Yuvraj Singh on Thursday dismissed comparisons with West Indian legend Gary Sobers after his six sixes in an over kept India alive in the Twenty20 world championships.
   ‘A lot of people tell me I bat like him (Sobers), but I’m not even halfway there,’ the left-hander said. ‘But it’s a great feeling when people tell you that.’
   Yuvraj smashed English fast bowler Stuart Broad for 36 runs in an over at the Kingsmead here on Wednesday night as India romped home by 18 runs in a match they had to win to remain in the semi-final race.
   India must now beat South Africa in the last Super Eights match here on Thursday night to join the hosts and New Zealand with two wins each in group E, the three-way tie to be broken by net run-rates.
   India, who enjoy a superior run-rate (0.20) to New Zealand’s 0.05, need only to beat the formidable South Africans (0.76) to clinch one of the two semi-final places from the group.
   Yuvraj, toasted by millions in his cricket-mad nation, said beating South Africa in their own back yard was not an improbable dream.
   ‘The only Twenty20 game we had played before the world championship was against South Africa in Johannesburg last year and we won that. So it is not impossible,’ the Indian vice-captain said.
   ‘If we play as well as we did against England we can win. We are positive.’
   Yuvraj’s six sixes’ feat in the 19th over gave him the fastest 50 in the tournament off just 12 balls, eight deliveries less than what Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful achieved against the West Indies.
   Broad’s first two balls were swung over fine leg, the third over long-off, the fourth cut over point, the fifth pulled to mid-wicket and the last into the stands at long-on.
   It was only the fourth instance in top cricket that six sixes were hit in an over after Sobers and Ravi Shastri did it in first-class cricket and Herschelle Gibbs in the World Cup earlier this year.
   Yuvraj revealed the fifth six was a mishit. ‘The first one was the longest one. Second one was, I think, square; third one was long-off; fourth was over point; fifth was a mishit over midwicket and sixth was again to long-on,’ he said.
   The left-hander said he thought about six sixes only after the fifth one sailed over the boundary.
   ‘After the fourth six I thought, if I use the crease much better, I’m sure I can hit one more,’ he said. ‘After the fifth I thought that I had to go for the sixth. It’s a great feeling.’
   Yuvraj said he was reminded of the five sixes England’s Dimitri Mascarenhas hit off his bowling during the sixth one-day international at the Oval in London earlier this month.
   ‘I got more phone calls after that over than when I get for scoring a century,’ he said after being named the man of the match.
   ‘So I decided to do something about it and luckily I got my chance today. I just went for the shots and they came off.’
   Yuvraj said he felt sorry for young Broad because he understood what the bowler must have been going through.
   ‘I know how it feels after that Oval game,’ he said. ‘It’s a horrible feeling and Stuart is one of their main bowlers so, I feel sorry for him. He had a horrible day. It can happen to anyone.’
   Yuvraj also said that after his unbelievable six sixes in an over that he was motivated in part by comments Andrew Flintoff had made just before the penultimate over. Without revealing what passed between them, he said that ‘oppositions do have words with each other; it’s part of the game. Outside we’re good friends, but in the game, it’s competitive. I just wanted to give it back with the bat.’
   There can never have been a more eloquent bat than Yuvraj’s. It certainly drew admiration from the defeated England captain, Paul Collingwood. ‘The best striking I’ve ever seen,’ he declared.
   Yuvraj’s own captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, mentioned that he had recently been asked whether Yuvraj was in the team solely for his bowling. ‘I don’t think I have to answer that question now.’
   Meanwhile, former players and Indian media paid tribute to middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh after he became the first man to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 cricket in a World Cup match against England on Wednesday.
    ‘It was a tremendous performance,’ chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar told Reuters on Thursday.
   ‘It was superb, clean hitting. He is a batsman with tremendous potential and has shown all along that he is capable of this.’
   National daily The Indian Express carried photographs of Yuvraj’s six sixes on its front page and the headline in the sports page of Mumbai daily DNA read: ‘Six Appeal’.

England, pioneers of Twenty20 cricket, made a familiar early exit from the inaugural world championships after failing to beat a major team and making headlines once again for all the wrong reasons.
   Skipper Paul Collingwood, fined for a late-night visit to a lapdancing club, was forced to acknowledge his team were off the pace after they went down to an 18-run defeat at the hands of India in Durban on Wednesday night—their fourth straight loss against the Test playing nations.
   ‘I’m disappointed we haven’t won enough games in the tournament. We’ve always been 10 percent off the pace,’ said Collingwood, who was captaining the side in his first overseas foray.
   England’s campaign was highlighted by a tactical naivety that belied the fact they have been playing the slam-bang form of the game for longer than any other team.
   Twenty20 has been pulling in the crowds in domestic English cricket since 2003 and Collingwood’s team was packed with specialists such as Darren Maddy, Chris Schofield and Vikram Solanki who have long been discarded by the selectors in other forms of the game.
   Top Test performers such as Monty Panesar, Matthew Hoggard, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell were all left at home but after an initial victory against the minnows of Zimbabwe, their replacements slumped to defeat against Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and then India.
   Potential match-winning situations were squandered in all the games, particularly against New Zealand where England lost three wickets in the space of five balls while seemingly cruising to victory.
   Naivety also shone through in their defeat to India when Stuart Broad was slapped for six sixes in the penultimate over by Yuvraj Singh, the youngster clearly shell-shocked by the experience.
   Given their relative experience in comparison to their rivals, England had been quietly confident of their chances in the tournament which came immediately after a one-day series over India which hinted at a new steeliness to their short-form cricket.
   Their South African flop carried clear echoes of their disappointing performance in the 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year when they failed to beat any other major side apart from the struggling West Indians in a last-match dead rubber.
   Squad indiscipline also reared its head with Andrew Flintoff paying the price for a boozy night out, which ended up with him being rescued out to sea on a pedallo, by losing the vice-captaincy.
   Collingwood managed to keep his job after apologising for his antics on the eve of the crunch match in Cape Town against South Africa.
   Albie Morkel’s match-winning sixes onslaught at Newlands came shortly after he had been dropped by the normally ultra-sharp
   Collingwood.
   ‘Obviously I’m disappointed from my side of things, and hopefully it won’t happen again,’ said a shame-faced Collingwood after the defeat, referring to his visit to the Mavericks Revue bar.
   The same match also saw South African-born Kevin Pietersen, desperate to ram traitor taunts down the throats of the home supporters, run out for just 15 at a time when England were well set.
   Pietersen also made a disappointing 20 against Australia after suggesting that it was the perfect time to inflict a bit of humiliation on England’s old enemies.
   Australia skipper Ricky Ponting had the last laugh,
   saying England had to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
   ‘They had their chance today to do what he (Pietersen) said they wanted to do which was a once in a lifetime opportunity to try to humiliate Australia—and if anything they were the ones who walked off humiliated today.’

The Bangladesh Football Federation and national coach Syed Naeemuddin agreed to remove the existing differences and work towards the development of the game. The BFF had asked Naeemuddin to attend a meeting on Thursday in light of the use of vitamins during the national camp in Cox’s Bazar.
   Reports of the players being administered the supplements created anxiety among BFF officials, who were also disturbed by Naeemuddin’s attitude towards his charges and officials.
   The Bangladesh coach explained that the vitamins were nothing but multivitamins and not harmful. He also said they were widely used to strengthen a player’s muscles. ‘I did nothing wrong as I discussed the matter with the doctor before using it. So, I was greatly surprised by these recent events,’ he said.
   ‘Allegations of drug abuse are absolutely rubbish but I am ready to face any disciplinary action if anyone can prove it.’
   Naeemuddin said he was happy with the team’s progress at Cox’s Bazar. ‘I am happy with the players and they are responding well.’
   Monzur Hossain Malu, the acting general secretary of BFF, was diplomatic about the meeting.
   ‘We talked about certain matters with Naeemudin and found that there was a lack of communication that led to the misunderstanding. But now we have a clear picture and asked him to continue to build the team,’ said Malu.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Thursday handed over the prize money to women’s cricket team that won the ACC Trophy, their first international competition, in July in Malaysia.
   Each member of the side including the coach, manager, doctor and trainer were awarded Tk 50,000 for the outstanding success.
   Major General Sina Ibn Jamali, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, handed over the money at a ceremony at the Navana Tower. Members of the BCB, former and current officials of the Board’s women wing were present on the occasion.
   ‘The women’s cricket team has made us proud. I congratulate them and promise to continue all kind of cooperation for them,’ said BCB president Jamali in his speech.
   The BCB president specially thanked Panna Ghosh and Mina Khatun, who won the player of the tournament and best wicketkeeper award in the competition respectively. Bangladesh overpowered Nepal by eight wickets in Malaysia’s Johar Baru on July 18 to emerge as unbeaten champions in the eight-nation meet.

Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of England’s upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka for further tests on his long-standing ankle problem, the England and Wales Cricket Board said Thursday. The star allrounder, currently in South Africa where England have been taking part in the World Twenty20 championships, would return home later in the day to receive an assessment by a specialist on his troubled left ankle, the ECB said.
   ‘As a result he will not take part in England’s forthcoming One-Day series in Sri Lanka,’ the ECB statememt added.
   Flintoff missed the recent Test series against India and the West Indies as a result of injury although he did return last month for the ODI series against India in which his tight bowling played a key role in an eventual victory.
   However the ECB statement said it was clear that the ankle, for which he underwent surgery last year, was still causing him problems.
   ‘Andrew has experienced some discomfort as the World Twenty20 tournament has progressed, but has been determined to provide a contribution to the team’s performance,’ it said.
   ‘At no time was further damage to the ankle sustained, but unfortunately it was clear that his ability to increase the intensity of his rehab and participation could not be progressed.’
   England are expected to fly straight to Sri Lanka for the five-match one-day series, which begins on October 1.

Thombare Prarthana of India continued her streak defeating Vaideh 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to win the girls’ title of the Amicus Asian U-14 tennis tournament at the BKSP on Thursday. Prarthana had won the title in Dhaka.
   Tachi Royoto of Japan and Bisht Rohit of India fight for the boys’ title today. In Thursday’s semi-finals, Tachi Royoto defeated Goghari of India 6-0, 6-1 and Bisht Rohit outplayed Bisht Ronit 6-4, 6-2 to seal their final places.
   Prarthana and Vaideh the singles finalists will meet Namrita and Vishesh duo in the girls’ doubles final today.

A determined China battled past New Zealand Thursday to tee-up a women’s World Cup quarter-final with Norway, while Australia snatched a last-gasp equaliser to book a showdown with Brazil.
   The host nation, watched by a raucous crowd, went through to their fourth successive quarter-finals after beating the Kiwis 2-0 as Group D rivals Denmark lost 1-0 to Brazil in Hangzhou.
   Second-half strikes from Li Jie and Xie Caixia downed New Zealand after China laid seige to the vistors goal in a one-sided game.
   Li broke the deadlock on 57 minutes, heading in a floated free-kick from deep for her second goal of the tournament, while Xie put the win beyond doubt by coolly rounding a defender to slot home with 11 minutes left.
   In the other quarter-finals, the United States take on England in Tianjin on Saturday while defending champions Germany are up against North Korea in Wuhan on the same day.
   Brazil scored a late goal in Hangzhou to book their place in the knockout round with substitute Pretinha doing the damage in the 91st minute after both sides went close in regulation time.
   It kept the fleet-footed South American powerhouse, who topped Group C, on course for their first title.
   Former champions Norway, who needed only to draw to qualify, made no mistakes with a 7-2 demolition of Ghana, as star striker Ragnhild Gulbrandsen plundered a hat-trick, one of which was the 500th goal in World Cup history.
   The 1995 winners began their bombardment in the fourth minute when Lene Storlokken chested down and rifled home after being picked out with a header, and the result from then on was never in doubt.
   ‘I think this game we were very effective,’ said coach Bjarne Bernsten, but added that there was room for improvement.
   ‘It’s very important that we improve, though, because I don’t think we played our best football today, we were certainly too casual in defence.’
   Australia came from behind twice to scramble a 2-2 draw against Canada with captain Cheryl Salisbury firing home a 92nd minute equaliser to put the Matildas in the knockout rounds for the first time.
   It was an edge-of-the-seat thriller in Chengdu with Canada looking to have the game sewn up when skipper Christine Sinclair scored five minutes from the end of regulation time.
   If the result had remained that way, the Canadians would have gone through. Canada’s goal was a sickening blow that Australian coach Tom Sermanni thought would prove fatal.
   ‘We stopped playing the way we usually play in the second half and when they scored late I thought the game was all over,’ he said.
   ‘My players showed a lot of character and resilience, though, and I was so pleased when that final goal fell in.
   The Canadians went 1-0 up after just 32 seconds when Melissa Tancredi shot cleanly past Australian ‘keeper Melissa Barbieri.
   Australia were back on level terms with a superb free-kick from midfield general Collette McCallum after 53 minutes, setting up the exciting finale.
   ‘We hesitated on the ball deep into stoppage time and allowed them one last chance and they took full advantage of it,’ said despondent Canadian coach Even Pellerud.

Avram Grant may be a close friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich but that will not guarantee him a long stay in the hot seat if the results are not up to scratch.
   Already due a cool reception from Chelsea fans when he takes his seat in the Stamford Bridge dugout that belonged to Jose Mourinho until the shock announcement early on Thursday morning that ‘the special one’ was leaving by mutual consent, the barely known 51-year-old Israeli coach will have to show some early form if he is to win over the many sceptics.
   According to those within Israeli football Grant should have no problem with the players as he is as adept as Mourinho at dealing with them, though, if the supporters are hoping to see more of an expansive game than under the Portuguese handler then they are likely to be disappointed.
   ‘Grant is very successful at implementing his philosophy, he’s a talented football coach, and a very intelligent individual, sometimes too intelligent for his own good,’ Yoav Borowitz, a sports writer for Israeli daily newspaper Ha’aretz, told the BBC.
   ‘He knows how to treat star players, and a lot of players like him, he treats them well.
   ‘His biggest fear is losing and although he was successful in Israel, he took some criticism for the negativity of his teams.
   ‘When he was national coach, we went through a World Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten, but while drawing 1-1 with France was a good result, there were games Israel should have won.
   ‘He’s not an Arsene Wenger type of manager, he doesn’t care a lot for the aesthetics of the game, he just doesn’t want to get beaten.’
   There were a few eyebrows raised when Grant was appointed Portsmouth’s director of football in 2006 after a nearly historic World Cup qualifying campaign where Israel narrowly missed out, finishing above the Republic of Ireland but just outside the two qualifying positions behind France and Switzerland.
   A four-time Israeli title winning coach, Grant was imposed on Pompey boss Harry Redknapp just as he was to be on Mourinho having gained Abramovich’s confidence since meeting him through super agent Pini Zahavi three years ago.
   However, Redknapp refutes any suggestion that he was brought on board to spy on him for the owner Alexander Gaydamak.
   ‘I wasn’t pleased when he was brought in at Portsmouth without my knowledge, but I soon realised he isn’t the kind of man to spy on you for the owner,’ said Redknapp when Grant left for Spurs.
   However, Grant was not welcomed by Mourinho, who had forged a close working relationship with former Cheslea player and now coach Steve Clarke who has stayed on to team up with the Israeli.
   Indeed Mourinho told him in no uncertain terms not to meddle in his job.
   ‘He’s here to give some support to different areas within the club and for me that is not a problem,’ said Mourinho in July.
   ‘From my point of view, he must not interfere with the power I have in relation to my job.’
   In the end, though, that demand from Mourinho fell on deaf ears and ‘the special one’ found he was not so special to the Chelsea hierarchy and a more modest Israeli was dearer to them.

Cheslea striker Didier Drogba has added his voice to the anti-racism cause by featuring on a new rap CD.
   A knee injury may have sidelined him, but Drogba is currently gearing up to hit the right note for charity at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.
   And he also teamed up with fellow Blues ace Michael Essien to provide the vocals for the single ‘Wink’, by Wills and the Willing.
   The track is due to be released in October to coincide with Kick Racism Out of Football week.
   And Drogba said: ‘Racism is something very difficult to live with.
   ‘You think it’s improving but every time there’s some idiot who doesn’t really know what they’re talking about.
   ‘It’s our decision to fight against this. For me, there’s no difference between black and white.
   ‘I wanted to do this song because I really love the lyrics. It’s very simple but they can touch your heart.’
   Ian Wills, lead singer of Wills and the Willing, said: ‘Chelsea adopted one of my early singles ‘It’s Easy’ as a track they liked to play at the interval during home games — creating an awareness of the band amongst the football world.
   ‘I was fortunate enough to be able to invite Michael and Didier to contribute to this important cause and they very kindly accepted.’
   Wills, who will be performing the track with Drogba on Sunday, added: ‘It’s not a football song but it has a very important message.
   ‘And having two of the best footballers in the world on the track means the message will reach a little further.
   ‘The achievement of kicking racism not just out of football but also out of society in general is something that is long overdue.’
   All the proceeds are going to Chelsea’s official charity partner CLIC Sargent.

Fenerbahce Coach Zico explains how he neutralised Inter in the Champions League opener last night.
   ‘We won this game with our marking, not leaving space for Inter’s great champions,’ he said of the 1-0 victory in Istanbul.
   ‘If you leave room for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Suazo or Dejan Stankovic, they will hurt you.
   ‘We played a great match and it was in the balance until the end, but I think we deserved the three points.’
   The Nerazzurri were disappointing on the night and struggled to break down the Turkish defence.
   ‘One always expects something out of Inter in the 90 minutes and we were very attentive, even though we knew they had some absences, but they have quality and any team that faces them will have trouble.’
   In fact, it could easily have been more than 1-0 for Fenerbahce, as Julio Cesar performed a series of saves and Roberto Carlos hit the upright.
   ‘We kept Inter under pressure and had quite a few chances that were kept out by Julio Cesar, who had a great performance,’ continued Brazilian legend Zico.
   ‘We try to instil our squad with determination, aggression, confidence and self-belief so that they can go out there and do what they do best – play football.’

A Norwegian minister and the country’s richest man fled their seats during Tuesday’s Champions League match between Chelsea and Rosenborg fearing a backlash by angry home fans, Norwegian media reported.
   Irate Chelsea fans hurled insults at Trond Giske, minister of cultural and church affairs, and shipping tycoon John Fredriksen when the pair cheered defender Miika Koppinen’s first-half goal for Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge.
   They fled their VIP seats when Chelsea supporters around them showered them with expletives and chanted: ‘Go home, Go home,’ according to daily newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv.
   ‘We interpreted the situation as a bit unsafe,’ Giske told news agency NTB.
   ‘We were 40 Norwegians in the middle of a Chelsea tribune, at half time we were given quieter seats at our own request.’
   Norway’s national coach Aage Hareide and other members of the country’s financial elite also left their seats and were moved to a stand occupied mainly by Norwegians. Chelsea, who announced early on Thursday that coach Jose Mourinho had quit the club, equalised through Andriy Shevchenko.

Australian paceman Shaun Tait will miss this month’s tour of India due to an elbow injury, opening the way for swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, Cricket Australia said.
   Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Tait would remain in Australia to concentrate on recovering from surgery to his troublesome right elbow.
   ‘Unfortunately Shaun hasn’t recovered in time from his surgery to be able to take part in the upcoming tour to India,’ Hilditch said in a statement issued late Wednesday.
   Hilfenhaus, 24, a former builder’s labourer from Tasmania, has already replaced Tait at the Twenty20
   World Championship in South Africa.
   The Australian team is scheduled to depart South Africa for India next Tuesday to compete in a seven game one-day international series and one Twenty20 game.

Romanian footballing great Gheorghe Hagi has resigned as coach of Steaua Bucharest, according to Romanian sports website sport.ro.
   According to the site Hagi - known in his playing days as the ‘Maradona of the Carpathians’ - has left because of unrelenting pressure at the first division club.
   ‘I’ve had enough. The tension is just getting too much.
   ‘It’s torture at Steaua,’ Hagi is reported as saying a day after
   the club’s 2-1 Champions League group H defeat to Slavia Prague.
   Steaua owner Gigi Becali said he’d heard nothing official yet, adding: ‘I know that he (Hagi) called the club president in his office to tell him of his decision, and that he would not go back on it.’
   Relations between Hagi and Becali have been tense in recent weeks, leading the club owner to speak of Hagi’s possible departure on August 22.
   Hagi, who formerly starred for Steaua, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Galatasaray among other clubs, took over at the club in June, replacing Cosmin Olaroiu.

Arsenal got their Champions League group campaign off to a flying start following a comfortable win over dark-horses Sevilla at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
   A first-half strike by top scorer Francesc Fabregas along with goals from Robin van Persie and Eduardo gave the Gunners a 3-0 win and sent the London club to the top of Group H.
   Arsene Wenger declared his Arsenal team better equipped to win the Champions League than at any time in the last two years following a ‘near perfect’ start to the group stage.
   Wenger praised his team’s attitude after a stylish 3-0 win over highly rated Spanish outfit Sevilla at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday which sent them to the top of Group H.
   The former Monaco coach hinted that the departure of star player Thierry Henry to Barcelona in the summer may have helped his team. He said: ‘I want to reiterate, I did not want Henry to leave, he decided.’
   ‘We lost a world class player but it gives the other players a challenge and pushes some of the players to take more responsibility,’ he added.
   The Frenchman implored his young squad not to get carried away, but the rest of Europe will have taken note after the demolition of a team that Wenger himself had tipped as a potential dark horse.
   He said, ‘We have improved from two years ago without a doubt, we look a lot more mature technically. There’s a real spirit in the team and it’s fantastic.’
   Wenger insisted that his players were under no pressure to win the tournament, saying: ‘The main challenge of this season is to show how far we have come.’
   The renewed spirit and maturity of the Gunners was epitomised by Spanish youngster Francesc Fabregas, who has now claimed six goals during his scintillating start to the domestic and European season.
   His manager said, ‘Last year he couldn’t score but I told him not to worry about it and now he cannot stop. He looks a lot stronger physically than he did last year.’
   The only blots on the Gunners’ night were a hamstring injury sustained by Tomas Rosicky, which will keep him out of action for at least two weeks, and a booking for striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
   The Arsenal boss knows full well the importance of keeping a fit squad with few suspensions.
   He said, ‘There are two competitions, there is the group and then the knock-out. For this you definitely need all of your best players available.’
   The diminutive Fabregas claimed Arsenal’s first goal, albeit via a fortuitous deflection.
   The Spaniard then turned provider for the second goal, whipping in a free-kick which Robin van Persie converted. Eduardo scored the third goal seconds before full-time as Sevilla over committed men to attack.
   Visiting coach Juande Ramos bemoaned his team’s lack of experience. The Arsenal match was the club’s first in the Champions League proper.
   He said, ‘The players we face this year are a lot stronger than we are used to in the UEFA Cup. At this level if you give the opposition a chance they will take it.’
   The former Malaga coach laughed off pre-match suggestions by Wenger that his team could win the whole competition.
   He said, ‘I don’t think so! I know our level and I know what we will have to do to win games in this group.’
   ‘There are a lot of clubs like AC Milan and Arsenal who are ahead of us, financially. We will have to play very well to go through from this group,’ he added.
   The Spanish boss failed to be downbeat though, adding, ‘The great thing is that a team like Sevilla can come here and have a go at a team like Arsenal.’

Rangers fought back from a goal down to stun Stuttgart and secure a 2-1 victory in their opening Champions League Group E match in Glasgow on Wednesday.
   The German champions had taken a 55th-minute lead through Mario Gomez but the Ibrox side showed their resilience to score twice through Charlie Adam and then a penalty from French striker Jean-Claude Darcheville to take all three points.
   Rangers manager Walter Smith was thrilled with the win and praised his player’s mental strength.
   He said, ‘I’m delighted with the result and the way we came back after losing a goal.
   ‘I was disappointed to go behind when we did as I thought we were on top at that stage.
   ‘But we have a lot of players without Champions League experience and we showed great character to come back the way we did.’
   Stuttgart’s coach Armin Veh, meanwhile, was in a state of shock at the manner of his side’s defeat. He said, ‘I’m still trying to calm down because I’m not happy with the result.
   ‘In the first half we controlled the game, created chances and the only thing that was missing was a goal. We started the second half the same way and scored and from there you have to take the win home.
   ‘There was no reason to make the mistakes we did and we gave the game away.’
   Stuttgart started the match brightly and had several early chances to open the scoring.
   A long pass put Gomez through on goalkeeper Allan McGregor in the ninth minute but the German striker sliced his shot wide.
   A minute later Serdar Tasci cut past the Ibrox side’s Bosnian defender Sasa Papac but his shot from 16-yards was easily saved by McGregor.
   Things looked ominous for the Scottish side but slowly they began to find their feet.
   In the 12th minute Darcheville raced on to Adam’s clever pass and his low drive required Stuttgart goalkeeper Raphael Schafer to dive to his left to palm away.
   Stuttgart were still looking dangerous but it was Rangers who were now looking the more likely side to score.
   Darcheville was again denied by Schafer in the 33rd minute when he held off his marker to drive down the left and cut inside towards goal but his attempted chip from eight-yards was blocked by the German keeper.
   In the 53rd minute Rangers’ skipper Barry Ferguson was forced off after suffering a cut to his head in a clash of heads.
   As he received treatment on the touchline Stuttgart took full advantage to take a 55th minute lead. Brazilian Antonio cut in from the left and smashed a low cross between the Rangers goalkeeper and his defence allowing Gomez to stick out his boot to redirect it past McGregor.
   However, seven minutes later Rangers were back on level terms with a sensational goal.
   Right-back Alan Hutton picked up the ball on the touchline, drove inside, skipped past four Stuttgart players and picked out Adam on the left of the penalty area.
   There was still a lot to do but Adam cut back inside on to his right-foot and curled a stunning shot beyond Schafer into the far corner of the net in the 62nd minute.
   Stuttgart seemed shell-shocked by losing a goal and in the 75th minute they went behind when Hutton was fouled by Portuguese defender Meira Fernando in the penalty area.

Jose Mourinho was only ever going to leave Chelsea one way and so it proved on Thursday morning as the Portuguese coach departed in a blaze of controversy.
   Mourinho’s brash personality ensured he quickly became the Premier League’s most talked-about figure after his arrival three years ago.
   At the press conference to announce his appointment at Chelsea, Mourinho insisted his impressive achievements at Porto meant he should be seen as ‘a special one’.
   That tongue in cheek comment set the tone for one of the most dramatic managerial reigns in the history of English football
   In the space of three seasons, Mourinho ended Chelsea’s 50-year wait for a league title, won it again 12 months later and added two League Cups and an FA Cup to the Stamford Bridge trophy room.
   But it was his habit of causing controversy whenever he opened his mouth that made Mourinho such a fascinating figure and ultimately cost him his job after one-too-many disagreements with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
   His fire and brimstone spell at Chelsea has its foundations in his burning desire to leave his mark on the sport.
   Although Mourinho’s father Felix had been a Portugal goalkeeper, Jose did not have enough talent to become a successful professional and that failure fuelled his fire when he became a coach.
   He worked as an assistant at several small Portuguese clubs before landing a job translating for Porto and then Sporting Lisbon manager Bobby Robson.
   He followed Robson to Barcelona and got his first break when Louis van Gaal took over and allowed Mourinho to take training sessions.
   That was all the encouragement he needed. He was soon in charge at Benfica, but, in a sign of things to come, Mourinho’s first managerial job came to a premature end after a run-in with an owner.
   That exit left a bitter taste for Mourinho and he resolved to make the most of his next opportunity at a big club.
   After taking unfashionable Uniao de Leiria to third in the Portuguese league, he took charge at Porto in January 2002. It was a move that would change his life.
   Mourinho was a believer in a scientific approach to management and his rigorous training schedules were designed to make sure his players operated at their maximum.
   Within a year he had transformed Porto into league champions. Not content with that he also won the UEFA Cup and Portuguese Cup.
   But it was the following year that Mourinho really emerging kicking and screaming onto the global stage.
   His manic celebratory run down the touchline at Old Trafford after Costinha’s late goal had sent Porto through to the Champions League quarter-finals at Manchester United’s expense was an unforgettable image.
   Porto went on to win the Champions League with a crushing 3-0 defeat of Monaco. But Mourinho stole the spotlight by tearing off his medal and walking off the pitch without joining in his team’s celebrations.
   That was the last Porto would see of their talismanic leader and within weeks he was unveiled at Chelsea.
   In the same way he had worked the oracle at Porto, Mourinho quickly changed Chelsea from a losing culture to a winning one.
   They were Premier League champions and League Cup winners in 2005 and won the league again a year later. But the seeds of his departure were sown in the 2006 close season.
   Mourinho wanted to sign the brilliant midfielder Kaka from AC Milan, but Abramovich instead presented him with Andriy Shevchenko, a friend of the Russian billionaire.
   Abramovich believed he had provided Mourinho with enough money to produce the kind of fantasy football that made him fall in love with the game.
   So when Shevchenko proved a flop, Abramovich demanded the appointment of Avram Grant to assist Mourinho in bringing the striker back to his best.
   Mourinho refused and Abramovich responded by withdrawing transfer funds in January. The end was in sight.
   The Portuguese had lost his support in the corridors of power and a lacklustre start to this season proved the final straw.
   Mourinho will have few qualms about leaving Chelsea. His self-belief and record as a proven winner will ensure he has no shortage of suitors.
   Wherever he turns up next, it is certain to be another rocky ride.

Portugal’s Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been banned for four matches by UEFA after a violent altercation with Serbian player Ivica Dragutinovic.
   Scolari and Dragutinovic were caught up in a pitch-side flare-up after a hot-tempered Euro 2008 qualifier which ended 1-1 on September 12 and led to Scolari lashing out at the Serbian with his fist.
   The ban will rule Scolari out of being on the touchline for Portugal’s remaining four qualifiers. The Brazilian was also given a 12,120 euros (17,000 dollars) fine.
   Dragutinovic has been handed a two-match ban by UEFA, European football’s ruling body, for his role in the incident ruling him out of qualifiers in Armenia and Azerbaijan on 13 and 17 October respectively.
   Scolari said after the match that the Sevilla player had insulted his family.
   ‘Words in Spanish directed at my family, I understand perfectly well,’ he said.
   ‘As such when I reacted, it was the wrong reaction but sometimes even rational and normal people can make mistakes.’
   UEFA said the sanctions were for ‘improper conduct’.
   Both Scolari and Dragutinovic can appeal the decision but must do so within three days of the receipt of the written grounds for the decision.
   Scolari will now be sidelined from Portugal’s upcoming matches in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in October, and at home against Armenia and Finland in November.
   Before and during the match, he will not be allowed to go in the team dressing-room, the tunnel, or the technical zone, or on the pitch. In addition, he will not be allowed to communicate with his team.
   Portugal sit third in qualifying group A four points adrift of Poland and two behind Finland, both of whom have played one game more than Scolari’s side.
   Serbia are in fourth place on 16 points, one adrift of Portugal.

Jose Mourinho’s departure from Chelsea sent shockwaves through English football on Thursday with fans, pundits and former players virtually unanimous in predicting that the club’s fortunes would nosedive as a result.
   Mourinho’s pragmatic approach to the game was at the root of Roman Abramovich’s disillusionment with his club’s performances but, after five trophies in three seasons, nobody could dispute that it was effective.
   Now the fear is that Chelsea’s bid to reclaim the Premier League title from Manchester United could have been fatally compromised by the upheaval at Stamford Bridge.
   The former Chelsea and England midfielder Ray Wilkins said he was ‘absolutely astounded’ by developments while another former Chelsea player, Gavin Peacock, said it would be hard for new manager Avram Grant to forge the kind of bond with the players that was a crucial part of the club’s success under Mourinho.
   ‘I think that half the team will have been affected badly and it’s going to be hard to get that team spirit that Jose managed to manufacture,’ Peacock said.
   Mourinho had a particularly close relationship with Frank Lampard and the future of the England midfielder, whose talks with the club on a new contract are currently deadlocked, will inevitably be thrown into doubt following the departure of a manager he regarded as something of a mentor.
   Wilkins said Chelsea had lost a manager with a credible claim to be regarded as the best in the business on the strength of his UEFA Cup and Champions League triumphs with FC Porto and his success in breaking Arsenal and Manchester United’s dominance in England.
   ‘Winning football matches is what the game’s about and he is a winning manager who puts a winning mentality in players’ heads and they go and win things,’ Wilkins said.
   Former England manager Graham Taylor said Mourinho’s fate was sealed at the start of last season, when Abramovich insisted on bringing in ‘galacticos’ Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko against the manager’s wishes.
   Both have flopped in England and Taylor said: ‘Once you take away the authority the manager has in signing players, you’re on a slippery slope.
   ‘What I would say about Mourinho is his record is with underachieving players and when Shevchenko and Ballack came in, it disturbed the balance.
   ‘They’ve never looked as fluid and that’s because the manager probably did not himself believe that is the way they should be playing.’
   Grant now faces the daunting task of producing the kind of attacking, entertaining football demanded by Abramovich while maintaining the remarkable level of success that the club’s fans have got used to under Mourinho.
   The Israeli came to Chelsea after spending a season as technical director at Portsmouth
   and his credentials for taking
   on his new role were endorsed by Pompey boss Harry Redknapp.
   ‘I’ve found him to be very knowledgeable, an absolute gentleman and a nice person to have at the club - he has got a good knowledge of the game and of foreign players,’ Redknapp said.

Sky Sports News understands departed Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is to take up a position with the Portuguese FA.
   Mourinho has left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent, with Chelsea confirming the decision in the early hours of Thursday morning.
   There has already been speculation as to his next post, with the role of Portugal national team coach chalked up as the favourite. According to a family friend, Mourinho has confirmed he is heading back to his homeland for a role with his country’s football federation.
   Mourinho will reportedly assume a job within the national setup, with the view to eventually becoming coach of the Portugal team.
   The source also claims that Mourinho told the Chelsea players at the club’s training ground on Thursday morning that he would be working with the national side within the next 48 hours.
   Luiz Felipe Scolari is currently coach of Portugal and reports have suggested he is wanted in the role until the 2010 World Cup finals.

The Swiss capital, Bern, wants to ban cranes that mar its landscape while it hosts matches for football’s Euro 2008 finals next year. Mayor Alexander Tschaeppaet told the Swiss freesheet ‘.ch’ on Wednesday that he had warned builders the council would not deliver permits for the use of cranes in the city centre in June 2008.
    Tschaeppaet said the pretty medieval city should be on its Sunday best for visiting fans while it plays joint host to Europe’s top international football tournament. Bern’s historical centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Construction sites and building upgrades are a regular feature of the prosperous Swiss economy in summer.
   The city council intends to allow building work to continue during Euro 2008 but without cranes for a month. The Euro 2008 finals take place in Switzerland and Austria from June 7 to June 29.

Italian league table-toppers Roma beat Dynamo Kiev 2-0 in their opening Champions League match here on Wednesday to keep up their victory charge this season.
   Luciano Spalletti’s men were expected to keep up their winning ways, against this Ukrainian side which won their league and cup double last season, and goals from Simone Perrotta and Francesco Totti did just that.
   Perrotta scored the first goal of the match, directing a glancing header at the near post from Max Tonetto past Kiev keeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy for his second goal in the competition in the ninth minute.
   Totti had a free-kick on target just after Roma defender Juan hit a post as the home side dominated.
   Kiev had little to show for their efforts in the first half except a yellow card shown by referee Alain Haimer of Luxembourg on midfielder Ayila Yussuf who had fouled Mancini.
   However it was left to Totti to make certain of victory with 20 minutes left. Perrotta won possession in the middle of the pitch and sprinted forward before sliding the ball to Totti on his right hand side. Totti then swept the ball past Shovkovskiy to confirm victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to haunt Sporting Lisbon as his second-half strike gave Manchester United a 1-0 win in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.
   Ronaldo was back at Sporting for the first time since moving to United in 2003 and the Portugal winger showed his former club no mercy at the Jose Alvalade Stadium.
   With Wayne Rooney understandably ring-rusty on his return to the side after five and a half weeks out with a broken foot, United were indebted to Ronaldo for yet another example of his priceless ability to conjure a winner out of nothing.
   Rooney lasted 72 minutes of the Group F tie before being substituted and it was a familiar story in Portugal as the Premier League champions once again struggled to find their momentum for long periods.
   But they can afford to overlook any frailties for the moment after Ronaldo took centre stage with his first goal of the season to give United a perfect start to their bid to win the Champions League for the first time since 1999.
   Ferguson had no qualms about United’s cautious tactics and insisted the end justified the means.
   ‘The pitch was very difficult for both teams, that’s why we had to be cautious about our game and make sure we contained Sporting,’ he said.
   ‘In the first half we kept them to shots outside the box and one tremendous save from (Edwin) Van der Sar, but we had much more purpose and penetration in the second half. I thought we were the better side from then on.
   ‘I’m delighted for Ronaldo. It was his first goal this term so hopefully it sets him off on another run.’
   Sporting coach Paulo Bento felt his side deserved more from the game.
   ‘The result wasn’t fair and a decisive factor was certainly Manchester United’s goalkeeper,’ he said.
   ‘We controlled the first half and had the best chances. They scored with their first chance and that changed the course of the game.’
   Success in Europe has always been Ferguson’s holy grail, so it was no surprise to see the United manager pick this match to bring back Rooney.
   Ferguson hoped Rooney’s return would add a much-needed cutting edge to a United side who hadn’t scored more than once in any game this season.
   But it was Sporting who took the initiative in the early stages.
   Leandro Romagnoli was first to show their intent. His powerful run caused panic in the United defence and it took a lunging challenge from Michael Carrick to deflect the midfielder’s shot just over the bar.
   Ronaldo was relatively subdued in the first half. His one moment of menace came in the 24th minute when he cut in from the right flank and drilled a low shot which Vladimir Stojkovic scrambled away for a corner.
   United were content to play on the counter-attack, handing Sporting most of the possession. Liedson nearly made them pay for their caution after half an hour.
   The Brazilian striker’s curling shot was destined for the top corner until Van der Sar sprang to his left and brilliantly tipped it over.
   Ferguson’s decision to play Rooney as a lone striker gave the forward an often thankless task and he got little change out of Sporting’s defence.
   Gradually United began to find some rhythm. Ronaldo and Nani combined to give Ryan Giggs a sight of goal early in the second half, but the United captain glanced his header over.
   That was a statement of intent but Sporting failed to heed the warning as United went in front in the 62nd minute.
   A flowing move picked up impetus when Paul Scholes snapped a quick pass out to Wes Brown. The United right-back looked up and whipped in a perfect cross towards Ronaldo, who flung himself forward to beat Stojkovic with a diving header.
   Ronaldo’s celebrations were relatively restrained out of respect for his former club and he was applauded by the Sporting fans in return.
   Nani, United’s other Sporting old-boy, drew a fine save from Stojkovic as United went for the kill.
   But to Sporting’s credit they fought back gamely and it took another superb stop from Van der Sar to preserve United’s lead.
   Tonel met Bruno Pereirinha’s cross with a header that looked in but Van der Sar parried it to Yannick Djalo, who blasted the rebound over the bar.
   That was the hosts’ last serious threat and United held on to claim their 100th European Cup victory and become the first English side to beat Sporting on home soil.

Chelsea announced Thursday that Avram Grant and Steve Clarke will take charge of the first team in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure from the club.
   But the statement released by the club failed to make it clear whether former Israel coach Grant and Clarke, formerly the number two to Mourinho, were being appointed on a long-term basis.
   But the Israeli will be in charge when Chelsea face champions Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
   The statement read: ‘Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Avram Grant and Steve Clarke will be in charge of the first team from today (Thursday).
   ‘The club is delighted that in Avram we have an experienced man who can come in immediately at this difficult time to help deliver our objectives.
   ‘In Steve we have a Chelsea man and he will be a crucial part of the management team going forward.
   ‘Avram and Steve have our full confidence and support.’
    The 51-year-old’s promotion came hours after Mourinho’s trophy-laden three-year reign at Stamford Bridge ended with the announcement that he was leaving the club ‘by mutual consent’.
   The self-described ‘special one’ paid a brief visit to the club’s state-of-the-art training complex to the west of London on Thursday morning to say his goodbyes to the players he guided to five trophies in three seasons, before driving away for the last time.
   Mourinho’s time in charge ended in the early hours of Thursday morning, his fractious relationship with Abramovich having finally reached breaking point over the manager’s failure to deliver the kind of flamboyant football craved by the Russian billionaire.
   Manchester United’s stylish reclamation of the Premier League title last season increased Abramovich’s disillusionment with Mourinho’s pragmatic approach and Tuesday’s disappointing 1-1 Champions League draw with Norwegian side Rosenberg – watched by fewer than 25,000 fans – proved to be the final straw.
   With hindsight, Mourinho’s pre-match comments about the need to buy the best eggs to make the best omelette – a clear dig at Abramovich’s transfer policy – were a clear signal that simmering tensions behind the scenes were about to boil over.
   Mourinho came close to being ousted last season when Abramovich failed in an attempt to persuade former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann to succeed the Portuguese.
   Although Grant has been put in the hot-seat now, a fresh move to lure Klinsmann, who is based in California, back to Europe cannot be ruled out.
   Russia manager Guus Hiddink, who knows Abramovich well, and the former Monaco and Juventus boss Didier Deschamps, who briefly played for Chelsea towards the end of his illustrious career, have also been touted as possible long-term successors to Mourinho.
   Grant’s introduction to the backroom staff, initially resisted by Mourinho, had apparently been accepted by the Portuguese as part of a summer truce between him and the club owner.
   But it now appears that tensions over Abramovich’s desire to interfere in team affairs had continued to fester, culminating in a terse statement posted on the club’s website.
   It read: ‘Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have agreed to part company today (Thursday) by mutual consent.’
   With both sides keeping quiet on the precise nature of the dispute that triggered the final meltdown in relations, negotiations over compensation for the remaining three years on Mourinho’s five-million-pounds-a-year contract were continuing.
   Grant was recruited from Portsmouth partly with the aim of improving the performances of Andriy Shevchenko, whose presence in the Chelsea squad was a running sore in the relationship between Abramovich and Mourinho.
   The manager had never made any secret at his frustration with the Ukrainian striker’s failure to make an impact in the English game following his 30-million-pound ($60 million) move from AC Milan at the start of last season.
   Shevchenko, once regarded as the deadliest finisher in European football, was widely seen as Abramovich’s signing and the Russian reportedly holds Mourinho responsible for his failure to get the best out of him.
   Mourinho made his reputation by guiding FC Porto to Champions League glory in 2004 and then transformed the English football landscape after taking over at Stamford Bridge in June 2004.
   In his first season in charge he ended the club’s 50-year wait for an English title, a feat he repeated the following season as well as delivering the FA Cup last season and the League Cup in 2005 and 2007.
   Although he has been generously bankrolled by Abramovich, Mourinho’s record backs up the ‘special one’ claim he made at his first press conference in England.
   In his 185 games in charge, Chelsea won 124, drew 40 and lost 21, a record that includes a 60-match unbeaten run in Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona’s stuttering start to La Liga was put aside on Wednesday when Frank Rijkaard’s men crushed French champions Lyon 3-0 in their opening Champions League group game. Barcelona started this Group E tie much the sharper, with Lyon keeper Remy Vercoutre counting his blessings after Thierry Henry failed by centimetres to connect with a potent cross from the left wing.
   Then in the 21st minute Barcelona managed to produce something they hadn’t achieved in two of their opening three league matches – namely a goal, with a little help from French defender Francois Clerc. Barca were rewarded for their ultra positive start when Ronaldinho placed a short corner to Lionel Messi who neatly sidestepped Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan to fire across the penalty area, Clerc’s hapless foot nudging the ball past his own keeper.
   The Catalans were fully deserving of their lead with their French visitors still without an attack worthy of the description.
   Lyon’s dead-ball specialist Juninho did though cause Barca’s defence to tense up when he took a 30-yard free-kick but the ball floated harmlessly over Victor Valdes’ net.
   Barca were back on the attack shortly after with Ronaldinho racing down the left wing to flick the ball on to the waiting Messi, back after injury, only for Clerc to turn from villain to hero when he kept out what looked set to be a certain goal.
   The stats at the break told the lopsided tale with the shots on goal counter set at 7-2 in the Spaniards’ favour, heaping more pressure on new coach Alain Perrin to come up with some Churchillian rhetoric in the Lyon dressing room.
   The six-time French champions enjoyed slightly more possession when they came back out onto the Camp Nou turf with Perrin beefing up the attack by introducing striker Milan Barros for defender Nadir Belhadj on the hour mark.
   Perrin’s opposite number Rijkaard called in Ronaldinho shortly after, the Brazilian coming off to warm applause in place of Andres Iniesta who wasted no time making his presence felt seconds after his introduction with a blocked shot.
   But as in the first period it was largely Barcelona who were landing the punches in a performance that will have silenced the critics frustrated at their muted start on the domestic front.
   And they killed off the tie with their second goal eight minutes from time, a fine three-pronged affair started by Deco who flicked the ball to Iniesta. His square pass to the unmarked Messi allowed the Argentine ace to slot home from close range. Henry then opened his scoring account for his new club since joining from Arsenal with Barca’s injury time third, the French international stroking the ball into an empty net after Vercoutre had saved Giovani Dos Santos’ initial effort.
   Rijkaard was predictably relieved at the result which his left his team top of the group.
   ‘This is a fine night for us. We scored three goals, we reached our objective, the team played well and the fans supported us. We’re happy with the result but we have to continue working.’

Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged Cristiano Ronaldo to emulate the goal-scoring heroics that established the Manchester United winger as one of the world’s best players. Ronaldo was the driving force behind United’s Premier League success last season, scoring 23 goals and producing a series of electrifying performances en route to winning the Footballer of the Year award.
   But the Portugal star had suffered a slow start to this campaign after a red card at Portsmouth cost him a three-match ban. So Ferguson was relieved to see Ronaldo score his first goal of the season as United snatched a 1-0 Champions League win at Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday.
   Despite Wayne Rooney’s return from injury, Ferguson’s side had been struggling to find any rhythm until Ronaldo shattered his former team with a diving header that gave United their 100th win in European’s elite club competition.
   Now he is off the mark, Ferguson expects Ronaldo to reproduce the kind of goal return that can push United towards more success in the Champions League.
   ‘I was pleased Cristiano scored because he got 23 goals last season,’ Ferguson said. ‘It was his first this term so
   hopefully it sets him off on another run.
   ‘It’s absolutely realistic for him to do that again. I expect him to improve as a player and I expect to see him develop in the football club. He is a good finisher, has two great feet and is marvellous in the air, so there is no reason why he can’t go on and hopefully do better.’
   Ronaldo was back at the Jose Alvalade Stadium for the first time since moving to United in 2003 and broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute.
   A slick United move gathered pace when Paul Scholes picked out Wes Brown and the right-back’s cross was met with a perfect diving header from Ronaldo.
   Ronaldo went off to a standing ovation from his former supporters but in contrast, Rooney laboured for long periods. The England star was used as a lone striker in his first game back from a broken toe and understandably looked off the pace.
   Rooney lasted 72 minutes before coming off but Ferguson believes he will benefit from the run out against Chelsea on Sunday.
   ‘Wayne had a difficult task playing up front on his own but he put in a good workrate,’ Ferguson said. ‘Fitness-wise he’s done well and it will help him for Sunday.’
   Not for the first time this season, United found it hard to establish any attacking momentum. But with Edwin van der Sar in imperious form they remain rock-solid at the back.
   The Dutch goalkeeper produced brilliant saves to keep out Liedson and Tonel as he claimed a fourth successive cleansheet.
   ‘I must say when we brought Edwin here I thought he would be one of our best signings,’ Ferguson said. ‘I should have done it years ago when I had the chance but I let him slip through my fingers.
   ‘He’s a great example for the young goalkeepers at the club. He has 120-odd caps for Holland, has won everything you could ask, but he’s still in early every morning.’
   Ferguson expects his team to improve considerably as key players like Rooney return and Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford this weekend will provide the perfect stage to underline that belief.
   ‘Consistency is what we are looking for,’ Ferguson said. ‘I’ve had to wait really. The players coming back can only improve our chances.
   ‘It won’t do us any harm getting a run of victories. It’s always good for the team’s continuity and attacking play.
   ‘Sunday is a massive game for us now. I’m looking forward to it.’
   While United returned home with the points, Sporting could consider themselves hard done by not to take a point from a game they dominated.
   Coach Paulo Bento said, ‘All results have implications and because we lost we have to think about our strategy. But last season we started with a victory and still went out.
   ‘This time we lost so we hope it will be different.’

Turkish club Fenerbahce secured an impressive 1-0 victory over Italian giants Inter Milan in their opening Champions League Group G match here on Wednesday.
   Striker Deivid found the net two minutes before the break to upset Inter, who lie second in the Italian league and who had been unbeaten this season
   so far.
   Brazilian legend Zico led out his side against Milan who admittedly have been hampered by injury problems.
   It was also an interesting match-up between two former Real Madrid star players, Fenerbahce’s veteran Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos and Portugal’s Luis Figo, who came on with half an hour to go.
   Roberto Carlos had a shot blocked himself before starting the move which saw Deivid put the Turks ahead in the 43rd minute. Roberto Carlos darted down the left flank and then cut inside to feed Alex on his right hand side.
   The ball was then chipped to Deivid who fired an acrobatic volley on the turn into the roof of the net.
   Fenerbahce almost had a goal in the 56th minute when Mateja Kezman hit the post.
   Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar made a critical save shortly afterwards, winning congratulations even from the player who made the shot, Alex.
   Figo came on for the final half hour to give Inter some hope and teammates Luis Antonio Jimenez and striker Hernan Crespo were also brought on.
   Inter, missing a number of key players including injured pair Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira, struggled under constant pressure from the home side, managing 10 shots compared to 20 by Fenerbahce.