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Leaders Abahani crashed to their first defeat in the Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League losing 3-1 to arch-rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club in a high-voltage encounter at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
   Under-pressure Moham-medan proved themselves as the nemesis of their rivals after they registered their second victory of the season. Earlier, Mohammedan unexpectedly defeated Abahani 2-1 in the Club Cup final.
   The Black and Whites were awestruck by players’ revolt on the eve of the match but relied on perfect teamwork to win the derby.
   The three rebels defenders Yamin and Chayan along with forward Habul however took to the field. Abahani paid the penalty for taking their opponents lightly from the beginning. After Mohammedan forwards pumped in three goals Abahani never regained the confidence and it was felt in the stands too when their supporters pelted stones and missiles to interrupt the match for 37 minutes.
   Mohammedan went ahead from the very first penalty corner in the 5th minute when Prince deflected a Chayan hit into the post.
   Yamin brought Abahani’s Indian forward Prakash Chalke down in the ninth minute and the umpire awarded a penalty. But star forward Jimmy overstepped to take the spot hit and the goal was disallowed.
   From very next counter-attack Shamim made it 2-0 for Mohammedan having beaten Abahani custodian Bappi with a delicate push who faltered to clear the ball.
   Prince again proved his efficiency in the 18th minute with a repeat act after Selim Khalid initiated the penalty corner and Biplob stopped it neatly before delivering it to Chayan who rolled the ball for Prince.
   In the second half Abahani never really threatened Mohammedan as they concentrated to keep the lead. Mohammedan have 13 points from six matches while Abahani 18 from seven outings.

Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar will appeal against a two-year drugs ban, his doctor said on Thursday, as a tribunal’s report showed the paceman took vitamins and herbal medicines without telling team staff.
   ‘Akhtar is devastated by the decision and he is definitely going to appeal against the ban,’ the controversial fast bowler’s personal doctor and close friend Tauseef Razzaq told AFP.
   A Pakistan Cricket Board tribunal banned Akhtar, 31, for two years and fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif, 23, for one on Wednesday after they tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.
   The punishment could end Akhtar’s incident-filled career, as he will be 33 years old when he takes the new ball again for Pakistan and is already prone to injuries.
   Enigmatic Akhtar – known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ after bowling the quickest delivery ever recorded in 2003 at just over 100 mph (161 kmh) – has refused to comment since the decision.
   But his doctor Razzaq said the bowler was consulting his lawyer about appealing to the high court against the ban as he felt the decision was unjust and career-threatening.’
   Razzaq said he and other medical counsel tried their best to convince the tribunal that Akhtar was innocent.
   ‘There are a number of examples where athletes were given the benefit of the doubt for using substances unknowingly and there are studies by renowned universities of the world on whose basis Akhtar should have been cleared,’ said Tauseef.
   Akhtar said last month that he had never ‘knowingly’ taken performance-enhancing drugs. He and Asif both waived their right to have their B samples tested before the tribunal handed down its verdict.
   Under International Cricket Council regulations no sanction is imposed for doping if the player is able to establish that he did not know or suspect he took a banned drug, the tribunal said in its report into the scandal.
   But the 19-page report also said that Akhtar took supplements, vitamins and herbal medicines on ‘general wisdom’ and never told the team staff and doctor about their use.
   ‘Akhtar told the tribunal he was taking vitamins T-BOMB II, Promax-50 and Viper’ obtained from a shop, from London and from friends, the report said.
   ‘Akhtar said that he had been taking them since 1999 on the basis of general wisdom based on his contacts with friends and others and that he had never consulted even his medical counsels.’
   The bowler also admitted he failed to tell coach Bob Woolmer, team physiotherapist Darryn Lifson or PCB medical adviser Sohail Saleem ‘because they have never asked him and none of them were banned items.’
   His medical counsel also said Akthar had been taking a herbal medicine called kushta, or tribulus terrestris, which he said was not banned, the report added.
   Akthar tested negative on two previous occasions in 2003 and 2004.
   He further said that he had never seen a World Anti-doping Agency list of banned substances or WADA’s Athlete Guide which PCB officials said were given to players prior to the England tour in August 2006.
   The report defended the lighter ban on Asif because he was a ‘relative newcomer’ who had never been tested previously and that there was some doubt that he had ever been given the list of banned drugs.
   Physio Lifson said Asif had stopped using a vitamin supplement bought locally ‘as soon as he was told to do so’, adding that Asif also had little understanding of English.
   The pair now have the right to appeal.

Hockey took a backseat at the Maulana Bhashani Stadium for 37 minutes on Thursday when agitated Abahani supporters created havoc during the crucial match against arch-rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club.
   The flashpoint occurred after Indian umpire Virender Singh cancelled out an Abahani goal in the 34th minute.
   Indian forward Prakash Chalke’s push entered the Mohammedan post hitting the leg of defender Yamin and Virender signaled for the goal.
   But it prompted Mohammedan players to question the ruling and so he consulted with the second umpire. No sooner had he changed his decision then all hell broke loose. Abahani supporters vandalised the stands and started pelting stones and missiles onto the turf. The match was delayed for 37 minutes as the mob cooled after the deployment of police in the stands.
   Virender’s gentle approach against the agitated players also added to the situation. Despite being pushed by Mohammedan’s Pakistani midfielder Khalid Salim he failed show any card.
   Also whenever the players were protesting any decisions he found it difficult to assert his authority and that proved fatal. Many times during the game players got involved in brawls and the official failed to act.
   ‘Probably I lost a little concentration and that caused the problem. I should have been more careful,’ said the Indian international umpire.
   Victorious Mohammedan skipper custodian Shakil claimed his team proved to be the better one on the day. ‘We were motivated to do our best against Abahani after the draw against Azad and the loss against Mariner. We hope to continue the tempo.’
   Abahani coach Mahbub Harun admitted his players were outplayed by his opponents. ‘We did not perform to the expected level. I don’t want to blame the umpire but canceling a goal after declaring it is not acceptable.’

Sri Lankan star wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara is expected to arrive in Dhaka today to play for holders Bexmico in the semi-finals of the GrameenPhone Corporate Cricket League, officials said on Thursday.
   Another Sri Lankan cricketer Upal Tharanga was supposed to fly with Sangakkara to play for Acme Laboratories, but for unknown reasons his trip has been cancelled at the eleventh hour.
   Instead of Tharanga, Indian all-rounder Sandeep Sharma will now play for Acme in the semis as an overseas player. However, Acme sources said they will try to bring Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik if they reach the final.
   Acme will take on Epyllion in the first semi-final on Saturday while Beximco will face Partex the following day. The final will take place on November 7. Both the semi-finals and the final will be held at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.
   Pakistani cricketer Jafar Kureishi will play for Partex in the only foreign quota while Epylliion are reportedly disinterested in roping in any overseas player for their semi-final match. It has been speculated that Pakistani all-rounder Yasir Arafat could join them should they reach the final.
   Meanwhile, Epyllion’s opponents in Saturday’s semi-final Acme suffered a big blow when their main batsman and national captain Habibul Bashar’s participation in the match became uncertain due to a viral flu.
   ‘At this moment he looks very weak. So I am not sure whether he will be able play on Saturday,’ said Acme coach Aminul Islam.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Thursday he felt the pain of bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif after they were banned for doping, adding that the team would badly miss their pace.
   ‘I can understand how the two were feeling and I am hurt myself over the incidents,’ said Inzamam—who is himself banned for four one-dayers for bringing the game into disrepute at the Oval Test in August.
   The doping scandal was the latest in a series of woes to befall Pakistan cricket.
   ‘Their absence will make a difference in our performance. Asif’s career had just taken off and both he and Akhtar were our main wicket-takers,’ added Inzamam.
   The veteran skipper said he was confident both players would appeal their bans, which threaten to dent Pakistan’s bid for the 2007 World Cup. Akhtar’s ban threatens the 31-year-old’s career.
   But he added that their absence would be felt much sooner than that.
   ‘Even our series against the West Indies will become tough without them,’ said Inzamam, referring to Pakistan’s three-match Test and five-match one day international home series starting later this month.
   Burly Inzamam will miss the first of the one-dayers as he completes the ban imposed last month by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the fiasco at the Oval.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting was delighted after his team defeated New Zealand on Wednesday to reach their maiden Champions Trophy final on their third attempt.
   ‘It is very pleasing,’ a beaming Ponting told reporters after the 34-run victory. We were looking forward to it for quite a while. To make it to the final is a breakthrough for all of us.’
   The Champions Trophy, the second most important one-day tournament, is the only major title to elude Australia.
   They scored 240 for nine on a lively Mohali pitch and then bowled out a fighting New Zealand for 206 after fast bowler Glenn McGrath’s triple strikes reduced them to 35-6.
   ‘It was a defendable total,’ Ponting said. ‘We felt the ball would do a bit at the start of their innings and it did. Someone like Glenn, Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken did the job and won us the game.’
   Lee and Bracken took two wickets apiece.
   The 36-year-old McGrath won the man-of-the-match award for his three for 22 to serve a warning to England before the Ashes series starting later this month.
   McGrath said he felt he was touching peak form after a break from the game.
   ‘I still have a little way to go,’ he said. ‘By playing in this series, I have put a piece of the puzzle together. We’ll hopefully have a good game on Sunday (the final) and then go to Australia. I shouldn’t be too far away from being 100 percent.’
   Ponting said Australia were never in danger of losing despite a brilliant fightback led by the New Zealand seventh wicket pair of Daniel Vettori (79) and Jacob Oram (43).
   ‘It was always going to be a miracle if they won the game from where they were,’ he said. ‘But they fought all the way and that is what you expect of New Zealand.’
   He also praised Michael Clarke for his sportsmanship after an incident in the New Zealand innings.
   New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram cut left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken to point and Clarke dived forward to take what appeared to be an excellent catch.

Cricket Australia said Thursday it was unable to guarantee the format of the home triangular one-day international series would be retained beyond the 2007-08 summer season.
   This season’s annual tri-series involves Australia, England and New Zealand, but the tournament format has been criticised for being too long and suffers in popularity when the home side is not involved in the finals.
   There have been suggestions that Australia play both touring nations in separate one-day series, spread either side of the domestic Test matches.
   Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the organisation was assessing the format of the one-day series in conjunction with talks with broadcaster Channel Nine, and studying attendance figures.
   Sutherland was unable to say whether the same triangular format, a staple of Australian summers since the late Kerry Packer introduced the concept in 1979-80, would be kept for the 2008-09 season.
   CA is locked in to host a tri-series in 2007-08, meaning the earliest a change could be made would be for the 2008-09 season.
   India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour Australia in 2007-08, and the matches between those sides will reap the CA millions of dollars in broadcast rights from the cricket-infatuated subcontinent.
   ‘What we’ve said before is that we continue to look at ways in which our traditional programme – and not just one-day international cricket but Test cricket and Twenty-20 cricket – can evolve and change so we can satisfy our customers’ needs,’ Sutherland told reporters Thursday.
   ‘That’s what really is important to us, that cricket fans continue to get content in the appropriate format.
   ‘In terms of how that might look in the future, who knows?’

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming expects Australia to regain the Ashes from England provided their best players remain fit during the November-January cricket series.
   ‘The fact they’re missing a few players is going to be a key factor for me,’ Fleming was reported saying in Thursday’s Australian press from India.
   ‘They were able to hold their team pretty much all the way through that last series in England, and that’s massive value.
   ‘If they can get their players back and get them in form, it will even the ledger up.
   ‘But Australia are in the situation now where they’ve got most of their players to pick from and are looking at how to maintain that fitness over the next few months. If they do that, they will win the Ashes.’
   Fleming cited the Australian team’s willingness to dissect the problems that dogged their Ashes campaign last year and the team ‘boot camp’ in Queensland in August as signs Australia were hell-bent on reversing last year’s result.
   ‘Australia have obviously done a lot of thinking about what went wrong in England,’ Fleming said.

Cricket’s world governing body on Thursday welcomed Pakistan’s decision to ban fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif for drug abuse, saying it set a ‘fine precedent.’
   ‘I have read the judgement handed down by the PCB Anti-Doping Commission and feel I must commend the group for its work,’ International Cricket Council president Percy Sonn said in a statement here.
   ‘It is a good judgement, well written, very professionally done and they have made constant reference to the guidelines laid down in the PCB’s anti-doping code.
   ‘The PCB has done extremely well in handling this matter in such an efficient manner and its strong stand against doping is a fine precedent. From an ICC perspective it is very satisfactory.’
   ‘I would now urge all members not already engaged in their own testing regimes to adopt such a process as soon as possible so cricket can show just how committed it is to being known as a drug-free sport,’ he said.
   ‘It is a tragedy that the careers of two cricketers have been tarnished in this way but, at the same time, the judgement emphasises that cricket has a zero tolerance of drug use.’

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Thursday formed an organising committee for the upcoming twin series against Zimbabwe and Scotland with the adviser-in-charge of the ministry of youth and sports, CM Shafi Sami, as the chief patron. BCB president Ali Asghar was made the chairman of the committee that also included some other top officials and the representatives from different ministries.
   The BCB also formed 12 other committees for the series, due to begin later this month. Zimbabwe will arrive on November 23 to play five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match against the hosts. The series will be followed by a short trip of Scotland team.

Former Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan said on Thursday the ‘harsh’ bans handed to Pakistan’s two key pace bowlers had dealt a major blow to the team’s World Cup chances.
   ‘There has to be an example set for future generations as steroids are harmful and banned – but without knowing the details of the judgment I would say it’s a harsh decision,’ Khan told AFP from New Delhi.
   ‘Their ban will severely reduce Pakistan’s chances in next year’s World Cup in the West Indies,’ said former captain Khan, who led Pakistan to their only Cup win in 1992.
   All-rounder Khan is in the Indian capital for the Champions Trophy – the competition from which Akhtar, 31, and Asif, 23, were withdrawn on October 16 after the drugs claims surfaced.
   The bans were the first involving performance-enhancing drugs in international cricket. Akhtar’s ban was also the heaviest ever for a cricketer found guilty of taking drugs.
   The pair have the right to appeal for a review within seven days to the tribunal; to appeal against the ban to the PCB within the next 30 days; or to raise the ban in the Court of Arbitration of Sports in Switzerland.
   Pakistan’s chief selector Wasim Bari said the ban was ‘tragic’ for Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup.
   ‘Both Akhtar and Asif are experienced, wicket-taking bowlers and their absence means Pakistan will be without key strike bowlers,’ said Bari, also a previous Pakistan skipper.
   Former captain and coach Javed Miandad said the ban spelled an end to the mercurial career of Akhtar, who bowled the fastest delivery ever recorded in 2003.
   ‘Akhtar will find it very difficult to stage a comeback and two years will make a lot of difference to his bowling,’ said Miandad, who was replaced as coach by English-born Bob Woolmer in 2004.
   ‘But Asif is young and he can stage a comeback,’ added Miandad. Miandad urged the PCB to come up with a plan B for the World Cup in 2007 in the West Indies.
   ‘We need to have an emergency plan for the World Cup if we want good results,’ said Miandad, who was Pakistan’s best batsman in the 1992 World Cup.
   Akhtar’s former team-mate and captain from 2003-2004, Rashid Latif, asked why the two bowlers were handed different bans for the same offence.
   ‘It’s harsh to ban Akhtar for two years and I can’t say the tribunal’s decision is impartial. It is an attempt to end Akhtar’s career,’ said Latif. ‘When a penalty is imposed it should be equal for both offenders.’
   Popular all-rounder Shahid Afridi, a team-mate of the banned pair in the current Pakistan set-up, described the ban as disappointing.
   ‘We will definitely miss both Asif and Akhtar in the World Cup and Asif’s confidence will be hurt by this penalty. It is disappointing to hear the news,’ said Afridi.
   However, former Pakistan paceman Jalal-ud-din, who recorded the first-ever hat-trick in one-day cricket history in 1982, defended the bans.
   ‘The PCB was under pressure to take a strict decision or else the outside world would have criticised. I think players should appeal and get some relaxation,’ said Jalal.
   Newspapers in this cricket-obsessed nation of 150 million people splashed the scandal across their front pages on Thursday, a day after it wiped all other stories off private television news channels.
   ‘Dope-tainted Asif and Akhtar banned,’ screamed a headline in the premier English daily Dawn. ‘Doping ban bowls out Shoaib, Asif,’ said the Nation. The paper further added: ‘This indeed is a sad day in Pakistan cricket.’

While the PCB anti-doping commission took a strict stance against Shoaib Akhtar and slapped the enigmatic pacer a two-year ban, the three-member tribunal went soft on Mohammad Asif and the youngster has to thank his poor command over English for that.
   The commission, in its much-anticipated report, observed that it's not clear whether Asif, who was banned for one year, had been present at any lecture or session with regard to the Anti Doping Regulations or list of prohibited substances and there are also doubts if he was at all handed over the WADA 2006 list of prohibited substances and WADA Athlete Guide prior to the departure of the team for the England tour in August 2006.
   ‘We have ourselves noticed during the hearings that Mohammad Asif's command of English is limited and we are clear that he could not possibly have understood the WADA publications without someone helping him to understand their contents. No such guidance or counselling was provided. He has stated before us that he is unable to explain why his urine sample has tested positive for the nandrolone metabolite,’ the commission observed.
   ‘He was amongst those who gave his sample on the very first date of sample taking...and did not try and delay the sample taking,’ they said.
   Elsewhere, the commission sympathises with Asif and blamed the fiasco mostly on his ignorance and humble background.
   ‘When he was in UK in June 2006 along with the Pakistan Team he was given an injection for his elbow injury which did not work.
   ‘Thereafter, he received 2 more injections during his stay there.
   ‘After his return, he had been using nutritional supplements viz Promax-50. This was in the knowledge of the Team Physiotherapist Mr. Darryn Lifson who was also present when he was given the 3 injections in UK.
   ‘He lived in a village and was unaware of the effects of the injections and nutritional supplements that he had taken,’ the trio argued.
   The same commission, however, sounded harsh While handing out the ban order on Shoaib Akhtar, rubbishing the pacer's version that he could not suspect that he had been using prohibited substances.

Steven Gerrard concedes Liverpool’s current position of eighth in The Premiership is ‘a major disappointment’.
   The Reds have endured an inconsistent start to the season and have yet to win away from home in five league attempts.
   Rafa Benitez’s rotation policy has borne the brunt of any criticism, along with his decision to deploy his captain on the right of midfield. Gerrard has already insisted he has no qualms with his position, but the club’s own situation is causing him deep concern.
   ‘There’s no worse feeling for me than sitting on that team coach replaying a defeat in my head,’ said Gerrard.
   ‘Of late, away from home, I’m sick of getting on that bus and being upset.
   ‘It gets worse for me when I look at the top of the table and see who’s sitting up there. How can any Liverpool player be happy when Chelsea and United and Everton are all up there challenging in the top six?
   ‘No one is satisfied with the start we’ve made to the season in The Premiership and no one here at this football club is going to pretend that we’re happy with our position.
   ‘We’ve been satisfied with the start to our Champions League campaign and we’ve made progress in the Carling Cup, but this football club is always going to be judged on where we are in the league table.
   ‘And it’s not good enough. It’s as simple as that. Being in mid-table as we head into November is a major disappointment.’
   Hea has also conceded his performances of late for The Reds have not been up to scratch.
   Gerrard has conceded his displays have not been up to his usual high standard this term, but the 26-year-old has dispelled fears he is not fully focused on helping Liverpool.
   ‘I know I needed to look at my own performances and I know I need to play better,’ said Gerrard.
   ‘I needed to find my own form first, but as captain I have to help other players find their best form.
   ‘The only way this can happen is to take responsibility for yourself and your performances.
   ‘In terms of our league position, you have to realise you are not doing your job properly if Liverpool are in the position we are in.
   ‘I’ve heard it all, my body language isn’t right, there’s a problem and I am not happy at the club, I’ve got problems off the field, my head’s not in it.
   ‘I’m a professional footballer and the only thing on my mind when I’m playing is the game.
   ‘Walking away from Old Trafford for instance, having lost 2-0 to Manchester United and having let the supporters and ourselves down while watching United celebrate hurt me.’

France’s 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning striker Thierry Henry warned Arsenal’s fans on Wednesday they will damage the Premiership club’s chance of success if they continue to get frustrated during tight matches.
   Sections of Gunners’ support showed their disappointment at Arsenal’s laboured 1-1 home draw against Everton on Saturday by jeering the team off the pitch at the end of the match.
   Arsenal captain Henry and several of his team-mates were subjected to ‘groans of frustration and cries of shoot’ after over-elaborating during several of the side’s attacks.
   But Henry is determined to ensure fans understand the dangers of being too critical because he knows the team’s hopes of winning either the Premiership or Champions League would be badly affected if they lose the support of the Emirates Stadium faithful.
   ‘There were times when we could hear the crowd getting frustrated, which I completely understand,’ said Henry.
   ‘But I just feel it would be better if we all stayed together, both when we are winning 4-0 and also when it doesn’t come off.
   ‘We were all frustrated on Saturday and, at the end of the game, if we haven’t got the result then fine, groan and complain then.
   ‘But it really doesn’t help groaning at the players when there is still an hour or so to go, far from it actually, it can get on top of you.
   ‘Also I saw some fans leave early on Saturday when we were looking for a goal. We were constantly attacking, looking for the winning goal but some people were leaving.
   ‘We talked about it as a team afterwards and I’m saying it on behalf of the whole team, as captain.
   ‘The kind of frustration that was shown on Saturday can lift the teams that come here. When we go away and hear the opposition fans getting on their team’s back it gives us a massive lift, so we don’t want that to start happening to us.’
   ‘I know the fans would never do that (boo him) or the team but given the opportunity it is easy for people on the outside to try and wedge a gap between us (fans and the team) and we cannot let that happen.
   ‘I love this club and I will always do my best for the fans, but that’s a lot easier if we are all together, united as one club.’

Sir Alex Ferguson has brushed aside accusations of complacency after a significantly weakened Manchester United side went down to a shock 1-0 defeat by FC Copenhagen.
   Ferguson left Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes on the bench at the start of the match, despite already being without Gary Neville, Louis Saha and Ryan Giggs through injury, and United paid the price when Swedish striker Marcus Allback snatched a 73rd-minute winner.
   The defeat, which came on a freezing night in the Danish capital on an atrocious surface, ended a seven-match winning run for United and will inevitably lead to questions as to whether Ferguson’s men are about to run out of steam after a blistering start to this season on all fronts.
   But the Scot insisted, ‘We had a team that was easily capable of winning the match without question and we controlled it most of the night.
   ‘I don’t think we should concern ourselves with the team we played. We should concern ourselves with losing a bad goal from a corner.’
   The defeat ended a seven-match winning run for United but Ferguson was unwilling to read too much into the setback.
   ‘We don’t blame anyone but it is disappointing because the defensive performance was very good for most of the night.’
   United’s boss was not, however, above offering excuses for a lacklustre display from his side.
   ‘The pitch was a bit difficult and that made it the game it was – scrappy,’ he said.
   ‘They played a lot of long balls and there was not a lot of football to be honest, and most of what there was played by us.
   ‘At the time they scored, we were creating chances and I thought we would win it but it was a bad goal for us to lose. We knew their danger was at set pieces. They are a big side and have good delivery on set pieces.’
   A frustrating night for Ferguson was compounded by an injury to the in-form Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the injury-prone Norwegian striker will be out for several weeks with a hamstring problem.
   Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken voiced his pride in the way his players had battled to the end to secure a win that keeps their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the competition alive.
   ‘Some of them could barely walk in the last ten minutes but still we managed to keep it tight after we scored,’ he said. ‘It is a great, great achievement and I am really proud to be FC Copenhagen’s coach on a night like this.
   ‘It was very close and tight in the first half. In the second half United created some chances and we had a bit of luck but you need that to beat a team like United.’
   United are still strong favourites to top group F having won their first three matches while Celtic – 3-0 losers to Benfica – are on six points and Copenhagen and Benfica are level on four points.
   Solbakken said, ‘Now the group is wide open. Our game against Benfica in Lisbon is a very difficult one but against Celtic at home, I think that maybe we are the favourites in that game.’

Real Madrid are in the last 16 of the Champions League and that is all that counts, the players said after Steaua Bucharest’s Banel Nicolita scored an own goal to give the Spanish team a 1-0 win.
   ‘The important thing is that we have won and we have qualified for the next stage. Although the stats show it was an own goal that gave us victory, we created plenty of other chances to score,’ Real striker Raul said after Wednesday’s game.
   The result guaranteed Real second place at least in Group E with nine points from four games, three behind leaders Olympique Lyon and six ahead of Steaua, with two games left.
   The nine-times European champions beat Steaua 4-1 away two weeks ago but it was a different story in the Bernabeu as Real struggled to impose themselves.
   Poor finishing, including a missed penalty from Ruud van Nistelrooy, meant that all that separated the sides at the end was the visiting midfielder’s second-half own goal, when he rolled a back pass wide of his own keeper into an empty net.
   ‘Obviously we didn’t put on much of a spectacle, scoring lots of goals, but we controlled the game and they didn’t have many sights of our goal,’ Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas said.
   ‘We created enough chances to have won without their gift. We can’t be playing that badly because we are near the top in the league, are in the next stage of the Champions League and in the King’s Cup.’
   While Raul and Casillas defended the side’s performance, Guti said the goal had been a touch fortuitous.
   ‘It was one of the those nights when it didn’t matter how many chances you created, you weren’t going to score.
   ‘If they hadn’t scored in their own net it would have ended goalless, but luck was with us,’ he said.
   While the players celebrated the effectiveness of their side’s performance, it was Real’s president Ramon Calderon who reminded them of the need to provide some entertainment for the fans.
   ‘Let’s hope we can score more goals against Celta Vigo in the league on Sunday so that the fans can enjoy themselves a little more,’ he said.

Arsene Wenger is convinced Arsenal will survive the scramble to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage as long as they maintain their self-belief.
   Wenger’s side face a tense battle to reach the second round after Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against CSKA Moscow left them a point behind the Russian group leaders and level with Porto with just two games to play.
   The London club squandered a series of glorious chances to beat CSKA and that result, combined with their defeat against the Russians in Moscow two weeks ago, has turned what looked to be a straightforward group into a nervous three-way scrap.
   Arsenal now need four points from a home match against Hamburg and a crunch trip to Porto to be certain of qualifying.
   Wenger knows the controversial decision to disallow a Thierry Henry equaliser in Moscow could prove costly for his side, but he is adamant they can go on to succeed in Europe as long as they keep believing in themselves.
   Wenger said, ‘The group is going to be very close now. It looks like the costly decision against us in Moscow could be crucial. But we are strong enough to cope with that.
   ‘Whether we qualify depends how we deal with this frustration. I hope we become more determined to qualify because of this experience.
   ‘This team has great potential. How well we mature in the coming months will decide if we win a trophy. I feel we are at a crucial moment. The team could explode and be sensational if we cope well with what we are facing. We just need to keep our belief.’
   Wenger took solace from the way his side carved open a team who are yet to concede in the competition this season.
   ‘I feel that was the best Champions League game I have seen in my time at the club,’ he said.
   ‘We put them out of position six or seven times in the first half and normally the score in this game is 7-0.
   ‘There were lots of positives. When you miss the first couple of chances that puts more pressure on when the next one comes.
   ‘We dominated them by miles and there was at least a division between the teams.
   ‘It is more of a worry if you don’t create any chances but we had nine clear-cut opportunities to win the game.
   ‘The crowd was great, the team was great and the only thing that was bad was the result.’
   A win against Porto in CSKA’s next match would virtually assure the Russians of a place in the next round and the club’s manager Valeriy Gazzaev admitted his side are now firmly in control of their own destiny.
   ‘The teams with the most points are obviously in the best position but it is difficult to say how many more points we will need,’ he said. ‘We have the best chance because we are top and we play Porto at home. We think that will help us to go through to the next round. ‘We were not so good in the first half but there was some great play by Arsenal.
   ‘We made some tactical changes and in the second half it was more equal. But we had some luck this evening.’

Copenhagen were the toast of the Danish press on Thursday after their stunning 1-0 upset of Manchester United. The local papers have reacted ecstatically to the victory, courtesy of former Aston Villa forward Marcus Allback’s second half strike.
   ‘Sensational’, ‘Miracle’ and ‘Historic’ were the headlines among the big papers in Denmark as Copenhagen scored their first ever Champions League goal, also earning their first win in the competition.
   ‘Copenhagen achieved something that looked impossible on paper: beating Manchester United,’ said Jyllands-Posten, the most popular daily paper in Denmark, which was at the centre of the Muhammed cartoons furore in February. The Danish champions gave a masterful performance faced with one of the giants of European football.’
   Ekstra Bladet was equally euphoric saying: ‘The Lions of Copenhagen created a miracle .... writing an incredible chapter in the history of Danish football.’
   Politiken took a lighter tone but the message was the same.
   ‘Copenhagen achieved an historic victory against a team considered favourites ... creating a sensation due to fantastic desire and steely morale.’

Controversial former Zimbabwe Test player Mark Vermeulen was being questioned by police on Thursday over a suspected arson attack on the national cricket training academy in Harare.
   The pavilion and computer equipment as well as kit were destroyed by the blaze on Tuesday night at the training centre, a day after a suspicious fire at Zimbabwe Cricket’s boardroom at the Harare Sports Club which caused minor damage.
   ‘He’s been detained since yesterday on charges of arson,’ Vermeulen’s father Roland told AFP.
   ‘We don’t know at the moment where they are holding him ... but we are trying our best to get him out and sort matters while he is outside.’
   ‘Police cells are not the best place to be.’
   Harare police spokesman Andrew Phiri confirmed Vermeulen’s arrest.
   ‘He is a suspect in connection with the arson attack at the cricket academy,’ he told AFP.
   The police have also seized a family car which Vermeulen is alleged to have driven to the academy, said his father.
   The 27-year-old Vermeulen, who played the last of his eight Tests in 2004, recently returned to Zimbabwe after a stint playing league cricket in England where he was slapped with a lengthy ban for throwing a ball at spectators.
   He was also sent home from the 2003 tour of England after a string of run-ins with the management, including a refusal to travel with the rest of the team after he was twice out for a duck in the same Test match.
   Vermeulen was badly injured on a tour of Australia two years ago when he was struck on the head from a ball and has since been reportedly diagonosed with a depressive illness.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has denied that Antonio Cassano will move to the San Siro in January. ‘There are no negotiations underway,’ he declared. The Bari-born striker was excluded from the Real Madrid first team after hitting out at coach Fabio Capello over the weekend.
   Cassano accused his ex-Roma boss of being ungrateful following his non-use in the 3-1 win over Gimnastic and has since been paired with a January move to the Rossoneri outfit.
   ‘We are not discussing Cassano, there will be no move at least for this year,’ said Galliani after Milan’s 4-1 win over Anderlecht in Wednesday’s Champions League tie.
   ‘Former Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was at the stadium tonight and he told us that we must trust Ricardo Oliveira, who is a great player.
   ‘Alberto Gilardino is finally scoring, Pippo Inzaghi will do well, while we also have Marco Borriello – so we really don’t need Cassano this year.
   ‘I like the player, but I know Capello well and if he decided to punish him I am sure he had his reasons to do so.
   ‘Cassano is very talented, but he now has to learn to be disciplined as well, when you are part of a group there are certain rules you have to follow.’
   President Silvio Berlusconi also believes there is no need for additional players to strengthen Milan’s attacking options.
   ‘Cassano and Ronaldinho can stay where they are, I think we are fine with the men we have,’ stated a visibly pleased Berlusconi to Milan Channel after the San Siro match.
   ‘There is no one I would swap Kaka with, not even Ronaldinho, although I would like to see them play together.
   ‘Kaka is a complete player, we all know that – his excellent performances are no surprise for me anymore.
   ‘We have always played well this season, there hasn’t been a single game where the team hasn’t shown its potential.
   ‘Of course, there have been some unlucky matches, but we always played well. Against Inter, for example, we hit the post while today Kaka’s shot went in.
   ‘I am optimistic, if you are at the head of Milan you cannot lose hope. This is an intense season, we are protagonists in Europe and I am sure we will be protagonists in the Serie A.
   ‘I cannot say if we will win the Scudetto, but I know we will finish in the top positions,’ concluded the former Italian prime minister.

Brazilian playmaker Kaka struck a hat-trick as AC Milan beat Anderlecht 4-1 to tighten their grip at the top of Champions League Group H on Wednesday.
   The win gave the six-time European champions 10 points, five ahead of second-placed Lille with two games to play.
   A draw in their next match at AEK Athens would be enough to send Milan through to the knockout phase.
   It was another inspired performance by Kaka, who also scored a superb long-range goal when Milan beat Anderlecht 1-0 in Belgium two weeks ago.
   The 24-year-old put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot in the seventh minute, after Roland Juhasz tripped Alberto Gilardino, then scored once more in each half before Juhasz pulled one back for the visitors just after the hour mark.
   Any lingering hopes Anderlecht’s players might have harboured about fighting their way back into the contest were blown away, however, when Alberto Gilardino restored Milan’s three-goal cushion late on.
   ‘Overall, we played very well tonight, particularly at the start of the game, when we were running at them.’ said Milan coach.
   Milan were in control for long periods of the match and Kaka’s penalty was the result of sustained early pressure.
   His second goal – a lovely, curling shot into the top corner after a one-two with Cafu – followed near misses by team-mates Ricardo Oliveira and Dario Simic.
   Anderlecht played more aggressively after the break. Congolese striker Mohamed Tchite got in a couple of snapshots, though neither was on target.
   After Kaka’s third, though, the odds were heavily stacked against an Anderlecht comeback.
   Once again the goal came out of a solo run by the Brazilian but this time, instead of running directly at the opposition, he cut round a defender on the edge of the area before angling a right-footed shot past keeper Daniel Zitka.
   When Juhasz headed Anderlecht’s consolation goal from a corner, Milan briefly looked rattled.
   Left-back Marek Jankulovski almost complicated what should have been a trouble-free night when he botched a clearance and the ball skewed off the post, while Tchite fired in a dangerous ball from close range that Dida managed to smother on his line.
   ‘We were pushed too far up, we were unbalanced, and they had a lot of space to put the ball where they wanted,’ said Ancelotti. ‘We made ourselves suffer for no reason at all.’
   Two minutes from time, however, Cristian Brocchi launched a long ball forward for Gilardino who broke the offside trap and thumped in Milan’s fourth goal.

Kaka has laughed off Carlo Ancelotti’s suggestion he’s ‘better than Ronaldinho’ after his spectacular Champions League hat-trick.
   ‘I am happy that my coach said that, but I still have a long way to go and need to improve in many areas,’ said the Milan star.
   He netted the first three goals in their 4-1 victory over Anderlecht on Wednesady, Alberto Gilardino bagging the final strike.
   Ancelotti claimed in his post-match comments that Kaka is ‘the most decisive player in the world right now,’ more so than Ronaldinho.
   "There are lots of great players in circulation, but nobody is worth as much as him," Ancelotti was quoted as saying in Corriere dello Sport on Thursday.
   "Nobody has more determination or is capable of making such a difference in a match. He is better than Ronaldinho."
   The 24-year-old Brazilian's hat-trick against Anderlecht on Wednesday took his tally in the Champions league this season to five -- the same as Chelsea's Didier Drogba.
   He has scored 16 goals in the competition since joining Milan from Brazilian club Sao Paolo as an unknown 21-year-old in July 2003.
   According to Ancelotti, it was not only his ability to score that marked Kaka out from his peers.
   "Ricky has always scored goals, he's an excellent finisher. But he was not always so good at setting up his team mates," said Ancelotti.
   "Now, however, he has improved even that aspect of his game.
   "With Kaka in this kind of form, I'm looking forward to seeing who they award the Golden Ball to."
   The Golden Ball is the annual prize awarded to the best player in the European leagues.
   ‘Ronaldinho has always been an idol for me and I watched him with great interest at Paris Saint-Germain and in Brazil,’ continued the youngster.
   ‘I’d never scored a hat-trick in the Champions League, so the third goal was very special for me. I also enjoyed the second in combination with Marcos Cafu.’
    ‘Milan Lab has all my tests from this season and my fitness levels have always been stable. I didn’t have an argument with Ancelotti. He asked me something and I said I wasn’t entirely happy with it, but that I would adapt. After all, he is the coach and it’s my job to follow his orders.’
   The debate was a tactical one, and Kaka proved how effective he could be in support of two strikers last night rather than as part of a Christmas Tree formation.
   ‘I prefer playing as a Trequartista, as I like to run at the goal from distance. However, I want to always learn and become a more complete player, so I have to try every system and new positions to improve.’
   The Rossoneri need just one point from their remaining two Champions League Group H games to be secure of qualification for the next round, but currently lie 14 points adrift of Serie A joint leaders Inter and Palermo.
   ‘Unfortunately the start from eight points down caused us some problems, but we have the time to recover and will give it a go, especially now we’re relatively secure in Europe,’ added Kaka.
   The Selecao hero also gave some advice to fellow countryman Adriano, who is in Rio de Janeiro for a period of rest and recuperation.
   ‘This is a tough time for Adriano and he has to try to stay relaxed. He needs to know he’s an important player for Inter, Brazil and world football.’

Sweden striker Marcus Allback bundled the ball home to give FC Copenha-gen a 1-0 win over an under-strength Manchester United in Champions League Group F on Wednesday. Allback turned in Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson’s header after 73 minutes to record the Danish champion’s first goal and victory in their debut season in Europe’s premier club competition.
   ‘Today we had nothing to lose. To win it is great. It is our first three points against a very good side,’ Allback told Sky Sports.
   United manager Alex Ferguson made several changes for the tie with Ryan Giggs, Louis Saha and Gary Neville not travelling because of injuries. Defender Rio Ferdinand and midfielder Paul Scholes both came off the bench in the second half.
   A bumpy pitch made for a scrappy game with the Danish champions only threatening Edwin van der Sar once in the opening half, when the Dutch keeper easily saved Michael Silberbauer’s long-range shot.
   Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney worried the Copenhagen defence several times, first testing keeper Jesper Christiansen with a sharp shot and then misfiring a close-range header over the bar.
   His best chance of the first half came when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found him in the penalty box in the 32nd minute. Rooney turned a defender around but delivered a weak shot from 10 metres that trickled past the goal.
   ‘We’ve controlled the whole match. Maybe we were a bit careless with finishing at times,’ Ferguson said.
   In the second half, Christiano Ronaldo sprung Solskjaer free, but Christiansen dove at the Norwegian’s feet to grab the ball. Moments later Solsjkaer was involved again, testing Christiansen with a sharp low shot, but the Dane held on to the ball.
   Copenhagen returned to the attack in the 55th minute, when Martin Bergvold’s cross found Hutchinson unmarked in the box but the Canadian’s header went wide.
   The action moved quickly from one end to another, and Rooney wasted a good chance in the 64th minute when he placed another header wide after a good cross from Gabriel Heinze.
   United tried to answer quickly to the Copenhagen goal, with Cristiano Ronaldo making a fast run on the right and leaving three defenders behind before shooting straight at Christiansen in the 79th minute. The best chance for United to equalise came when Scholes got free in the box in the 85th minute but Christiansen quickly came out to meet him and saved his chip shot.
   Ronaldo had one last chance in the 90th minute but his shot from inside the box went wide. He did find the back of the net in stoppage time, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
   The Danish champions were left to savour their victory, lingering on the field to dance and wave to their fans who braved freezing temperatures.
   United stay top of the group with nine points ahead of Celtic on six after their 3-0 defeat away to Benfica, who are level on four points with Copenhagen.

If success is judged purely in terms of trophies won, then no-one in English football management history can match Alex Ferguson.
   The 64-year-old Scot has guided Manchester United to 17 major trophies since his appointment on November 6, 1986.
   Including his success in Scotland with Aberdeen in the early 1980s his overall trophy-haul stands at an unprecedented British record of 27.
   His 20 years at Old Trafford make him United’s second-longest serving manager behind Matt Busby, another Scot who like Ferguson was knighted
   for his services to football and most significantly for leading United to victory in the European Cup.
   Ferguson has been in charge of United for more than 1,100 games, the majority of them victories, but in his autobiography ‘Managing My Life’ he said he had endured periods of doubt at the club.
   In mid-1995, when he set about forging the team that would go on to win a European and domestic treble four years later, Ferguson felt his position might be being undermined in the boardroom.
   But for most of his reign Ferguson has led United forward with a single-minded and steely approach which many feel is the greatest secret of his success.
   ‘He is a man with a mission,’ wrote former United midfielder David Beckham in his book My Side.
   ‘It’s why so many people admire him so much. It’s also why he winds so many other people up.
   ‘Whatever the gaffer says or does it’s never “I want this for Alex Ferguson”. It’s always: ‘I want this for the club’.
   ‘He is Manchester United through and through.
   ‘I’d say his drive was more important to our success than anything else.’
   Ferguson’s belief in his ability and his vision for long-term success certainly paid off at Old Trafford, where the league title had not been won for 26 years before the club’s 1993 success.
   Gary Pallister was part of the team that ended that drought and also shared in three more championship triumphs.
   ‘Everybody realised he had been trying to alter everything there, especially the scouting system and the youth policy,’ said Pallister.
   ‘He wanted to bring a lot of young kids through and I think everybody at the club, and certainly the chairman and the directors, even in the dark days, could see that he was working towards an end.’
   A key part of Ferguson’s successes with young players like Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville followed the work done by youth team manager Eric Harrison, who guided them to victory in the 1992 Youth Cup final.
   ‘People did not realise how much he (Ferguson) used to watch the youth team,’ Harrison told Reuters.
   ‘When the first team were playing at home he would come to the Cliff (training ground) and watch about an hour of the youth team game before shooting over to Old Trafford.
   ‘You didn’t have to keep telling him that such and such was playing well. He knew every player.
   ‘What was very helpful to me and the club was that if ever we were chasing a young player he would go anywhere to see his parents,’ added Harrison.
   ‘If anybody came to the club he would make sure they were given a good apprenticeship and if they were good enough he would give them a chance in the first team.
   ‘I have never known him to let anyone down and that was a massive motivation for me and the parents.’
   When Ferguson controversially allowed Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis to leave Old Trafford in 1995 he did so knowing he had a conveyor belt of homegrown talent to take their places.
   Harrison also watched Ferguson work at first team level, often sharing a dressing-room and dugout with the senior coaching staff.
   ‘He has an awful lot of qualities but his biggest is his ability to inspire players,’ said Harrison.
   ‘It could be the biggest game ever but he could calm players down if they needed it just by saying “look around the dressing-room and see who you are playing with”.
   ‘He didn’t actually say it but it was as if to say “with the quality and characters here you can’t get beaten”.’
   Harrison believes Ferguson’s 20-year reign at Old Trafford has made him the finest manager of his generation.
   ‘There was no doubt about that,’ he said. ‘Nobody at Old Trafford thought you could emulate Sir Matt Busby or beat his record. But he did and that tells the tale.
   ‘Sir Matt was one of the greatest ever but even he has been outdone.’

Arsenal paid the price for a catalogue of missed chances, including one spectacular howler, when they were held to a goalless home draw by CSKA Moscow in Champions League Group G on Wednesday.
   The draw leaves last season’s runners-up with plenty to do if they are to reach the knockout phase but is a boost for the Russians, who beat the Londoners 1-0 two weeks ago.
   With two games to go CSKA, yet to concede a goal in the competition, lead the group on eight points while Arsenal and Porto have seven after the Portuguese side won 3-1 at SV Hamburg.
   Arsenal will wonder how they failed to pierce the visiting defence, particularly in the first half which was a tale of almost constant home pressure capped by a series of extraordinary misses. The misfortune began in the sixth minute when Aleksander Hleb set up Robin van Persie only for the Dutchman to screw his shot over the bar.
   Thierry Henry was off target, Hleb had a sharp shot well saved by Igor Akinfeyev before the Belarussian midfielder inexplicably chose to square for Henry when clean through.
   It was relentless Arsenal attacking and it seemed certain to pay dividends in the 27th minute when Cesc Fabregas played a neat one-two with Tomas Rosicky, rounded the keeper but could only find the side netting with the goal gaping.
   CSKA mounted a rare raid in the 40th minute but it merely opened the way for Arsenal to break from their own box, Henry starting the move and finishing it with another deft touch centimetres wide.
   The worst miss came in injury time when Henry reached the byline and cut back for Rosicky.
   Akinfeyev was stranded and the Czech had only to sidefoot the ball into an empty goal from three metres but instead it caught his heel and squirted into the arms of the disbelieving goalkeeper.
   Arsenal were credited with 15 first-half goal attempts against a team which had kept clean sheets in their last five European matches.
   Home keeper Jens Lehmann had been a virtual spectator but was called into action 10 minutes after the restart when he got enough on the ball to prevent Brazilian striker Vagner Love scoring.
   The scare put the brakes on Arsenal for a while but the introduction of teenage winger Theo Walcott for the last 20 minutes injected renewed urgency.

England are ‘very keen’ to bid for the World Cup in 2018, British sports minister Richard Caborn said on Thursday. The government has already met with top European football officials and chancellor Gordon Brown, who is widely tipped to take over as prime minister when Tony Blair steps down, is said to be backing the bid.
   Caborn was asked by BBC radio if the government would be behind a renewed bid for the World Cup, something they missed out on this year when the tournament was awarded to Germany.
    He said, ‘Absolutely. I have no doubt about that.’ UEFA president Lennart Johansson, who was also present at the meeting, said Brown expressed the view that a bid ‘would be a good idea for England.’
    The chancellor has previously indicated that bringing the competition to England would be a ‘tremendous boost’ for the country. A feasibility study is being carried out into whether an attempt to secure the competition should be launched.

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o has taken an astonishing swipe at team-mate Eidur Gudjohnsen, slamming the former Chelsea man for his inability to convert chances.
   Barca have stuttered in recent weeks and it is no coincidence that their slump in form has coincided with Eto’o’s absence.
   The Catalans have sorely missed the African’s pace, power and goal threat, with their lack of a natural finisher glaringly obvious in recent defeats to Chelsea and arch rivals Real Madrid.
   Gudjohnsen is currently being asked to fill Eto’o’s shoes in a central striking role, but the Icelander - not renowned as an out-and-out goalscorer - has passed up one or two gilt-edged chances which have proved most costly.
   One particularly glaring miss came in the 1-0 defeat to Real in the Bernabeu and Eto’o has now publicly criticised his team-mate for his profligacy.
   ‘Gudjohnsen needs to readapt to the role of centre forward,’ Eto’o told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
   ‘Did you see the chance he missed at the Bernabeu? If he had scored that goal Barca would have won 4-2.
   ‘Gudy was looking at Messi instead of looking at the goal as every centre forward always should.’

Fernando Torres claims Shaun Wright-Philips would be a smash hit at Atletico Madrid.
   The Spanish side are stepping up their bid to take the out-of-favour Chelsea winger to La Liga in January. The move could eventually see strike ace Torres at Stamford Bridge. Atletico are in desperate need of reinforcements to cover the loss of both wingers Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Petrov for the season with knee injuries.
   Spain international Torres, 22, said, ‘Every player who comes to help will be welcome.
   ‘If Wright-Philips comes that would be very good for us. It would mean a step up in quality because he is a great player.
   ‘We need a winger and if Shaun improves the team it will be good because we need players on the flanks.
   ‘I wish high-quality players like Wright-Philips would come here.’
   Wright-Phillips, who cost Chelsea £21 million from Manchester City in summer 2005, is looking for regular first-team action. And Blues boss Jose Mourinho could use the England star as the perfect sweetener to convince Atletico to do business for Torres, 22.
   Torres has a buy-out clause at £26m – and Chelski would have no problem finding the cash.
   Manchester United failed with a £25m bid for the Atletico skipper this summer.
   He then opted to sign a new contract in Madrid taking him to 2009.
   He added, ‘Every summer, people talk about the Premiership.
   ‘If I ever leave Atletico, I would just look at the biggest teams in Europe like Chelsea, Manchester or Milan.’

A farcical own goal from midfielder Banel Nicolita gifted Real Madrid a barely deserved 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest at the Bernabeu on Wednesday that secured them a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
   Nicolita rolled the ball past keeper Cornel Cernea into his own net from outside the area 20 minutes from time after a dreadful mix-up just as Steaua looked to be getting the better of their opponents.
   Real striker Ruud van Nistelrooy spurned the chance to extend his side’s lead two minutes later when he blasted a penalty over the bar after he had been brought down by Cernea as he bore down on the goal.
   The win left Real in second place in Group E with nine points from four games, three behind leaders Olympique Lyon and six ahead of Steaua with two matches left to play.
   ‘The objective was to qualify and we’ve done that thanks to a gift from Steaua,’ said Real coach Fabio Capello. ‘We were unable to take the very clear chances that we had and they did it for us.’
   Steaua coach Cosmin Olaroiu said his side proved they were a better side than their 4-1 defeat against Real in Bucharest two weeks ago had suggested.
   ‘Tonight Steaua gave a different image,’ he said. ‘We created a lot of chances, but due to one error we ended up losing the match.’
   Roared on by a large band of supporters it was Steaua who made the more lively start at the Bernabeu.
   Real had a several nervous moments as the Romanians constructed a string of dangerous counter-attacks, but they then wasted an opportunity of their own to take the lead when Robinho was put in the clear by a clever through ball from Guti.
   The Brazilian hit a poor pass behind the advancing Ruud van Nistelrooy and gave the Steaua defence time to regroup and clear the danger.
   Real looked uncomfortable as they struggled to keep the ball and lacked ideas in attack and it was Steaua who ended the first half on top as they imprisoned the home side in their area.
   Petre Marin forced a sharp save from Iker Casillas with a curling shot from the left and fellow midfielder Daniel Oprita skewed a close-range effort over the bar moments later.
   Despite a poor first-half Real would have gone into the break ahead had it not been for a remarkable point-blank save from Cernea and some desperate last-ditch defending.
   The Steaua keeper managed to block the ball on the line as Van Nistelrooy tried to bundle in at the far post after a fine cross from Mahamadou Diarra before Robinho’s follow-up shot was cleared.
   Real centre-back Ivan Helguera missed another gift-wrapped chance early in the second-half when he somehow contrived to slice the ball over the bar from a metre out after Raul had headed across the goalmouth.
   But Steaua finally did the job themselves when Nicolita side-footed the ball into his own net from almost 20 metres out with Cernea out of position.
   Van Nistelrooy’s penalty miss two minutes later was a suitable ending to a misfiring display from the nine-time European champions.

Lucho Gonzalez struck a sublime volley to lead Porto to a 3-1 win over Hamburg SV on Wednesday, putting his side back in the hunt in Champions League Group G and knocking the Germans out.
   Gonzalez, lurking 25 metres out, accepted a weak defensive header in the 44th minute and beat Sascha Kirschstein with a shot that whistled into the top left-hand corner.
   Lisandro Lopez scored the second in the 61st minute and although Rafael van der Vaart pulled one back, Porto made sure of victory when Bruno Moraes cut in from the right and shot inside the far post three minutes from time.
   Porto have seven points from four games, level with Arsenal and one behind leaders CSKA Moscow.
   ‘We have every chance to go on now in the next two games and qualify,’ Porto coach Manuel Ferreira told a news conference.
   After three defeats in three games Hamburg needed a win to stand any realistic chance of making the last 16.
   Van der Vaart, back from injury to make his first appearance in the group phase, caused a few problems early on but Porto looked happy enough to stay back and wait.
   Hamburg’s best first-half chance came in the 20th minute when Thimothee Atouba went clear on the left and swung over a cross for Danijel Ljuboja to force a diving save from Helton.
   Juan Pablo Sorin tested the keeper again with a crisp volley in the 37th minute but the strike could not compare to that of his fellow Argentine Gonzalez.
   Atouba had struggled in defence throughout the half and he was shown up again when Porto’s Ricardo Quaresma worked space on the right to cross.
   It presented Joris Mathijsen with an easy defensive header but sadly for Hamburg it went straight to the unmarked Gonzalez.
   ‘It was a fantastic, fabulous goal,’ said Ferreira. ‘It also came at an important time at the end of the first half and I think it was decisive.’
   Porto continued to threaten after the break and their second goal came when Quaresma attacked down the left and sent over a low cross for Lopez to bundle in.
   Hamburg were given hope when Van der Vaart beat Helton with a fine header from Piotr Trochowski’s left-wing cross.
   A few minutes later substitute Besart Berisha hit a post but that was Hamburg’s last clear opportunity and ruthless Porto made sure of victory when substitute Moraes beat the keeper with his fine late shot.
   ‘We just didn’t do enough,’ said Hamburg coach Thomas Doll. ‘It’s not good enough to start playing when we’re one or two goals down.’

Former Brazil captain Cafu blamed the team’s failure at the 2006 World Cup on its overconfidence in the ‘magic four’ offence, that players expected would steamroll the opposition but failed to find a scoring touch.
   The four – Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka and Adriano – gave Brazil an unusually aggressive attack and an unrealistic confidence in its offensive power, Cafu said Tuesday in an interview with Pele’s Website.
   ‘All anyone talked about was the magic four. You’d just have to blink your eyes and they would score the goals,’ Cafu said. ‘Everyone thought we’d reach the final without any problem, but it didn’t turn out that way.’
   Brazil coasted through an easy first round in Germany, beating Croatia 1-0, Australia 2-0 and Japan 4-1. The defending champion then defeated Ghana 3-0 but fell in the quarterfinals 1-0 to France and was eliminated.
   ‘We thought we’d win all the games easily. There was great expectation for the magic four – not only in Brazil,’ he said. ‘Things didn’t work out that way.’
   Cafu said people expected a never-ending display of skill from the team – led by two-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldinho.
   ‘The team’s game didn’t work because everyone wanted a spectacle, and there wasn’t any spectacle,’ he said. ‘The people wanted to see the players juggling the ball, flipping it over the opposing player, scoring four, five goals a game. The team – or rather, some players – absorbed that atmosphere.’
   Brazil’s loss was a tremendous disappointment, and the local press criticized veterans like Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos for not giving an all-out effort.
   ‘They created the expectation that we’d reach the final no matter what. And that was absorbed by everyone,’ he said. ‘But what happened was we played poorly against France, we were eliminated and the negative comments began.’
   At 36, the AC Milan wing-back said he is considering moving to the midfield or central defense—a position that would require less physical effort – but that retirement was not in his immediate plans.
   ‘I was a midfielder with Sao Paulo, and I can play in the back line because I know about positioning,’ he said. ‘Playing wingback at nearly 40 years old is almost impossible.’
   After playing in four World Cups and winning two, Cafu said his days on the national weren’t necessarily through. It depended on coach Dunga, he said.
   ‘If I’m in good shape and Dunga wants me, I’m at his disposal,’ Cafu said. ‘If you ask me if I plan to compete in another World Cup, I’ll be sincere and say no. But if Dunga needs me, I’m here to help out.’

Hamburg SV’s meek exit from the Champions League let down German football as well as the club and their fans, according to coach Thomas Doll.
   Hamburg, the 1983 European champions, saw their faint hopes of progress from Group G extinguished when they lost 3-1 at home to Porto on Wednesday, making it four defeats from four games.
   ‘We represented German football very badly in the Champions League,’ Doll told reporters after the players were booed from the pitch at the end of their latest defeat.
   ‘We lacked the necessary aggression and the players will have to look at themselves and think about whether they really put everything they had into their performances.’
   Hamburg fell behind just before half-time to a fabulous strike from Lucho Gonzalez and it was only after Porto had increased their lead in the 61st minute through Lisandro Lopez that the home side showed signs of life.
   Rafael van der Vaart, making his first appearance in the group phase after a long injury lay-off, headed in powerfully from Piotr Trochowski’s cross and Hamburg had chances to equalise before substitute Bruno Moraes made the game safe for Porto.
   ‘It’s simply not good enough to start playing only after you’ve gone one or two goals down,’ Doll said.
   ‘I can totally understand why the crowds were whistling the players.’
   Hamburg have had rotten luck with injuries during the group phase and Doll was hardly helped by the club’s decision to sell defenders Khalid Boulahrouz and Daniel van Buyten before the start of the competition.
   The team have played poorly in domestic competition, too. They are already out of the German Cup and with nine games played in the Bundesliga they have managed just one win.
   Doll said he was satisfied he had sufficient quality in the squad, however, and promised a recovery in the Bundesliga.
   ‘The quality is there and the players have the right character,’ he said. ‘They just have to show it.
   ‘We now have to concentrate on the Bundesliga and I’m convinced we can come back.’

Benfica kept their chances alive of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League when they crushed Celtic 3-0 on Wednesday.
   The win kept the Lisbon side in third in Group F but they are now on four points, just two behind the Scottish side in second.
   Benfica went ahead with an own-goal by Gary Caldwell 10 minutes into the game when the Celtic defender tried to clear a cross from the right by defender Nelson.
   In another mistake, Caldwell failed to clear a long pass by goalkeeper Quim, leaving the ball for Nuno Gomes to score after 22 minutes.
   Celtic midfielder Stephen Pearson squandered an opportunity to reduce the deficit when he shot wide six minutes from halftime but Russian substitute Andrei Karyaka made it three when he tapped in a cross from Nelson after 76 minutes.
   Celtic coach Gordon Strachan refused to blame Caldwell for the defeat.
   ‘We will review the match. If we had had more possession at the start of the game we would have played better,’ he said. ‘We are still favourites to reach the second spot in the group.’
   But Benfica coach Fernando Santos reckoned his side now have a good chance to progress.
   ‘This win was fundamental for us. If we hadn’t snatched the victory we wouldn’t be able to fulfil the objective of reaching the last 16,’ he said.
   ‘We faced some problems at the end of the first half but in the second half we controlled the ball and attacked well
   without losing our defensive strategy. I think we deserved to win.’
   ‘It was a great game. We proved that we are a different team than the one that played Celtic in the past,’ said Simao Sabrosa. ‘Now we must concentrate on the next game.’
   Among more than 50,000 fans at the Stadium of Light were 12 Celtic players, led by captain Billy McNeill, who won the European Cup in Lisbon in May 1967.

A strike from Greece striker Nikos Liberopoulos gave AEK Athens a 1-0 win over 10-man Lille on Wednesday, their first ever win in a Champions League group game.
   The Group H victory kept alive their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages for the first time. They are now on four points in third, one behind the French club in second place.
   ‘Victory tonight is a beginning and will allow us to grow as a team,’ AEK coach Lorenzo Serra Ferrer told reporters. ‘I am very happy that we gave our fans such joy. It means a great deal for the future of the club.’
   AEK, who had failed to win in their previous 21 Champions League group matches, were helped by the dismissal of Lille’s Greek defender Efstathios Tavlaridis, who succeeded in collecting two yellow cards in the first 22 minutes.
   His first came in the third minute when he brought down Liberopoulos outside the penalty area.
   He was given a let-off by referee Steve Bennett for a crude challenge soon after but the Englishman could not ignore another clumsy tackle on Perparim Hetemaj and the Greek was sent off.
   Lille’s response was to defend from deep inside their own half although Mathieu Bodmer forced a good save from Stefano Sorrentino in the AEK goal.
   AEK, who started with three front men, brought on another striker at half-time as Pantelis Kapetanos replaced Emerson at the interval.
   The pressure grew on the Lille defence and after several wasted attempts, AEK finally made the breakthrough in the 74th minute when Liberopoulos stepped inside Jean Makoun and drilled the ball past Lille goalkeeper Tony Sylva.
   Lille coach Claude Puel paid tribute to his players.
   ‘After the sending off of Tavlaridis, my team kept competing and played well,’ he said. ‘But AEK were patient and waited for their opening. We made it hard for them to break us down and I thought we deserved a share of the honours.’

UEFA has called for action to deter players from surrounding referees after Chelsea’s draw at Barcelona was marred by such behaviour. Temporary dismissals were floated by European football’s governing body as one possible solution.
   ‘We are seeing too much of this in the Champions League,’ UEFA’s communications director, William Gaillard, said Wednesday. ‘It’s becoming a bad habit; everyone has something to say. It’s not easy to apply the 10-yard rule to football but there are other ideas which could be brought in to tackle this, maybe temporary sending-off.’
   English football experimented with a rule penalising dissent by advancing free-kicks 10 yards, but FIFA chose not to apply it as law last year. UEFA wants the body that studies and modifies the laws, the International Football Association Board, to act to reduce harassment of referees. Although UEFA in September asked match officials to caution players for waving imaginary cards or crowding around the referee, events at the Camp Nou showed the problems have not been dealt with.
   ‘Every time there is a foul you have 15 players protesting,’ Gaillard said. ‘It makes life very difficult for referees. It’s up to the international board to look at this but maybe football could learn something from rugby, where the word of the referee is respected and not contested.’
   John Terry criticised Barcelona for encouraging Stefano Farina to issue cautions. ‘It’s disappointing to see some world-class players who you fully respect and they’re waving (imaginary) cards in the ref’s face,’ Chelsea’s captain said.
   Chelsea will be fined by UEFA for collecting more than five yellow cards on Tuesday, and UEFA is considering an investigation. It will examine reports from Farina and its match delegate for any references to the behaviour of the players or coaches.

Dominant Olympique Lyon qualified in style for the last 16 of the Champions League with two games to spare and have now set their eyes on their match at Real Madrid which may decide the Group E top spot.
   The French champions, still unbeaten this season, have a maximum 12 points after their 1-0 home victory over Dynamo Kiev, three more than Madrid.
   Like in 2004 and 2005, Lyon booked their place for the knockout round after four group matches and confirmed their ambitions must be taken seriously in the continental event.
   Lyon are still to progress beyond the quarter-finals, stumbling at that stage three times in a row, but club coach Gerard Houllier says he is confident after beating Kiev.
   ‘Our first half was simply outstanding from my point of view,’ Houllier said. ‘Sometimes this team can leave me dumbstruck when I watch them play.
   ‘The match in Madrid will be some kind of group finale. We won’t go there to chase a draw even if a draw would put us in a favourable position to get out in front,’ he said.
   ‘Trying to protect our lead is not part of our philosophy. Things never turned out too good when we tried to do that in the past. We like too much play and it’s what we do best.’

Barcelona star Edmilson has launched a scathing attack on Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
   The European champions are still licking their wounds after conceding an injury time equaliser against Chelsea on Tuesday.
   The draw means Barca have some real work to do in order to book their place in the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League.
   Mourinho did not hide his feelings before or after the encounter at Camp Nou and Edmilson is pretty sick of the Chelsea boss.
   ‘The worst thing about playing Chelsea is to have to listen to the stupidity of Mourinho,’ said Edmilson.
   ‘He is a little man who has suddenly been created into the owner of the world in his own head.
   ‘In life it is necessary to be humble and he shows no humility at all.
   ‘And when you lose against him it is even worse because you have to hear it all over again.
   ‘He should spend more time concentrating on his work and just shut his mouth up. He is someone I do not like to talk about.
   ‘It was a draw on Tuesday but it feels worse than a defeat. We are still very upset but at least we have the chance to go through.
   ‘We have to keep our heads up and keep looking forward. We played well on the pitch and fought very strongly, without falling into their traps.’

Juventus legend Michel Platini insists Italian goalkeeper Gigi Buffon deserves the 2006 Golden Ball.
   The Frenchman – a candidate to be named as the new President of UEFA – believes that one of the seven members of Italy’s World Cup winning squad short-listed for the prize should be honoured and has backed the Juve keeper as his No 1 choice.
   ‘The European Footballer of the Year title should go to an Italian player,’ said Platini in an interview to AS.
   ‘I would personally give it to Buffon as the time has arrived for another goalkeeper to win the award after Lev Yashin (who won in 1963),’ added the multiple Scudetto winner.
   ‘Fabio Cannavaro would also deserve the prize as he had an excellent World Cup.
   ‘It has always been this way as the Golden Ball is awarded to players who have done well in the World Cup – Paolo Rossi in 1982, Igor Belanov in 1986 and Hristo Stoitchkov in 1994.’
   Platini, who won the title himself three times between 1983 and 1985, is currently in Turin and will be part of Juventus’ birthday celebrations this evening.

Jose eyes Euro glory
   Jose Mourinho feels Chelsea are well equipped to win this season’s UEFA Champions League title.
   Europe’s premier club competition eluded Mourinho in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge, but he moved to remedy this by bringing in proven quality in the guise of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko.
   Chelsea fired out a warning to the rest of Europe on Tuesday, when twice fighting back from a goal down to draw 2-2 at Barcelona.
   The Blues are well placed to qualify for the knockout stages and although refusing to get too carried away, Mourinho feels Chelsea can go all the way this season.
   Mourinho said, ‘I cannot predict the future because I can find Spanish teams, English teams, German teams, Italian teams who can also win the competition.
   ‘But the reality is that we’re playing Champions League much better than last season. In our two victories at home to Werder Bremen and Barcelona we did very well. The victory in Levski Sofia was easy but we did it. And this was our best performance of our four games in the Champions League.’
— New Age Desk
   
   Alex has got the answers
   Alex Ferguson hates losing at anything – even when he is watching TV’s Weakest Link.
   Manchester United midfielder John O’Shea has revealed how Fergie loves nothing better than answering the questions posed by flame-haired temptress Anne Robinson.
   O’Shea said, ‘The manager’s determination to be the best is constantly on show.
   ‘When we’re away watching Weakest Link in our hotel he wants to win.
   ‘To be fair he’s pretty knowledgeable about most things and always seems to know who sang what and what year a certain song was released.’
   Ferguson celebrates 20 years in charge at United on Monday and O’Shea added, ‘Spending that long at any club is a great achievement.
   ‘When he first arrived he was determined to bring success to the club and the players still see that in every team talk and every training session.
   ‘When he finally decides to call it a day the state and good health he’ll leave the club in will be unbelievable.
   ‘He is a one-off and he will rightly go down as the greatest manager ever.
   ‘He has been like a father figure to a lot of us and I owe him so much.
   ‘When I first arrived I was in awe of him. But he can always tell when people are nervous and he has this charisma about him that relaxes people.’
— New Age Desk
   
   Bulgarian club tries to teach player a lesson
   Litex Lovech striker Ivelin Popov, already ordered by his club to get married to stop his wild ways, was forced to teach sports lessons at a local school after angering his team yet again by gesturing at fans.
   The Bulgarian under-21 player, known for his volatile temper as well as his talent, was fined 3,000 levs ($1,957) by the Bulgarian Football Union but his club decided he needed extra punishment and so sent him to the school.
   ‘We don’t need fans who are booing and whistling us,’ said Popov, who upset Litex fans with a gesture after scoring in a 2-1 win over Rodopa Smolyan on Friday. ‘It’d be better if they didn’t enter the stadium.’
   Whether Popov, 19, has learnt his lesson remains to be seen but the school’s head teacher, Korneliya Marinova, said his visit was at least good for the children.
   ‘It was a very good idea and I’m sure the children will remember their most unusual physical education lesson,’ she said.
— Reuters

Angry India fan
kills nephew
Madness for cricket cost a child his life as his uncle - a police official - banged his head on the floor after India’s loss to Australia on Monday. The Chandigarh police registered a complaint against the relative on Wednesday. According to the parents of the child, Malkit Singh was watching the crucial Champions Trophy match and had an argument with other family members over India’s poor show in cricket. In a fit of rage, he picked up the child and banged his head two-three times on the floor. Before the child’s family could react to save the child, the damage had been done.
— New Age Desk

Real receives offer for TV rights
Madrid’s regional government and a local bank has bid US$765.7 million to broadcast Real Madrid’s games, the ABC newspaper reported on Wednesday. The team has been offered US$153.1 million for each of the five seasons from 2009 to 2013 by free-to-air network Telemadrid - which is controlled by the regional government - and bank Caja Madrid. Sogecable, which forms part of media giant Prisa, currently pays US$70.2 million a season for Real Madrid’s matches, which are shown via digital platform Digital Plus. This deal runs until 2008, although Sogecable has the option to extend it for a further year by paying US$76.6 million. In June, FC Barcelona agreed a TV deal with Mediapro, a major shareholder in new free-to-air Spanish channel La Sexta. The deal, which will begin in 2008, will reportedly earn the European champion over US$1.28 billion over the following seven years.
— AP

Fan faces
10 years jail
An Olympique Marseille fan admitted throwing a firebomb that injured a fireman during last weekend’s Ligue 1 match between Nice and OM and faces 10 years in prison, judicial sources said on Wednesday. Fabien Bouchira, 21, who lives near Narbonne, has been transferred to Nice and will remain in custody until his hearing by a Nice court. Bouchira threw a firebomb from the Marseille fans’ stand and a 20-year-old fireman lost two fingers when he tried to pick it up to move it.
— Reuters

Hargreaves deal depends on Emre
Manchester United's move for Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves will go through should Newcastle agree to sell the Germans Emre. The Sun says, Hargreaves is recuperating from a broken leg but is set to return to training in a fortnight's time. United boss Alex Ferguson has the funds to finance a 14m pound swoop and Hargo has made no secret of his desire to join the Premiership leaders. The Canadian-born star almost went on strike in a bid to move in August but backed down after a public slanging match with the Bayern board. He'll get his wish should Bayern be given the all-clear by Toon to sign their Turkish international Emre in January.
— New Age Desk