Top-seeded Belgian Justin Henin defeated sixth seed Nadia Petrova, 7-6, 6-3 to advance to the semi-finals of the 1.34 million dollar hardcourt tournament on Friday.
   Chinese qualifier Yan Zi also advanced to the semi-finals the US Open tune-up as ailing Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli retired while trailing in their quarter-final clash.
   The world’s top-ranked player, Henin captured one of her 34 career titles here in 2003 before falling to the retired Kim Clijsters in the 2005 final.
   Playing in her first tournament since a surprising collapse in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Henin has been sharp in her first three matches, including a 7-5, 6-2 victory over China’s Peng Shuai.
   Henin has now won 11 of her 13 career meetings with Petrova, including seven of eight on a hard court.
   The two also squared off here in 2003, with the 2003 US Open champion recording a straight-sets victory in the third round.
   Petrova, who dropped just five games in dumping No 10 Patty Schnyder on Thursday, last beat Henin in 2006 in the final of the claycourt Berlin Open.
   In the semi-finals, Henin will face Yan, was leading the seventh-seeded Frenchwoman 6-2, 3-0 when Bartoli decided she couldn’t continue. The 22-year-old from China was coming off a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 victory over Greece’s Eleni Daniilidou on Thursday. She also upset No. 4 Ana Ivanovic in the second round.
   On the other side of the draw, second seed Jelena Jankovic moved into the semi-finals by defeating Virginie Razzano of France, 7-5, 6-2.
   The Serbian, who posted a 6-2, 6-3 victory over No. 13 Sybille Bammer on Thursday, is looking for her fifth title of the year.
   Jankovic said the blustery winds made playing difficult.
   ‘We were, you know, both struggling a little bit because with this kind of windy conditions, the balls are not going quite where you want them to go. And especially in the serve, when you toss the ball, you have a little bit of difficulties,’ she said.
   ‘My main focus was on the movement, to really move my feet and try to get behind the ball the best as possible, and really be focused out there. Watch the ball carefully because it’s moving everywhere, so you really have to be focused. And you cannot let your concentration go down.’
   Jankovic had battled a stomach ailment on Thursday, but said she was feeling better.
   ‘I took some medicine before I went on court, just for precaution, I didn’t want to have the same like yesterday,’ she said. ‘It’s not the best thing, but I felt fine during my match.’
   Jankovic will meet No. 12 Tatiana Golovin, who upset third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
   It was the second win for the Frenchwoman in three career meetings with Kuznetsova.

Marco Materazzi has finally broken his silence to reveal the exact phrase that prompted Zinedine Zidane to head-butt him in the World Cup final.
   The two men have always been cagey about what was said that day in Berlin on July 9 2006, although Zizou had hinted it was an insult to the women in his family.
   Over a year later, Materazzi has confessed the precise words that ended the Frenchman’s career in disgrace. The players were tugging each other’s shirts during a set-piece in the Italian penalty area when Zidane turned to Materazzi and said ‘If you really want my shirt, you can have it after the match.’
   At this point Matrix admits he responded by saying: ‘I’d prefer your slut of a sister.’
   Zidane took a few more paces, turned and head-butted the defender in the chest, prompting his dismissal.
   The revelation came in an interview with Italian magazine ‘TV Sorrisi e Canzoni’ and ends months of speculation.
   At first there had been suggestions there were racist elements to his comment, but it seems to have been more basic trash-talk on the field of play. It still earned Materazzi a two-match ban from FIFA for ‘provocation’, just one less than his aggressor Zidane’s three-match suspension.
   ‘I tried to learn from my mistakes,’ added the Inter star. ‘I have stepped over the line in the past and I apologised for that. I have matured.’
   The question marks over what exactly was said even prompted a joke book written along with Materazzi and all the proceeds are going to charity.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez may be claiming that Chelsea’s visit to Anfield is just another three points on offer but the fact that he is willing to risk Steven Gerrard’s toe injury demonstrates the scale of this fixture, just a week into the new campaign.
   The inspirational Reds skipper may need injections in the problem – a hairline fracture on the big toe of his right foot – suffered in a challenge from Achille Emana in the 1-0 Champions League qualifier first leg in Toulouse in midweek.
   The 27-year-old has been withdrawn from England’s friendly against Germany next week and may even be absent from Liverpool’s trip to Sunderland next weekend but his inclusion for today’s match is a major statement of intent from the Reds’ boss.
   With Liverpool having knocked Chelsea out at the semi-final stage of the Champions League in the last two seasons only adding to the antipathy between the sides, the Reds know that a victory would be a major early blow to their title rivals, having invested £50 million in the hope of launching a sustained challenge to end their 17-year wait for the league title.
   Benitez knows Gerrard will be vital. ‘If we push him a little bit now because it is a very important game, maybe he will need to rest after the game. It’s not serious but it’s also something we need to be careful about,’ said the manager.
   While urging Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to remember his promise of last month to keep a lower profile, Benitez insists his main focus is on his team’s performances. ‘He said he will not talk about other teams but maybe he forgot,’ he added.
   ‘We (him and Mourinho) are not important. We need to talk about Gerrard and John Terry because all of these things are much better for the game.
   ‘Winning against Aston Villa, was just one game. Now we’re talking about our second game and it’s important to win and it’s important to win against the top sides because you will send a message but it is just another game.’

When Sven-Goran Eriksson took charge at Manchester City this summer it is unlikely he looked forward towards his first derby meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson with a feeling of optimism.
   Yet just six weeks into his new job, the City manager and his players go into today’s clash with the champions on a high in stark contrast to his opposite number’s more troubled mood.
   Two wins out of two have handed Eriksson the perfect start and helped consign the memory of last season’s brush with relegation to history.
   Ferguson, meanwhile, has been forced to watch his expensively-assembled side stutter during the start of their title defence and successive draws mean they already lie four points off the pace.
   And to add to the Old Trafford manager’s concerns, he has already lost two of his most important players with Wayne Rooney out with a broken foot and Cristiano Ronaldo facing a three-match ban after getting sent off at Portsmouth last week.
   The opening results mean that for the first time in 29 years, City will go into the derby knowing they will stay above United in the league table no matter what the outcome of today’s fiercely-contested clash.

India made a steady start in response to England Lions’ imposing 298-8, reaching 32-0 after 6.5 overs before rain stopped play at Northampton.
   Robin Uthappa made 12 not out and Sourav Ganguly was unbeaten on 18 before the weather intervened and the match had to be
   abandoned.
   Half centuries by Vikram Solanki and Luke Wright set up England after India skipper Mahendra Dhoni chose to
   field.
   Three wickets by Ramesh Powar put the brakes on the Lions mid-innings before the lower order boosted the total.
   Captain Solanki made 60 and Wright showed the form that won him a place in England’s World Twenty20 squad with 56 off 40 balls.
   Darren Maddy’s was the first wicket to fall when he chipped Ajit Agarkar to Munaf Patel at mid-on for five.
   Solanki was hit by a Zaheer Khan bouncer in the next over but after that he and Wright cruised along at a run a ball, until the latter attempted to flick a Powar delivery off his legs but edged to Dhoni.
   Power then had Ian Bell (21) caught by Agarkar and had Owais Shah (1) lbw before Solanki was trapped lbw by Piyush Chawla as the Lions lost three wickets for five runs.
   Ravi Bopara (37) and wicket-keeper Paul Nixon (39) led the recovery before Nixon walked following a stumping appeal, while Bopara’s careful innings came to an end when he top-edged to point.
   Chris Schofield (35) and Tim Bresnan (32 not out) then scored at more than a run a ball to set India an imposing victory target of 297.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said Saturday that it had recruited a former Australian rugby trainer to the support staff of the national team.
   David Dwyer would join fellow Australian Geoff Lawson, who is due to arrive in Pakistan Monday as coach, in time for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, it said.
   ‘We advertised the post for the trainer of the national cricket team and have finalised David Dwyer who is an accomplished name in fitness training in Australia,’ PCB director of operations Zakir Khan told AFP.
   Lawson replaced Englishman Bob Woolmer who died during Pakistan’s flopped campaign in the 50-over World Cup held in the Caribbean in March.
   Khan said Dwyer’s experience will help boost fitness levels – an area the Pakistani cricketers find a particular challenge.
   ‘Dwyer is an experienced professional and was selected after thorough research and we have taken feedback from Lawson as well,’ said Khan of Dwyer, who will fly out to Lahore alongside Lawson to join the team next week.
   Dwyer will arrive on a two-year contract and will replace South African Murray Stephenson whose contract was not renewed after Pakistan’s first-round exit from the World Cup.
   Pakistan will begin a short training camp next week before leaving for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup starting in South Africa from September 11.

Andrew Flintoff reckoned the best years of his career could still be ahead of him as he prepared for his England return during the upcoming one-day series against India.
   Injury problems have beset the all-rounder since he played a leading role in England’s 2005 Ashes success but, following a fresh bout of surgery on his troublesome left ankle in May, he is due to face India in Southampton on Tuesday in the first of seven one-day internationals.
   Flintoff told Saturday’s edition of Britain’s Sun newspaper, ‘I believe the injury could actually help extend my career because I feel mentally very fresh. I won’t be playing when I’m 50 but I’m only 29 and there’s a lot left in me. I hope my best years are ahead of me.’
   For all his Ashes triumphs in England, it was a different story for Flintoff come the return series in Australia during the 2006-07 season.
   Then at the World Cup, which followed England’s tour of Australia, he was stripped of the vice-captaincy after a drinking session ended with him going out on a pedalo in the early hours of the morning in St Lucia.
   ‘For two or three years, most things went the way I wanted,’ said Flintoff. ‘But I’ve had some setbacks with injury, losing the Ashes, struggling in the World Cup – and even the pedalo business.’
   He added, ‘But I really feel I can get better.
   My bowling is improving and I’ve been working hard on my batting.
   ‘The ankle feels great.
   ‘The op was something I needed and everyone is pleased with what I’ve been able to do since.’

Stepping up their player signing up drive, the Indian Cricket League has wooed Mohammad Asif with a more lucrative second offer of Rs 10 crore, local media reported on Saturday.
   ‘The ICL has offered Asif Rs 100 million for a three-year contract and the pacer is carefully assessing the various aspects of the offer before taking a decision next week,’ the Dawn reported on Saturday quoting Pakistan Cricket Board sources.
   The ICL had last month offered Rs 9 crore each to Asif and fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar which they had refused.
   The sources also said the PCB was concerned about the congregation of several Pakistan players in London and were wary of their intentions to join the rebel League.

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne is investigating whether he qualifies for a German passport so he can play county cricket in England as a non-overseas player, it was reported here on Friday.
   ‘My mother was German. She came over to Australia when she was, I think, four or five,’ the spinner told the BBC.
   ‘With only one overseas (player) next year, it’s something we’re looking at.’
   English county sides are currently allowed to have two overseas players at present, but that will be reduced to one next summer.
   Players holding European Union passports do not, however, count towards the quota.
   Warne’s South African team-mate Nic Pothas qualifies through Greek ancestry and New Zealander Hamish Marshall is playing for Gloucestershire on an Irish passport.
   If Warne were able to obtain dual nationality, it would enable Hampshire to look elsewhere for someone to fill their overseas vacancy.
   ‘There’s been some amazing things happen here in England with people to play as locals, and all that sort of stuff, so it’s something we’re investigating. We’ll just have to find out what happens with that,’ he added.
   Meanwhile, India Test batsman VVS Laxman is relishing taking on master spinner Shane Warne in the English County Championship next week.
   Laxman, fresh from helping India to a Test series win over England, will make his debut as a Lancashire player against Warne’s Hampshire at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
   The clash will bring back memories of Laxman’s 281 that helped win the Kolkata Test match against Australia in 2001 where India stunned Australia – Shane Warne included – with a 171-run victory despite being made to follow on.

The Samsung Divisional Karate Competition, sponsored by Electra International and organised by Bangladesh Karate Federation, concluded at the National Sports Council gymnasium on Saturday.
   Iftekhar Hossain of Dhaka won the gold of the individual kata while Rehana Akhter Munni grabbed the women’s kata gold. Hossain Ali of Chittagong bagged the gold in the -50kg weight category while Mariam Khatun was the best in the -43kg female section. Shahzada Babu was the best karateka in the -45kg category and Sultana Parvin was the best among the women in -48kg category.
   Md Abdul Karim, the federation president, distributed the prizes as the chief guest. Divisional commissioner of Dhaka Ekram Ahmed, chairman of the Electra International Md Sanaullah Shahid, chairman of BRTC Hedayetullah al Mamun and JICA representative were present on the occasion.

Roger Federer won’t be over-confident when he faces Lleyton Hewitt in a showcase semi-final Saturday at the Cincinnati Masters, even though he has won his last 10 encounters with the Australian.
   ‘I may have won them, but until last week (Montreal Masters quarter-finals) we hadn’t played for two years,’ said the world number one after overcoming Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Friday.
   ‘There are plenty of guys who can make it hard for me to win here – and they start with Hewitt.’
   The unseeded Hewitt defeated Carlos Moya 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to earn revenge for a loss in the final five years ago at this Midwest event.
   The 26-year-old Australian holds the Las Vegas title from early March and also reached the semi-finals in Hamburg and Austria.
   James Blake will contest the second semi-final after defeating Sam Querrey 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The ninth seed will take on Russian number five Nikolay Davydenko, who beat Spain’s David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4.
   Federer, winner of this title in 2005, said he was happy with his game with little more than a week to go before the start of his US Open defence, despite dropping the second set against 32nd-ranked Almagro.
   Federer beat Hewitt a week ago in the Montreal quarters on the way into a final which he lost to Serb Novak Djokovic.
   While Federer leads Hewitt 12-7 in their career head-to-head, with Hewitt last tasting success in Melbourne Davis Cup play nearly four years ago, the Swiss powerhouse said only their most recent encounter was any gauge.
   ‘For me, it’s 1-0, since we hadn’t played since 2005. It was good to win last week and get an idea of how he plays.’
   Federer was steady on Friday, breaking four times and firing nine aces in the win over Almagro. He produced 23 winners on the way to victory.
   Hewitt knows he’s in for a struggle.
   ‘No one has really been able to figure him out so far, he’s pretty good. He’s obviously a great all-court player,’ said Hewitt.
   ‘He’s got all the shots, and he’s got a great head on his shoulders as well. He’s one of the best players we’ve seen in the modern era.’
   Hewitt said he won’t be counting on any lapse from the other side of the court.
   ‘He doesn’t have too many off-days, where he gives you opportunities, so if you do get those opportunities you really have to take them.’
   Hewitt, renewing his game under the guidance of Federer’s former coach Tony Roche, advanced into his fourth semi-final of the season and also hammered home his potential as a contender at the US Open.
   The 2001 winner at Flushing Meadows, who lifted the Wimbledon title the next year, did not play the New York Grand Slam last year due to injury.
   Roche, in Sydney awaiting the birth of a grandchild, has been working with his new charge over the telephone with great success.

Urging Muttiah Muralitharan to ignore Bishan Singh Bedi’s criticism, former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga said the off-spinner should not react to someone seeking a bit of ‘publicity’.
   ‘Why does Murali want to spend his precious time on a person who may be talking under some influence? He should just think that when a dog bites, you don’t go and bite the dog,’ Ranatunga told a private TV channel.
   ‘So he might as well allow him to go and let him have some publicity. Bedi is a fairly old guy, who loves publicity so let him have that,’ he added.
   Bedi had called Muralitharan the ‘best shotputter in the game’ and a ‘monster created by ICC’. The comments enraged Sri Lanka Cricket, which issued a statement criticising the former Indian spinner.
   Muralitharan also reacted angrily by writing a letter to Bedi, seeking damages worth Rs 27 crore for his ‘derogatory remarks’.
   Bedi, however, remained defiant and said his criticism was targeted at the ICC and should not be seen as a personal attack on Muralitharan.

Mido has admitted he came close to abandoning a move to Middlesbrough after falling under the spell of Sunderland manager Roy Keane.
   Mido held talks with the Black Cats boss as the uncertainty over his future dragged on, before finally electing to join Gareth Southgate’s men for a £6-million fee. He said, ‘It was a tough decision, especially after I met Roy Keane. I was very impressed by the way he played but if you go to meet him you see a totally different person.
   ‘But I decided to come here. It doesn’t mean I do not think Sunderland or Roy Keane will do well. I really think they will, but it was my decision to come here and now I can focus on doing well.’
   The 24-year-old striker also refuted reports that his desire to move away from Tottenham stemmed from a disagreement with Spurs boss Martin Jol.
   ‘I have no problems with Martin Jol,’ he added.
   ‘I believe Martin Jol is a good manager but I wanted to be scoring goals and playing a big role in the team I was in. I didn’t find myself doing that at Spurs, and that is why I decided to leave.’
   Mido will go straight into the Boro squad for Saturday’s trip to Fulham in a move which effectively spells the end of Ayegbeni Yakubu’s Boro career – although Southgate insisted the Nigerian could still figure. Despite his new side’s poor start to the new campaign, Mido insists they are capable of recovering to claim a place in Europe.
   He said, ‘Sometimes players say things they do not really believe, but I really believe this club can finish in the top six.
   ‘After I had spoken to the gaffer, and what he told me about his plans and how ambitious he is with the team, it is easy to see how this club is ambitious and how it has got that sort of quality.’
   Meanwhile, Southgate claimed he was delighted to land the kind of outspoken character which he believes his current dressing room badly lacks.
   Southgate said, ‘If you haven’t got players who will stand up and fight you have got a problem.
   ‘It is no issue for me at all. In fact it is one of the reasons why I saw Mido and thought he would be perfect for this club.’

Mark Boucher will have to wait a while longer to discover his fate after Cricket South Africa adjourned his disciplinary hearing to a date that is yet to be confirmed.
   Boucher appeared before CSA’s Disciplinary Commissioner, Michael Kuper SC, at a hearing on Friday after allegations by the board that he had breached the players’ code of conduct on five occasions in the course of comments attributed to him in an article published in Business Day earlier in the week.
   In the article, Boucher supported Jacques Kallis, who resigned as vice-captain of South Africa after he was excluded from the squad for the Twenty20 World Championship to be staged in South Africa in September.
   Boucher was quoted by the newspaper as suggesting there were ulterior motives for his omission: ‘It is either those who have an issue with him, and have a chip on their shoulders, or those who have ulterior motives.’ He did not elaborate.

Former Indian captain and chairman of the Indian Cricket League board Kapil Dev has promised to reveal the names of players, who have signed up for the rebel series, in a week’s time.
   Kapil made it clear that the process of signing players for the league was still on and he would not reveal any names at this stage.
   ‘It is going on and we just want to be sure that players are happy and confident to play in the new tournament and with a new commitment,’ he told ‘Geo TV’.
   Kapil also made it clear that the league would be held as scheduled despite threats from the BCCI to impose bans on players and denying access to grounds.
   ‘Cricket has to be held and it will be held. We want to give more opportunities to young players. We will have a clearer picture in a week’s time or by the end of the month,’ he said.
   A number of Pakistani cricketers have been linked to the ICL with unconfirmed reports stating that Inzamam-ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat have already signed up for the tournament to be held in October.
   Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan is reportedly working as a coordinator on behalf of the ICL organisers in Pakistan and is in touch with the potential signings.
   Chief selector, Salahuddin Ahmed, however, insisted that the selection committee was not worried about any mass signings.
   ‘All those not picked for the Twenty20 tournament still have a bright future in Pakistan cricket. They should not act in haste and regret their decision later on,’ he added.

Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and opener Imran Farhat have cautioned that if the Pakistan Cricket Board does not change its attitude towards players, then many of them would join the Indian Cricket League.
   Alleging that the national selection committee had shown a biased attitude in selecting the team for the Twenty20 World Cup, Razzaq said the selectors dropped him from the team without offering a solid reason.
   ‘The PCB is creating an uneasy atmosphere for the senior players which is forcing them to quit cricket,’ the Dawn quoted Razzaq as saying.
   ‘If the board continues with the same attitude towards the players, many of them will join the Indian Cricket League,’ he said before leaving for England to play county cricket. Farhat, who has requested the PCB to release him from the players’ central contract, said he took the decision, as he believed he could not get justice from the selectors.
   ‘I am the top scorer of the last Patron’s Cup one-day tournament and four-day events, but I am still being left out of the Twenty20 World Cup,’ said Imran.
   Farhat went on to say that he was being penalised for questioning the selectors about his omission from the off-shore in Abu Dhabi last April. ‘That reflects a biased attitude of the selectors, and so, I have decided not to play until the time a new set up is in place,’ he added.

John Utaka repaid another slice of his club record transfer fee as he inspired Portsmouth’s 3-1 win over Bolton on Saturday.
   Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp paid eight million pounds to sign Utaka from Rennes in the close season and the Nigeria striker already looks a bargain.
   His superb run and finish gave Portsmouth the lead at Fratton Park after he had set up Nwankwo Kanu’s equaliser of Nicolas Anelka’s opener. Matt Taylor put the result beyond doubt with a late penalty.
   While Portsmouth, who held Manchester United on Wednesday, are on the up, Bolton are in disarray after slumping to their third consecutive defeat.
   Sammy Lee was a questionable choice to replace Sam Allardyce given he had no managerial experience and, after years of punching above their weight, bottom of the table Bolton could be in for a relegation battle.
   It had all started so well for Lee’s side. Anelka has been linked with a move to Portsmouth and he showed Redknapp just what he would be getting for his money with a 12th minute strike.
   El Hadji Diouf clipped a pass through to Anelka down the left side on the area and the France striker held off Hermann Hreidarsson before sliding his shot through David James’s legs.
   But that lead lasted just four minutes as Bolton’s defensive frailty cost them dearly.
   Lee’s side had conceded five goals in losing their first two matches and they were sloppy again here.
   Hreidarsson was lucky to get away without conceding a free-kick when he dispossessed Anelka on the halfway line, but that can’t excuse Bolton’s defending from then on.
   Gary O’Neill was granted time to measure a deep cross from the right to Utaka, who was in acres of space at the far post. The Nigerian’s knock-down gave Kanu the chance to bury a close range finish past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
   Kanu recently signed a new contract and the Nigerian’s first goal since February was the perfect way to celebrate.
   It was the Nigerian duo who combined to put Portsmouth in front after half an hour.
   Kanu somehow managed to flick a reverse pass to Utaka while falling to the turf and his compatriot showed tremendous pace as he accelerated away from Nicky Hunt and Gerald Cid.
   Utaka’s composure was perfect as well as he rounded Jaaskelainen before tapping in for his second goal for the club.
   With recalled England defender Sol Campbell missing with a groin injury that could rule him out of Wednesday’s friendly against Germany, Anelka caused Portsmouth plenty of problems and headed just wide before half-time.
   Gary Speed had a chance to equalise on the hour when he timed his run perfectly to meet a Nolan cross, but his header was well saved by James.
   That was as close as Bolton came and Matt Taylor scored the hosts’ third goal in the 88th minute.
   Referee Steve Tanner ruled Cid’s challenge on Kanu was worthy of a spot-kick, even though the French defender appeared to take the ball.
   Taylor gleefully took advantage as he stroked home the penalty to seal the points.

Reigning champions Real Madrid are hoping to consign their shaky pre-season form to the broom cupboard by the time they face city rivals Atletico Madrid in their Spanish league season opener next weekend.
   Under normal circumstances, Real would go into the much-anticipated city derby on August 25 confident of grabbing the honours.
   However, the side which is now under the stewardship of German Bernd Schuster has some catching up to do.
   Atletico’s form has increased steadily since they invested millions in their team following the sale of star striker Fernando Torres to Liverpool. Real, meanwhile, have lost five games in pre-season, including a 1-0 friendly defeat away to Betis on Wednesday.
   The nine-time European champions finally ended a three-match losing streak the following day with an unconvincing 3-1 win over second-division Cadiz in a Carranza Cup semi-final which was lambasted by Spain’s sports press.
   ‘A Madrid without style,’ said sports daily AS in its front page on Friday.
   ‘This Real plays worse and worse with every match,’ wrote rival sports daily Marca. Both newspapers are usually favourable to the Spanish giants.
   Schuster, who replaced the sacked Fabio Capello after he had guided the side to
   the league title, has promised
   to deliver a more
   entertaining, attack-minded style of football.
   But the club’s two new Dutch players, midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who joined from Ajax, and full-back Royston Drenthe, who signed from Feyenoord, are so far struggling to adapt.
   Only the return of injured Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy appears to give fans some hope.
   ‘We are starting from zero. We are trying to change our style of playing. It is difficult and it takes time,’ said van Nistelrooy, who hit the net once during Real’s win over Cadiz.
   The club’s form will be put to the test again on Sunday
   when they take on Sevilla
   in the second leg of the
   Spanish Super Cup at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with the visitors 1-0 up against Real Madrid.
   Across town the mood is upbeat at Atletico Madrid following their 3-0 win over Serbian side Vojvodina on Thursday in the preliminary round of the UEFA Cup with goals from Maxi, Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero.
   Forlan and Aguero played up front together and were supported by Maxi in a performance that impressed Mexican coach Javier Aguirre.
   ‘They gave the impression that they have played together for a long time.
   ‘They are both great players and will do very well this season,’ he said.
   Forlan joined Atletico Madrid from Villarreal as part of a pre-season spending spree by the club that has seen it dish out over 60 million euros ($80 million) so far.
   Among Atletico’s other high-profile signings are winger Simao Sabrosa from Portuguese giants Benfica and midfielder Luis Garcia from English Premiership giants Liverpool. The club finished seventh in the Spanish league last season.
   Despite their string of losses in the pre-season, Real’s Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro believes his side will continue to improve.
   ‘When a new coach comes in you always need some time
   to know what he wants and
   to ensure that the players
   are fit,’ he told reporters on Friday.
   ‘I have faith in this squad because there are a lot of great players. Last year I started badly, but by the end of the season it was all fine. I was at my best during the last three months when we were only focussing on the league,’ he added.

Newcastle striker Michael Owen insists he is ‘100 per centcommitted’ to the club but did not appreciate being pressured into expressing his loyalty by former Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd.
   Owen was linked with a move away from St James’ Park in the summer and then chairman Shepherd demanded the England striker pledge his allegiance to the club after they had stood by him after almost an entire season on the sidelines with a knee injury.
   Shepherd was recently replaced by Chris Mort following Mike Ashley’s takeover of the club. The 27-year-old did not respond to Shepherd’s call for a public declaration of loyalty at the time but has now reiterated his desire to remain in the north-east.
   He told The Mag: ‘I have only ever said positive things about Newcastle and always been 100 per cent committed.
   ‘Whenever I have been doubted I’ve always responded the best way I know by scoring goals. But I’m stubborn and won’t be bullied into saying things.
   ‘I don’t feel I should keep coming out every week and saying I’m loving this, that or the other. There was no speculation until various pieces came out in the media saying ‘if Michael Owen doesn’t say this, then I’ll tell him that Chelsea and Liverpool aren’t interested...’
   ‘My management company used to get phone calls from boardroom level saying I haven’t done this or I haven’t done that, or we want more interviews on this.
   ‘But when I’m injured I just put up a shield and take the abuse and remember who said it.’
   Shepherd said in May: ‘I’m telling Michael he has two choices. He either comes out and tells our fans, who have taken him to their hearts, that he is happy here or I tell him that not one of the big four clubs, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool, are interested in him.’
   Owen, who is in the Newcastle squad for today’s Premier League game against Aston Villa after overcoming a thigh injury, joined the club in a reported £17million deal with Real Madrid in August 2005.
   Shepherd claimed there had been a £9.5million buy-
   out clause in Owen’s contract when he signed for the Magpies, but that it expired at the end of July.

Javier Mascherano warned Liverpool that Carlos Tevez will be a huge success at Manchester United.
   World Cup star Mascherano, who quit West Ham last January, has been a success at Anfield and now Tevez is desperate to follow his example.
   Mascherano told the Daily Mirror, ‘The arrival of Carlos is a double-edged sword. I am happy for him but because he has gone to a rival club I am worried about him because he can do great things.
   ‘Carlos is an explosive forward and is able to unbalance any defence. He is a big danger to everyone in this league.’
   Mascherano said both he and his international team-mate had to be strong to withstand their torrid first few months in England.
   ‘Those early months (at West Ham) were terrible for us because the coach did not have confidence in us but now we are seeing what Carlos can do,’ he said.
   ‘He needed that chance, just as I did, to adjust to England and to start playing regularly. That builds up your confidence and belief in your ability to succeed.’
   Now, with Tevez at Old Trafford, Mascherano is expecting a healthy rivalry.
   ‘United have some great attacking players with Carlos, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
   ‘They are all quick, fast and will get a strong under standing between them,’ he said.
   But Mascherano is quick to point out that Liverpool are hardly badly off for strikers.
   ‘We have good players at Liverpool, players who can make us successful,’ he said.
   ‘And a great player like Fernando Torres will have a positive effect for us.’

Mikel Arteta is no Miro or Picasso but he went to Paris as a teenager with a prosaic reputation and a desire to explore new boundaries.
   It is difficult to contemplate now – following the stylish Everton midfielder’s display of flair and guile that put paid to Wigan and Tottenham this week – but in Spain the fragile-looking Arteta emerged as a pivot, a defensive midfielder in Barcelona’s B team.
   Yet, stuck behind Camp Nou idol Pep Guardiola and overshadowed by Xavi and Iniesta, it made sense to break ranks and in Paris, with Saint-Germain, one of today’s most creative football artists shaped his talents.
   Under the often harsh tutelage of former France midfielder Luis Fernandez, Arteta was thrown in alongside Jay-Jay Okocha and a skilful Brazilian with a burgeoning reputation by the name of Ronaldinho.
   ‘I had a fantastic year in Paris,’ said Arteta, now 25.
   ‘Until then I had been purely defensive minded, a (Claude) Makelele. But Fernandez made me think about what I did with the ball. I had Jay-Jay alongside me and Ronaldinho in front. Ronnie was a majestic guy but I never envisaged his career would explode at Barcelona the way it did.
   ‘I learned so much there but Fernandez almost did me in. It’s no joke. He is a great guy but he wanted to control everything. He liked to push his players hard and he fell out with Ronnie as a result.’
   The education served Arteta well. He learned the language (he now speaks six), was voted France’s foreign player of the year and persuaded Rangers to invest £6 million in his talents.
   He first caught David Moyes’ eye at Ibrox but had joined Real Sociedad by the time Moyes was ensconced as Everton manager. However, Moyes got his man and is reaping the benefits as the country begins to take notice.
   The Everton manager said, ‘I always thought he was a decent player. But I was not sure whether he could play with another player in the middle of the park. I must say I am surprised with the way Mikel has come through and improved a lot since we signed him. But I think we changed him as well.’
   Concerns arose that Arteta, at around 11 stone, was too light.
   But, for a San Sebastian-born Basque – bred to fight against odds – he has been savvy enough to adjust to the Premier League’s physical obstacles.
   Midfield minder Lee Carsley said, ‘He’s a class act. Other teams are trying to combat him by closing him down quickly but he’s used to it. He will have that throughout his career.’
   Arteta added, ‘I don’t think it’s too difficult for Spaniards to adapt if you have got pace and you know how to look after yourself on the pitch.
   ‘The guys who have the worst job are defenders. It’s a demanding position. They don’t have time to raise their head as there will be some 6ft-3in centre-forwards as hard as rock coming right at them. It’s why Spanish defenders such as Hierro and Campo ended up in midfield instead.’
   Arteta’s establishment on Merseyside has undoubtedly been helped by his boyhood friend Xabi Alonso being at rivals Liverpool – the two are neighbours in the city’s Albert Dock apartment complex – and the friendship he has struck up with team-mates Nuno Valente and Anderson da Silva. ‘The Three Amigos’ even sang Iberian songs as a trio on the club’s pre-season trip to America.
   His girlfriend, former Miss Spain Lorena Bernal, is pursuing a TV career in Los Angeles but it has not deterred Arteta from pledging his future to Everton with a new five-year contract – even though it may, he believes, cost him a call to the national team.
   ‘There is a price to pay for choosing not to play for one of the big four,’ he said. ‘Maybe I’d have a better chance with the Spain coach if I’d moved but I’m happy with my choice. If you play well and are successful the prizes will follow.’
   It’s a commitment greatly appreciated by Everton fans, who demand he is given the ball from the kick-off. He has been taken to their hearts as they see him as a throwback to when Everton were renowned for skill more than doggedness.
   His name has even been supplanted in well-worn jokes as one wag phoned a radio show this week to say, ‘I caught Mikel Arteta in bed with the missus this week. I said to him, “Do you want bacon and eggs or cereal in the morning?”’
   Chairman Bill Kenwright said, ‘I’d go anywhere to watch the Spaniard. Mikel has become such an extraordinary member of this football club.’
   It’s been an eventful journey so far but the artist known around Goodison Park as Arteta may have found the perfect canvas to work on.

At an altitude of 35,000 feet, in the night sky above Germany, the husky tones of William Gallas breathed through the intercom of the Boeing 757 bringing Arsenal home from their win in Prague: ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘This is your captain speaking.’
   A cheer rippled down the plane and moments later, after completing his mid-air message of thanks to team-mates and supporters, Gallas emerged from the cockpit beaming.
   The French defender is basking in the responsibility after being asked to captain a football team for the first time in his adult life.
   Before the game against Sparta Prague, he gathered the players for a lengthy pep talk and then called them together again for a victory huddle at the end.
   He is trying to learn more about the staff who work behind the scenes at Arsenal while developing his relationship with manager Arsene Wenger. The former Chelsea defender has also moved his home across London in an attempt to banish his unwanted reputation for poor time-keeping.
   Gallas said, ‘Last season I was late for training sometimes because of how far away I lived. But at the start of the season I said to everyone you will see that I won’t be late again. There is a new William Gallas this season. I have been at Arsenal for a year now and I am moving on.
   ‘At the start of the season I moved to Hampstead, which is just Before I lived in Wimbledon, which took me more than an hour to get to training every morning.’
   Wenger warned Gallas last week that his captain must lead by example off the pitch as well as on it.
   ‘I will try to do my best,’ said Gallas. ‘I have to work a lot on that side of things but I am ready for it. Everything will be OK. It’s a new responsibility for me. I was a captain when I was very young, it was the first team I played for, a local team called AVG. But I was so young, about 10 years old. After that I went to Clairefontaine, to Caen, to Marseille and I was never captain again.
   ‘I always looked up to the players that could take responsibility, on the pitch and outside the pitch. They are the warriors. They want to put their team in front. But sometimes you also get the sort of captain that has a lot of quality and, although he doesn’t talk much, he has a lot of personality.
   ‘For me when you are a captain you have to have both things – presence and personality. And if you don’t have that you have to show that you are a warrior on the pitch.’
   Arsenal tradition means the skipper decides if the team play in long or short sleeves. A long, cold season could lie ahead for the Gunners. Gallas said, ‘There was a game last season and I asked the kit man if I could wear the short sleeve top. He said no, everybody has to follow the captain and he has decided on long sleeves. That’s a really good idea because everyone looks the same on the pitch.
   ‘Perhaps the players will not be so pleased with me, though, because I always like to play in short sleeves, even in the winter. If you are cold it makes you run more.’
   Gallas insists the captaincy will not persuade him to curb his own outspoken style. ‘If I have to say something I will say it,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to change.’
   He has inherited the armband because Thierry Henry decided to leave for Barcelona after eight years in north London.
   ‘He was part of the reason I signed,’ admitted Gallas. ‘So I was a little bit sad but that’s the life of a footballer. People move on.
   ‘What I can say is that he wanted to leave and only he knows why. I think we have to accept that. I know it’s not easy for the fans to see him go, but now we look forward.
   ‘He called me after he had played his first game for Barcelona. He scored but he was just happy to be back playing again. It was a long time for him without playing.’
   The new job could not have started better for Arsenal’s new skipper, lifting two pre-season trophies and starting the Premier League and Champions League campaigns with gutsy wins.
   Gallas said, ‘For me we don’t have any weaknesses. We have 23 or 24 players and all of them can play in the first team. What we have now, more than before, is that we are stronger in our mind. That is really important for me. We really want to play for each other.
   ‘We have talked a lot and have worked hard on that (physical) side of the game. I hope and I think that this season, against those sorts of teams, we will have the answers.’
   Blackburn tomorrow will provide the stiffest test yet for captain Gallas and a team determined to prove they are mature enough to overcome opponents who frustrate their passing style.

A bust of Sir Alf Ramsey is to be commissioned by the Football Association and placed in the tunnel at Wembley to inspire the current generation of England players.
   ‘It will be a message that England have scaled peaks before, and can scale
   them again,’ said Brian Barwick, the chief executive of the FA, Friday.
   The bust of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning manager will be made by Philip Jackson, the distinguished sculptor who designed the stunning Bobby Moore statue outside Wembley which attracts huge crowds of admirers.
   Although situated outside the dressing rooms, pictures of the Ramsey bust will be beamed up on Wembley’s big screens.

Lyon defender Fabio Grosso could end his international hiatus after being named in Roberto Donadoni’s Italy squad for a friendly against Hungary in Budapest on Wednesday.
   The match is Italy’s final warm-up before the much-anticipated Euro 2008 qualifier against 2006 World Cup final rivals France, to be played on September 8 in Milan. Donadoni has decided to rest midfielders Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta, while Juventus midfielder Mauro Camoranesi is still absent while he recovers from injury.
   All three absences mean that Roma’s highly-rated young midfielder Alberto Aquilani gets his chance, having been injured for much of last season.
   Squad
   Goalkeepers: Marco Amelia, Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Curci; Defenders: Andra Barzagli, Fabio Cannavaro, Fabio Grosso, Marco Materazzi, Massimo Oddo, Cristian Zaccardo, Gianluca Zambrotta; Midfielders: Massimo Ambrosini, Alberto Aquilani, Aimo Diana, Gennaro Gattuso, Angelo Palombo, Andrea Pirlo; Strikers: Alessandro Del Piero, Antonio Di Natale, Filippo Inzaghi, Fabio Quagliarella, Luca Toni.

Paolo Maldini heads into his final season as a player and wants to end his career with the Champions League in his hands once again.
   ‘As far as I am concerned, the Intercontinental Cup is an important goal, but it is not the primary one of our campaign. I reserve that place for the Champions League,’ said the captain.
   Back in May the legendary defender won the competition for the fifth time in his career, but this will be his last chance to add to that, as he has said he will retire in June 2008, when he’ll turn 40.
   ‘We want to be the world club champions again, but it is unthinkable to get there by playing badly in Serie A and Europe.’
   The Rossoneri are the reigning continental chiefs after their 2-1 victory over Liverpool in Athens and travel to Tokyo in December for the Club World Cup tournament. Maldini has spent his entire career at Milan, making his official debut in a 1-1 draw with Udinese on January 20, 1985.
   At club level he has won seven Scudetti, five European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, four European Super Cups, one Coppa Italia and five Italian Super Cups. He will not be able to take part in the first games of the season, including the European Super Cup clash with UEFA winners Sevilla in Monaco on August 31, due to injury.
   ‘I will return in September, after I have had thorough medical tests,’ confirmed Maldini.

Football star David Beckham insisted again on Friday that the long travel required for his international duty won’t negatively affect his performance either for England or the Los Angeles Galaxy.
   ‘I don’t think it would affect my performance for my country nor the Galaxy,’ said Beckham, who joined the Major League Soccer club last month.
   ‘I’ve handled the travelling pretty well so far. It’s something that I’ve not being used to in my career. Playing in Europe, we’ve only had to travel an hour, two hours to play.’
   The 32-year-old midfielder, in New York for the Galaxy’s Saturday match with the New York Red Bulls, will travel to England Sunday to play against Germany in a friendly at Wembley on Wednesday. He will then fly back the following day to Los Angeles for a game against Los Angeles rivals Chivas USA in the evening.
   ‘I haven’t done that since I was probably eight years, nine years old when we played games Saturdays and Sundays. It’s definitely going to be difficult,’ Beckham admitted. ‘Hopefully I can have some rest on the plane. Everybody knows I want to play as many games possible for England.’
   Despite its friendly tag, Beckham said any match against Germany is serious business.
   ‘I’m not sure any game at Wembley against Germany is a friendly,’ he said. ‘They’re a great team. They’ve got great tradition. Last time we played them at Wembley, they beat us 1-0.’
   Beckham, who arrived Stateside nursing a left ankle injury and has, therefore, gotten off to a slow start in the MLS, scored his first goal for the Galaxy in their SuperLiga semi-final against DC United on Wednesday, striking with a free-kick in the 27th minute.
   ‘I was a little tired after the game,’ he said. ‘My first training session was on Tuesday and my first game was on Wednesday. That’s the first time I ran and kicked the ball like I wanted. Hopefully my ankle will hold up like it did. It felt good. It felt strong.’
   In Wednesday’s match, Beckham took over as captain, a title previously held by US striker Landon Donovan.
   ‘David and Landon had a discussion,’ Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop said. Landon was honoured to pass the captaincy to David who has earned the right to be captain at all the teams he’s played on, including this one. It was a great gesture by Landon and greatly accepted by David.’
   Asked if he was becoming familiar with the MLS style of play, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid standout said he still had work to do.
   ‘My knowledge of MLS is not as good as it was for European teams. I’m still learning. I came to America not only to be a player, but to be an ambassador and take football to another level.
   ‘I’m not silly enough to sit up here and say it’s going to become bigger than baseball, basketball or American football,’ Beckham added. ‘If we can raise it to a certain level, to a level that it’s never been. I think so far we’re succeeding.’
   Drawing paparazzi like movie stars, Beckham and Spice Girl wife Victoria regularly find their way onto tabloid and magazine covers. Yet, Beckham sees the glitz and glamour as an advantage for the 11-year-old American league.
   ‘It’s not a bad thing to have the celebrity side come out in the sport,’ he said. ‘The attention we get is a bonus for MLS. Part of the world had never heard of MLS until now. We’ve had sell out crowds, that hasn’t happened for a number of years in the MLS. We have to keep it going and not let it die down.’

Fernando Torres has warned Chelsea: I’m dying to face you!
   Liverpool’s £21.5-million star insists he has been targeting a showdown with the Blues since the day he signed.
   Torres, 23, has barely been able to think about anything else other than his Anfield debut against one of the Kop’s biggest rivals.
   The Spanish ace told The Sun, ‘The match against Chelsea at Anfield is the game that I’ve been most excited about playing in since I signed for Liverpool.
   ‘It looks like the Champions League matches at Anfield and the big ones in the league like facing Chelsea will be indescribable.
   ‘I’ve been told I have to be there in person to live and feel the moment when the fans at Anfield sing “You’ll never walk alone”.
   ‘I haven’t heard the Liverpool fans singing a song for me yet but I hope to play well enough to convince them to dedicate a song for me.’
   Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho considered signing Torres from Atletico Madrid last year before deciding the hitman’s services were not required.
   But Kop chief Rafa Benitez had no doubts and now Torres knows he must prove his manager was right to make him the most expensive buy in Liverpool’s history.
   Torres added, ‘I’ve noticed that as the club’s record signing people have a lot of desire to see me and they’ve placed a lot of hope in me.
   ‘Their demands on me will come during the games. It’s true that if the first goal is a long time coming, it could be added pressure.
   ‘At the moment I don’t feel under pressure to score. It’s important to be integrating into the team and getting used to the style of play.
    ‘I’ll try to make sure the goals come quickly as obviously that’s important but I’m focusing on doing what the coach asks of me. I’m sure of I do, then the goals will come.’
   Torres was such a sensation in Spain as Atletico captain that he used to get mobbed wherever he went. But he is planning a walkabout through Liverpool’s city centre as he continues to get to know his new home – and the Scousers that adore him.
   He revealed, ‘The fans are enthusiastic about me and always wish me the best. They’re really passionate about their team but, although they recognise you in the street, they don’t bother you.
   ‘I want to see if I can walk through the town centre calmly. I’ve been here barely a month but everything is going easier than I thought.
   ‘At the moment the most complicated thing is adapting to the style of play in the Premier League, which is more physical. In a month I’ve learned the basics to speak with my team-mates.’
   Torres has been inundated with requests from Spain for tickets for the Chelsea cruncher – and he is hunting a mansion so he can accommodate the flood of visitors hoping to fly over.

Rafael Benitez insists he ‘does not enjoy’ his war of words with Jose Mourinho but the Liverpool boss could not resist responding to his Chelsea counterpart’s jibes ahead of the first major showdown of the season.
   The pair resume their fierce rivalry on Sunday when Mourinho brings his team to Anfield.
   The colourful Portuguese did not even wait for the season to start before declaring the pressure was really on Benitez to deliver following the Spaniards’ £40-million summer spending spree.
   But the Reds’ boss retorted, ‘I thought Jose had said he wouldn’t be talking about other clubs this season. Maybe he’s already forgotten that.’
   Benitez insists one summer of increased activity has not changed a thing.
   He said, ‘You only have to look at who are the clubs who have spent most over the last five seasons, and there are two, Chelsea and Manchester United, and they have won most of the trophies.
   ‘If you analyse who finished top of the table last season, who have spent more money in those years, it is clear and simple there are two teams ahead of the others in terms of money, spending and also titles won.
   ‘And I always say that (Chelsea owner Roman) Abramovich has done a really a good job, that is the key!’
   The Liverpool manager feels under no more pressure now than before he spent big this summer.
   He said, ‘I do not feel more pressure because I have bought players, and I would rather it was not about me and Jose all the time, I would prefer it to be about Gerrard, (Chelsea captain John) Terry and the other players – they are more important than us.
   ‘I do not really enjoy the exchanges that have gone on between me and Jose, I would prefer there to be none. He has a fine squad with great players, and I think we will be okay together this season.
   ‘We are both professionals and we have our responsibilities. But it is better if we do not talk too much about each other.
   ‘I really don’t enjoy it and want to concentrate on my team, I do not like talking about other managers every day.’
   What Benitez does want is a level of consistency this season, rather than the occasional stunning performance against big opponents.
   Last term Liverpool beat Chelsea in the league and the Champions League semi-finals, but were 15 points behind them and 21 behind champions Manchester United.

Arsene Wenger has backed his young side to prove that they now have the physical attributes to succeed in the Premiership when they face Blackburn at Ewood Park today.
   Arsenal, having sold former captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona during the closed season, started the season brightly last Sunday by fighting back from a goal down to beat Fulham 2-1 at the Emirates.
   Although the Gunners go in search of their fourth win in five league visits to Blackburn, Mark Hughes’s men have often proven a tough opponent for Wenger’s team.
   Blackburn’s committed approach has at times frustrated Arsenal, who lost in the FA Cup at Ewood Park last term, and Wenger has in the past complained about their apparent over-physical tactics.
   The Arsenal manager insists that his players are now fully-equipped to handle anything that Blackburn choose to throw at them today, however.
   He said, ‘It is a different Arsenal now. They are not going to let other teams kick them off the pitch.
   ‘Teams reflect the character of their managers and yes, of course, Blackburn have the aggression of Mark Hughes. But we are not worrying about that. We will worry about how we play not how they play.
   ‘Last year, we had the team that committed the fewest fouls in the league. They have shown they will fight for each other and that is so very important.’ Blackburn launched their campaign with a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough last Saturday and followed it up with a UEFA Cup victory against Finnish outfit MyPa-47 in midweek.
   And after being billed as potential challengers to break up the established top four and claim a Champions League spot this season, the club’s Norwegian winger Morten Gamst Pedersen admits that Rovers have set high targets.
   He said, ‘The Premier League is the priority because we want to finish as high up as possible, but the Champions League will always be the target.

Pippo Inzaghi’s brace handed Milan the prestigious Trofeo Berlusconi in a 2-0 victory over old rivals Juventus at San Siro.
   The 17th edition of this friendly tournament at San Siro was without the injured Kaka, Ronaldo, Tiago Mendes and David Trezeguet, so Clarence Seedorf started in the Trequartista role for the Rossoneri. After three minutes Zdenek Grygera did well to tackle the Dutchman inside the area.
   The Turin giants were immediately aggressive with Vincenzo Iaquinta brought down by Kakha Kaladze on the edge of the box and Sergio Almiron drilling just wide.
   Milan also pushed forward, as Massimo Oddo set up Pippo Inzaghi’s diving header to bring a great save out of Gianluigi Buffon.
   Alessandro Del Piero had a fantastic chance when he ran on to Pavel Nedved’s pass and put two defenders on the ground, but Kaladze bravely flung himself at the shot. Antonio Nocerino’s strike was also deflected off target.
   An Andrea Pirlo free-kick fell to Inzaghi, who was closed down by a desperate Domenico Criscito tackle, and Oddo hit a first-time finish over. The old Milan problems continued, as Inzaghi and Alberto Gilardino often crossed paths and held each other up.
   Nocerino has been impressive in pre-season, but his error sent Inzaghi clear and Buffon smothered the strike.
   Buffon was not so prepared soon after, as Inzaghi’s splendid glancing header at the near post turned in Massimo Ambrosini’s cross from the left. The Juventus defence made a mess of this situation, as Jorge Andrade and Criscito lost sight of SuperPippo in his first start since the Champions League final in Athens.
   Del Piero’s confidence was at an all-time high, as he repeatedly dribbled past sets of Rossoneri defenders, including a nutmeg on Oddo.
   Both coaches made changes at the break. Claudio Ranieri appears to have abandoned the experiment of Tiago Mendes alongside Sergio Almiron, as it proved very disappointing, so he fielded the former Chelsea midfielder with Nocerino instead.
   Within 58 seconds Milan had doubled their lead with Inzaghi yet again. A corner-kick was flicked on by Gilardino to the back post for Inzaghi to come sliding in.

Barcelona’s Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o on Friday rejected the ‘Fantastic Four’ label given by the media to him and the Spanish club’s three other star strikers.
   The nickname, a reference to a series of movies based on four comic book superheroes, started being used after Thierry Henry joined Eto’o, Brazil’s Ronaldinho and Argentina’s Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
   ‘It is flattering but that can be a bit deceiving, look what happened to the “Galacticos”,’ said Eto’o, referring to the nickname given to Real Madrid after they signed a series of star players at the start of the decade.
   Despite spending millions to sign Portugal’s Luis Figo, Brazil’s Ronaldo, France’s Zinedine Zidane and England’s David Beckham, Real Madrid struggled until they won the Spanish title last season.
   Spain’s sports press on Friday demanded to know what formation Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will use during his side’s first match of the new Primera Liga season on August 26 against Racing Santander.
   The Dutch coach has indicated he is not keen on using the four star strikers at the same time.
   Eto’o said he was aware that with so many top-quality strikers now at Barcelona he will have to start some games on the bench.
   ‘I recognise that all players are egotistical and we always want to play. But we also know that the coach is always looking to do what is best for the team and he always tries to make the best decision,’ the 26-year-old said.
   ‘If some days I am on the bench then I will accept that. The worst thing would be if I was happy with that.’
   Barcelona have won all of their pre-season games and are already being tipped as the favourites for the league title this season but Eto’o urged caution.
   ‘Until now we have played games in pre-season where the objective is to find our best form. We have done well up until now, but playing in the league is not the same. There is something extra there,’ he said.
   Meanwhile, Ronaldinho is convinced this season fans will see an improved Barcelona and a better personal performance.
   Excited by the new additions made in the summer, Ronaldinho said: ‘This season, the team that Barca has created has great potential. We’re now all working very hard to get used to eachother’s play and I am convinced we will again be a winning team this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo has branded his red card at Portsmouth ‘absurd’.
   The Manchester United winger fumed, ‘The replays show there was nothing.
   ‘But I don’t need to look at the pictures, because I know exactly what I did – and that’s nothing to justify a red card.’
   Ronaldo went for butting Pompey’s Richard Hughes.
   But the Portugal star told The Sun, ‘I was pushed in the area.
   ‘He came straight to me, put his hand on my neck and I opened my arms in a “that’s enough” way. We pushed each other but nothing serious.
   ‘We leaned heads against each other but that was all. Absolutely nothing else happened.
   ‘I don’t know what the ref could have seen to send me off, as you can’t even call it aggression.
   ‘When I saw the red card, I couldn’t believe it, the situation was so surreal.
   ‘And it’s absurd because I’m aware that now I’ll sit out a ban for something I didn’t do. I feel dejected and very sad.’

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted that their midweek ordeal against Champions League opponents Toulouse has left him with a selection dilemma for today’s clash with Chelsea.
   The Liverpool manager is hoping his players have recovered from the match that was played in sweltering conditions, approaching 90 degrees, which sapped even the strongest in his squad.
   Benitez is hoping there will be no adverse reaction as he prepares for a match that has a crucial impact on the title race even this early in the campaign.
   ‘I think we will have enough time to recover for the Chelsea match. But we must control the recuperation of the players, and it does not help that it is Chelsea next,’ he said.
   ‘If we were playing another team maybe it would be easier for the players to cope. But against Chelsea you need everyone giving 100 per cent of their ability all the time, so we must monitor the players.
   ‘We will need a couple of training sessions to see how each one of them has recovered. Only then will I be able to see who starts the match against Chelsea.’
   Benitez will rotate his squad again, and the likes of Xabi Alonso, Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuyt, who did not play in Toulouse, are likely to be involved.
   The Liverpool boss may try to play down the significance of the game, suggesting it is too early to make judgements, but defender Steve Finnan makes it clear how important the clash is.

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that the growing animosity from Manchester United’s supporters towards Gabriel Heinze will not sway his decision over whether to select the transfer-seeking Argentinian defender.
   Heinze, 29, is set for a Premier League hearing on Monday that will clarify whether or not he is within his rights to demand a move to United’s bitter rivals Liverpool.
   The former Paris St Germain full-back claims that United gave him permission to seek a transfer for a fee of £6.8m ($13.5 million) earlier while United, who admit to giving Heinze written permission to move, insist that they made it clear that they would not sanction a move to a domestic rival.