrating a lead.

The French champions could and should have doubled their lead immediately, but Karim Benzema scuffed his shot when he was in sight of the whites of Valdes's eyes.

Barca had their first sight of goal courtesy of Xavi, that most ardent adherent of Pythagoras' Theorem. From one of the midfielder's perfectly constructed triangles, Henry was slid through, only for the Frenchman to strike the face of the post.

Barca were typically dominating, if not yet enjoying in the truest sense of the verb, all of the possession, but it was Lyon's immediate route into the opposition area that was creating the biggest stir.

True, it helped that Barca call an accident waiting to happen their first-choice goalkeeper. After another flap from Valdes, Abdulkader Keita fluffed his kick.

Lyon had their own flirtation with the woodwork, Benzema turned on the edge of the area and fired in a shot to leave Valdes beaten once more but not, crucially, the keeper's left-hand post.

Barca are an enchanter. But if Jean-Alain Boumsong was occasionally susceptible to their spells, then his central defensive partner, Cris, was resisting manfully.

Lyon's bald-headed defender was but a spectator, though, as Sergio Busquets headed over after the impressive Dani Alves had swung a cross in from the right.

A chance-laden first half was not replicated during the opening stages of the second.

A deflected free-kick from Alves forced an improvised save from Hugo Lloris but opportunities were few and far between.

Juninho's delivery from set-pieces appeared Lyon's most likely avenue to a second goal but from a teased delivery in the 60th minute, Boumsong bundled the ball wide.

After Gerard Pique had forced a point-blank save from Lloris, the visitors' increasingly sustained and unanswerable attacks were rewarded with the game's equaliser in the 67th minute. Henry stooped at the back post to scored with a diving header after Rafael Marquez had flicked on a corner from Xavi.

Both teams concluded the match seemingly content with a draw which nevertheless favours La Liga's leaders.

But there is an ominous portent for Barcelona. Every time Juninho has scored in the first leg of a Champions League Last 16 tie for Lyon, the Frenchmen have gone on to progress to the next stage.

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Atletico held 2-2 at Vicente Calderon.

Prolific Porto striker Lisandro leveled twice as Atletico were held to a 2-2 draw in their Champions League first-leg tie at Vicente Calderon.

Atletico rode their luck for large chunks of this game due to some poor defending but they twice led through first half goals from Maxi Rodriguez and Diego Forlan but Lisandro cancelled out these deficits to setup a fascinating return leg in Portugal.

Unsurprisingly there was a frenetic start to this match containing teams from Spain and Portugal with Porto squandering a chance to put Atletico on the back foot in the opening minutes when Cristian Rodriguez saw his shot blocked from close range after a lively break from the visitors.

A goal at this stage could have had serious consequences for the ailing home side but Rodriquez’s miss was the prelude to the Spanish club claiming the lead after a sweeping move saw Aguero slip the ball into the path of Maxi Rodriguez to net at the far post in the third-minute.

It fell to Lisandro to wipe out the deficit when he unleashed a grubber from the edge of the penalty box following a dreadful mistimed Atletico header and goalkeeper Leo Franco could only apply a weak hand to the ball as it made its way past him in the 22nd-minute.

Mistakes of that nature are manner to heaven for this striker who took his tally to five goals in seven Champions League outings this season and Lisandro failed to add a sixth when he shot straight at the goalkeeper three minutes later.

Hulk was never green with rage but he did not have his shooting boots on as he squandered a guilt-edge chance after he raced through the Atletico rearguard only to then put his shot too close to Franco who saved with his left glove.

English referee Howard Webb tried to keep the play moving but when necessary he brandished yellow cards to keep a lid on the proceedings with Raul Garcia and Cristian Sapunaru both going into the notebook in the first half.

Helton then produced another goalkeeping howler to enter the mighty tome of European keeper blunders when Forlan cut in from the right and his shot went through the hands of the Brazilian like knife through butter and into an exposed goal to put Atletico back into an unlikely lead in the final minute of first half stoppage-time.

A curious two-minute spell on the resumption saw the unmarked Lisandro pull the trigger and send his shot over the crossbar from close range and this was followed by the home team withdrawing the classy Sergio Aguero for Florent Sinama-Pongolle in the 56th-minute.

Lisandro did make it six of the best for himself when he evaded his marker to slot home from close range following a determined run and low cross supplied by Florent Cissohko in the 72nd-minute to silence the home faithful.

Porto wound down the clock with two late substitutions which included the withdrawal of double-scorer Lisandro as the Portuguese side made sure they came away from the Spanish capital with a 2-2 draw to put them in a strong position for the return leg.

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Love for Chelsea

Chelsea are ready to launch a £15million bid for Brazilian International Vagner Love at Russian club CSKA Moscow in the summer, with the striker being lined up as a replacement for Didier Drogba, who is expected to leave the Premier league side at the end of the season.

30-year-old Drogba has been widely tipped to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer, with Inter Milan, who are coached by former Blues manager Jose Mourinho reportedly ready to reunite the Ivory Coast International with Mourinho at the San Siro.

Mourinho’s admiration of Drogba is well documented, with the Nerazzurii boss a big fan of the powerful striker, having signed the Ivorian for Chelsea in 2004 from Marseille.

Should Drogba leave the Premiership club for Serie A at the end of this campaign, then Chelsea are understood to be ready to offer CSKA £15million to lure 24-year-old Love away from the Luzhniki Stadium, with the Brazilian believed to be keen on a move to the Premier League.

The Blues along with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City had been linked with Love in January, while Everton were reportedly very close to landing the Brazilian striker on a season-long loan at Goodison Park last summer.

Love revealed recently that Spurs had an offer rejected by CSKA in January and the Brazilian also suggested that he will move on from the Russian club in the future, with England, Spain or Italy his preferred destinations.

Love said recently: “I received an offer from Tottenham, but our president rejected it because it was not sufficient according to him.

“The rest was speculation. I'm under contract until mid-2010 with CSKA.

“But I'm still thinking of playing for a top European league, in Spain, England or Italy. It will happen at the right time.”

With just a year remaining on the striker’s deal at CSKA in the summer, an offer in the region of £15million is understood to be enough to secure the signature of Love, with the Russian club likely to cash in rather than risk losing a large transfer fee for the Brazilian.

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