Sri Lanka (644/7 dec) lead Pakistan (296/3) by 348 runs at stumps, day 3
   New captain Younus Khan led Pakistan’s fightback with his 16th hundred to thwart Sri Lanka on the third day of the opening Test here on Monday.
   The 31-year-old right-hander was unbeaten on 149 as the home team, replying to Sri Lanka’s mammoth first innings total of 644-7, were 296-3 at stumps.
   Misbah-ul-Haq was the other not out batsman at stumps with 20.
   Pakistan need another 149 runs to avoid follow-on.
   While the first two days belonged to Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, who smashed a double hundred and was associated in a world record stand of 437, Younus was the hero on the third day.
   Younus, leading Pakistan for the first time after he replaced Shoaib Malik following Pakistan’s 2-1 one-day defeat against Sri Lanka last month—his fifth Test as captain overall—truly played a captain’s knock.
   He played the twin-pace and twin-spin Sri Lankan bowling attack with consummate ease, and only looked in bother twice when he survived a confident leg-before shout against Ajantha Mendis when on 23.
   Then on 92, Tillakaratne Dilshan failed to hold onto a diving catch off a miscued drive, with the bowler again being Mendis.
   Younus pushed Sri Lankan paceman Dilhara towards third man for two to complete his century after four hours and five minutes of defiant batting—his fourth against Sri Lanka. He hit 17 boundaries during his six hour, 11 minute stay at the crease, holding one end intact.
   Younus found an able ally in Malik as they put on 149 for the third wicket after opener Khurram Manzoor fell for 27 in the first session.
   Resuming at 44-1, Manzoor and Younus took the score to 78 when Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis got the breakthrough, forcing Manzoor to edge to wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene who took a straightforward catch.
   Malik, who hit seven boundaries during his supportive 168-ball knock, was run out soon after tea when he failed to beat a direct throw from mid-off by Muttiah Muralitharan, while taking a quick single.
   Just like the Pakistani bowlers, Sri Lanka’s twin-pace and twin-spin attack toiled on an unresponsive National Stadium pitch.
   Both Younus and Malik occasionally jumped out to smother the little spin and hit over the top as Muralitharan failed to add to the single wicket he took by dismissing opener Salman Butt on Sunday.
   Muralitharan finished with 1-92 off 34 overs, while Mendis took 1-78 in his 35 overs.

Rows of empty seats and thousands of unsold tickets have provided a bleak backdrop to Pakistan’s first Test in 14 months, with heavy-handed security blamed for keeping the usually raucous crowds away.
   Early on day three of the Test against Sri Lanka, barely 200 spectators rattled around the 34,000-capacity National Stadium, with even offers of free tickets failing to draw fans.
   Schoolchildren filled one stand on Saturday, and on Sunday, barely 2,000 people witnessed Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera’s world record 437 partnership.
   ‘I think overwhelming security is to blame,’ said Ramiz Raja, a former Pakistan captain and ex-chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
   ‘It was not like this when we hosted India in 2004 — the last time I saw stadiums packed before the start of the match.’
   Security is a major concern in Karachi, a teeming port city with a reputation for attacks, especially after a series of incidents last year which ripped Pakistan’s cricket schedule to shreds.
   Australia cancelled a tour over security fears and India scrapped a visit in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, while Pakistan also lost the right to hold the elite Champions Trophy in September.
   At National Stadium, around 2,000 policemen stand guard. Fans are body-searched at the entrance and banned from taking water bottles and food inside.
   ‘It plagues us no end,’ said one spectator, Raheem Siddiqui. ‘It is tough on us, you need to buy water and food which is an added expense.
   ‘Why not then watch the match in the comforts of your drawing room?’
   PCB chairman Ijaz Butt denied security was over the top and said fans now preferred watching limited-overs cricket.
   ‘It’s not a hurdle. We have to make extraordinary security arrangements because we don’t want any mishap,’ said Butt, whose board suffered huge losses over the tour cancellations.
   ‘It has been going on for years now that we do not have crowds in Tests,’ he told AFP. ‘When we hosted Sri Lanka for one-dayers, we had a packed stadium in Lahore and good crowds came for the Karachi matches.’
   PCB incentives have also failed to bring in the crowds. Seven stands are free entry, while the most expensive ticket for the other five tribunes is just 50 rupees (62 cents).
   A lucky draw offers two prizes of 25,000 rupees (312 dollars) for spectators each day, and a bumper prize of 200,000 rupees (2,500 dollars) on the final day.
   But on Sunday, with security outnumbering fans, one prize went to a policeman.
   Raja said the PCB needed further innovation to bring back crowds who were previously known as among the most passionate in the world.
   ‘They need to make it a social event. I would suggest having music during intervals and that all the reserve players, if not the main players, go to the stands and mingle with the crowd and give them souvenirs,’ he said.
   Former paceman Sikander Bakht agreed that organisers needed to reach out to fans.
   ‘The PCB will have to make the Test spectator-friendly,’ said Bakht. ‘They must allow people to bring food items and make the matches a kind of picnic so that they could bring their families.’ Former England paceman Dominic Cork said the growing popularity of Twenty20 and one-day cricket means Test organisers now have to work hard to attract fans.
   ‘It’s not just Pakistan but it’s a trend the world over that less people come to Tests. They now enjoy T20 and day-night cricket,’ said Cork, who is here as television commentator.
   ‘Pakistani people must realise that to have top teams touring here they must turn up. I am impressed with the PCB’s initiative of a lucky draw, they are doing their bit to attract crowds,’ said Cork.

As Euro-pe anticipates the top-of-the-bill Champions League clash between Inter Milan and Manchester United today, few will be relishing the contest quite as keenly as Inter’s coach Jose Mourinho.
   Upon arriving in Milan in June, the Portuguese voiced his dismay at the dwindling international reputation of Italian football and he will view the round of 16 first leg at the San Siro as the perfect opportunity to remind the world of the allure of Serie A.
   Mourinho has promised a ‘tactical’ approach to the visit of his old adversary Sir Alex Ferguson’s world and European champions, who have won 16 of their last 17 games in all competitions.
   The former Chelsea boss has also wasted little time in sparking the pre-match mind games by claiming United striker Wayne Rooney should be banned for the tie.
   Writing in British newspaper the Sunday Telegraph, Mourinho said: ‘Back in 2005, UEFA used TV evidence to suspend Michael Essien for a challenge that he made in the Champions League against Liverpool.
   ‘Against (Danish team) Aalborg, Rooney made a challenge that deserved punishment. But nothing happens. What is the difference between Michael Essien from Chelsea and Wayne Rooney from Manchester United?’
   Both sides top their domestic leagues - United by seven points, Inter by nine - but the defending champions will be without defensive lynchpin Nemanja Vidic, who is suspended, while Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Vidic’s likely replacement Jonny Evans are all injured.
   Today’s other Anglo-Italian tie features Arsenal and Roma, two sides looking to European competition for salvation after being made to endure testing domestic seasons.
   Luciano Spalletti’s Roma have thrust themselves into Champions League contention after an abysmal start to the season that saw them pick up just two wins from their first 10 league games.
   Arsenal are fifth in the Premier League after being held to their third consecutive 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland on Saturday.
   Roma showed their class with a clinical 3-1 dissection of Chelsea in the group stages in November and Gunners coach Arsene
   Wenger is wary of their ability to raise their game.
   ‘They’re a strange side,’ the Frenchman said. ‘They like to do well against the good teams in Italy, so we must be cautious.’
   Barcelona’s meeting with Lyon features the league leaders in Spain and France, with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona many people’s favourites to win this season’s competition.
   The Catalans have stormed to the La Liga summit playing sumptuous attacking football, but a 2-1 defeat at home to city rivals Espanyol on Saturday allowed a resurgent Real Madrid to cut their lead to seven points.
   Lyon consolidated their grip on Ligue 1’s top spot with a 2-0 win at Nancy, but they have failed to convince this season and look set to lose gifted young striker Karim Benzema in the summer, with Barcelona heading a list of rumoured suitors.
   ‘The match against Barcelona will be different,’ Lyon centre-back Jean-Alain Boumsong said after the victory at Nancy.
   ‘If we qualify against Barcelona, it will mark an important stage in the life of the club and we will owe it to ourselves to continue.’
   Today’s remaining game pits Portugal’s Porto, European champions as recently as 2004, against an Atletico Madrid side who are off the pace in the Spanish first division despite an attack boasting the talents of Argentina’s Sergio Aguero and Uruguay’s Diego Forlan.
   Fixtures
   Tuesday
   (Kick-off 1945GMT)
   Arsenal (ENG) v Roma (ITA)
   Atletico Madrid (ESP) v FC Porto (POR)
   Inter Milan (ITA) v Man Utd (ENG)
   Lyon (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)

Stuart Broad is prepared to take the new ball for England in the absence of the injured Andrew Flintoff in the fourth Test against West Indies, starting on Thursday at Kensington Oval.
   As the youngest member of the England fast bowling attack, the 22-year-old Broad was expected to be overshadowed by his more accomplished teammates in the series.
   But he has leapt into the limelight, following the indifferent form of his more senior teammates and looks forward to opening the bowling now that Flintoff has been sidelined with a muscle strain in his right hip.
   ‘It is a role I have always hunted in an England shirt, both in one-day and Test cricket,’ said the blond-haired fast bowler.
   Broad strengthened his claim to fill the role, following his spell with the second new ball in the West Indies’ second innings in the drawn third Test at Antigua, when he removed Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
   ‘I have taken the new ball throughout my county career and it is something I would like to do for England,’ he said.
   ‘It is one of those things which is not just handed on a plate - you have to earn the right to do it.
   ‘Obviously with Fred out there is now a chance to take the new ball, and it is one at which I would jump.’
   Broad’s progress has been in sharp contrast to the decline of his senior fast bowling teammates.
   Flintoff continues to be plagued by injuries while Steve Harmison has been inconsistent. Ryan Sidebottom has been battling for the fitness that would return him to the kind of form that made him English Cricketer of the Year, and James Anderson has been erratic.
   So far, Broad has captured nine wickets at 19.77 apiece - making him England’s most successful bowler - and taken a career-best five wickets for 57 runs in the opening Test at Kingston.
   ‘You never stop developing as a bowler and I’ve certainly learned a lot in these last two years of international cricket,’ Broad said.
   ‘Before I came here, I thought about not having to bowl at 87-88 miles per hour. I looked at the likes of Angus Fraser, who just ran it back into off-stump and got a lot of wickets here.’
   Broad, whose father opened the batting for England in the 1980s and is now a respected ICC match referee, is pleased with how things have gone for him in the first two Tests.
   ‘Bowling on these slow pitches can improve your skills for when you get back home and hopefully a tour like this can develop me as a bowler,’ he said.
   ‘Certainly, my view has always been to make sure you nail your accuracy and skills, then in time your strength will develop and pace will pick up.’
   As a precocious teenage, Broad had ambitions of following in his father’s footsteps, but he sprung up, and decided to try his hand at bowling fast.
   He may never get the chance to open the batting for England in the future, but he could still fulfill his aspirations about playing a role with the bat at the pivotal No.8 position or bat as high as No.6.
   He has already posted three half-centuries in his 13 Tests and an average of 28.13 is no mean feat.
   ‘I have certainly scored a few handy runs, but I have not progressed, and scored the big runs I would have liked to and be able to make at No.6,’ he said.

Uncapped Marcus North made a claim for selection in Australia’s Test team with a solid all-round performance in the drawn match against a South African Board President’s XI at Senwes Park Sunday.
   North took a career-best six for 69 with his off-spin and made two unbeaten half-centuries as the Australians came close to achieving a come-from-behind victory.
   The Australians, who were smashed for 403 runs while taking only seven wickets in the first innings, declared their own first innings at the overnight total of 360 for four before bowling out the home side for 182 in the second innings.
   The tourists reached 171 for two before the match was called off, opting for batting practice instead of pushing to reach a target of 226. Phil Hughes and North both made half-centuries in an opening stand of 105 before retiring.
   With leg-spinner Bryce McGain failing to impress in the first innings and not taking the field in the second because of a stomach illness, North made a claim for the number six batting position ahead of all-rounder Andrew McDonald.
   This would enable Australia to pick four specialist fast bowlers for the first Test, starting in Johannesburg Thursday, with North providing a spin option.
   ‘It was an opportunity for me to do well and I think I’ve achieved that,’ said North.
   ‘There’s no certainty (of selection) but my performance won’t do me any harm.’
   North said he was pleased to have made a contribution on his first tour with an Australian side but he realised there were no guarantees of being picked.
   ‘All 14 players will be putting their hand up for selection,’ he said.
   North, 29, who has played for four English counties in addition to his state side Western Australia, had taken only 90 wickets in 125 first- class matches before the Potchefstroom game.
   This was his first five-wicket haul.
   He conceded more than six runs an over but spin seldom plays a major role at Johannesburg’s Wanderers Stadium.
   With a willingness to pitch the ball up in an effort to take wickets, North gives the tourists a choice between strengthening the batting and providing a few overs of spin bowling or going for a specialist leg-spinner in McGain who will be an unknown quantity for the South Africans.
   North followed up his first innings 52 not out with an unbeaten 50 off 83 balls. The left-handed Hughes, who is regarded as a certainty to make his Test debut Thursday, hit 53 off 79 deliveries before he retired.

Mohammed bin Hammam, the president of Asian Football Confederation, will pay a one-day visit to Bangladesh on March 12. Hammam will be accompanied by the AFC officials and a number of presidents of different football federations.
   Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin is eager to welcome the AFC supremo. ‘I am very delighted to receive Hammam. I invited him earlier and he agreed to visit Bangladesh and he is keeping his commitment which is an honour for Bangladesh football.
   ‘I want to hold an international tournament on regular basis. The tournament will be a part of the yearly calendar and will be held in the same month every year. I am looking forward to the AFC president’s support,’ said Salahuddin.

Narayan-ganj and Bangladesh Ansar completed the semi-final line-up of the Citycell Women’s National Football Championship after winning their respective matches at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Monday.
   Narayanganj defeated Rajshahi 3-0 and Bangladesh Ansar outplayed Satkhira 5-0 to join Bangladesh VDP and Jessore in the last four.
   Shukhi opened the account for Narayanganj in the second minute of the match and Afia Khatun Bithi doubled the margin four minutes later. Tahmina Akter Putul added the third in the 20th minute.
   Suinu Pru Marma continued her good form as she slammed another hat-trick scoring in the 8th, 10th and 22nd minutes while her strike partner Kobina Chakma netted twice in the 20th and 41st minutes.

Title contenders Usha KC registered their third consecutive win in the Need For Speed Shaheed Smriti Hockey Tournament when they thrashed Bangladesh Air Force 7-1 at the Maulana Bhasani national Hockey Stadium on Monday.
   Zahidul Islam Rajon scored three goals, Rimon Kumar netted two and skipper Shamsuddin Tuhin and Tabib-e-Noor scored one goal apiece for the star-studded outfit. Raseluddin netted the consolation goal for Air Force.
   Usha and Bangladesh Army both have earned nine points to share the top spot in the points table.

Sunnydale swamped SOS Shishu Palli 8-0 in the opening match of the KFC Pizza Hut 5th Mini Girls’ Handball Tournament at the Paltan handball ground on Monday.
   In the other matches of the day, Maghbazar Ispahani Girls’ School and Banani Bidya Niketan drew 5-5, Agha Khan School beat BMAR Rifles School & College 6-3, Dhanmondi Tutorial outplayed Maple Leaf International School 4-2 and South Breeze crushed Summerfield 12-0.
   The executive director of Transcom Foods Limited, Akku Chowdhury, inaugurated the meet as the chief guest. Bangladesh Handball Federation president Nurul Fazal Bulbul, vice-president Kazi Mahtabuddin Ahmed, general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor, tournament committee chairman BM Shoaib and secretary M Salahuddin Ahmed were present on the occasion.

Sharmin Sultana Shirin of I2 Soft Solution defeated reigning champion IWM Rani Hamid of Titas in the second round of the 30th Parachute National Women’s Chess Championship on Monday.
   Runner-up WFM Samima Akter Liza of Overseas School of Chess beat Nazrana Khan Eva, Masuda Begum of Barisal beat Amena Khatun of Moulovibazer. Shirin, Liza and Masuda have won maximum two points from two rounds.
   In the other matches of the day, Zakia Sultana of Dhaka Metropolitan Chess Club beat Jahanara Haque Runu, Rokshana Titli outplayed Protiva Talukder of Rajshahi and Farjana Hossain Anne of Muktijoddha Sangsad KC overpowered Ahely Sarkar of Kasparov Chess School.

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho confirmed his team would go on the attack against Manchester United in the Champions League at the San Siro today.
   United may be the holders and favourites for the tournament and last week Mourinho described them as the best counter-attacking team in the world, but the Portuguese boss said he still won’t change from his attacking philosophy.
   ‘We won’t change our style of play, it will be 4-4-2 with a diamond formation in midfield and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic and Andriano in attack,’ he said.
   ‘I’ve told the players not to think about the possibility that in two weeks they’ll be out of the Champions League but that in two weeks they could have beaten the champions of Europe.
   ‘We shouldn’t be afraid, we have to keep our way of playing and I’m sure that nothing will be decided tomorrow but rather in two weeks time in the return leg at Old Trafford.
   ‘We’re playing a great team but so are they.’
   Mourinho revealed that the only part of his team he is undecided on is his central defensive pairing and he said that the rest of the team will be as expected.
   Behind the front pair Serbia’s Dejan Stankovic will play at the head of the diamond with Argentina’s Esteban Cambiasso at the base, Ghana’s Muntari Sulley on the left and Inter captain Javier Zanetti on the right.
   Brazilian Maicon and Italian teenager Davide Santon will continue as full-backs and Julio Cesar will start in goal but Mourinho is yet to decide on how best to nullify United’s attacking threat of Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
   Even so he is convinced his team will continue their progress in Europe this season, despite a tough group qualifying in which they lost their last two matches and finished second to Panathinaikos.
   And Mourinho dismissed United’s defensive crisis, that has deprived them of Nemanja Vidic, Gary Neville, Wes Brown and possibly also Jonny Evans and John O’Shea, as an advantage for his team.
   ‘The first reason is that they are strong defensively and also teams are afraid when they go to Manchester,’ said Mourinho, who believes United will apply a damage limitation exercise at the San Siro.
   ‘I don’t think Manchester will come to the San Siro to try to win, they’ll play very defensively,’ he said.
   ‘Beating Manchester wouldn’t be anything special, the important thing is qualifying for the next round.
   ‘But we’re not afraid, I believe that in two months we’ll be in the final.’

Veteran umpire Steve Bucknor, who was at the centre of the bitter and controversial Test series between Australia and India last year, will retire next month.
   The 63-year-old Jamaican has stood in a record 126 Tests and over 170 one-day internationals, but his last engagement will be the third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town from March 19 to 23.
   ‘I have notified the International Cricket Council that the South Africa versus Australia series will be my last Test series,’ Bucknor told The Jamaica Gleaner newspaper on Sunday.
   ‘The third Test match in Cape Town will be my last Test.’
   Bucknor was dumped by the ICC, and replaced by Billy Bowden, after India complaints over his performance in the second Test in Sydney last year which was won by Australia.
   Australia’s Andrew Symonds was incorrectly given not out on 30 before going on to making an unbeaten 162 before India’s Rahul Dravid was wrongly given out when he was battling to save the Test.
   ‘The body is feeling quite good and I know I could go on for another two or three years,’ said Bucknor.
   ‘However, something inside me is telling me that it is time to go.’

Ravi Bopara and Amjad Khan both overcame jetlag to make good first impressions, as England dominated their warm-up match against a Barbados Cricket Association President’s XI on Sunday.
   Bopara hit a stroke-filled 124 that lifted England to 351 for eight declared in their first innings before Khan snared two late wickets that left the President’s XI 49 for four in reply when stumps were drawn on the opening day of the two-day fixture at the Windward Sports Club.
   Bopara and Khan boarded four separate flights and spent more than 40 hours travelling through various time zones from the England Lions’ tour of New Zealand to arrive in the island on Saturday afternoon as cover for the injured Andrew Flintoff.
   ‘I was called into the room of David Parson [the England Lions coach], and thought I was in trouble,’ he said.
   ‘It reminded me of the headmaster at school, but then he told me Freddie has picked up an injury and I was needed in the West Indies with Amjad.’
   The 23-year-old Bopara admitted he had to fight to stay awake before entering the fray with England on 173 for five.
   ‘I looked at my phone and saw it was Sunday, but had no idea what day it was when I was in LA or Miami,’ he said.

Steven Gerrard has been included in Liverpool’s squad for their Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday, the English club confirmed on Monday.
   The hugely influential club captain underwent a light training session with his team-mates on Monday morning and is set to travel to the Spanish capital, although a decision on whether he starts the first leg of the last-16 tie will be left until the last minute.
   ‘Steven will be in the squad,’ manager Rafael Benitez told the club’s website, www.liverpoolfc.tv. ‘He was okay in training this morning.
   ‘It was a special training session so we were not testing him 100 percent, but he trained okay so we will see.’
   Gerrard has been out of action for almost three weeks with a hamstring injury and Benitez decided against risking him in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.

Manches-ter City handed arch-rivals Manchester United a significant advantage in the Premier League title race after earning a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Sunday.
   Liverpool could have closed the gap on league leaders United to five points with a victory over City at Anfield, but instead they needed Dirk Kuyt’s late equaliser to rescue a draw that left them seven points adrift of Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions.
   A day that started with the news that Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is still refusing to sign a new contract got even worse in the 51st minute when Alvaro Arbeloa deflected Craig Bellamy’s shot into his own net.
   Kuyt at least stopped Liverpool suffering their first home defeat when he poked home from close range in the 78th minute.
   Benitez insisted Liverpool can still catch United but even he was forced to concede the task is a lot harder now.
   ‘I have confidence that we can still win it, but we must win our next two league games against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and then win against Manchester United at Old Trafford,’ Benitez said.
   ‘Then we may have a different situation. But I just accept that this has been a bad result and it clearly makes it more difficult for us to win the title.
   ‘We clearly have to win our games and see where that takes us. And clearly Manchester United are playing well and winning games.’
   Elsewhere on Sunday, Newcastle held on for a 0-0 draw at home to Everton despite playing the entire second half with 10 men after Kevin Nolan’s dismissal.
   The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute when Nolan launched into an ugly studs-up lunge on Everton striker Victor Anichebe, leaving referee Lee Mason with no option but to show a red card to the midfielder.
   But Everton, who had Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta stretchered off in the first half, lacked the cutting edge required to prise open Newcastle’s defence.
   A point was a good result for both sides though as it moved Newcastle five points clear of the relegation zone and cemented Everton’s position in sixth place.
   Fulham striker Bobby Zamora scored for the first time in 21 league matches as the Cottagers defeated struggling West Bromwich Albion 2-0.
   Zamora, who cost five million pounds from West Ham last year, last hit the net in the Premier League in September and he was finally back on the scoresheet with a close-range finish in the 61st minute.
   Andy Johnson added the second 11 minutes later after Zamora’s shot was blocked by Scott Carson.
   Rock bottom Albion’s misery was complete when Roman Bednar’s stoppage time penalty was saved by Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Frank Lampard believes Gus Hiddink has already demonstrated he is the right man to get Chelsea back on track.
   Hiddink started his reign as Blues boss with a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa on Saturday that lifted Chelsea above their opponents into third place in the Premier League.
   Lampard was instrumental in that success as the England midfielder produced a man of the match display capped by the sublime pass that set up Nicolas Anelka’s first half winner.
   But the Chelsea talisman was more than happy to give credit to Hiddink for settling in so quickly after his dramatic arrival as replacement for sacked Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari.
   Hiddink, who has also retained his position as Russia coach, has made a big impression on Lampard with the quiet but purposeful way he carries out his work at the club’s training ground.
   ‘I’d never met him before working with him this past week, so it was interesting to see he is a very serious guy,’ Lampard said.
   ‘It’s important we have someone like that to help us move forward, but he also has a sense of humour, he relates to players, and I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve seen of him.
   ‘He has a certain aura about him, something that top managers and coaches have, certainly the best ones I’ve worked with have that.
   ‘They have a sense of fear about them, and when they say even the smallest thing, it makes you realise things on the pitch. He’s got that.
   ‘He doesn’t say too much, but when he says something, it really matters.
   ‘In watching his Russian teams recently, they are technically very good, with a lot of movement and passing.
   ‘In training we’ve worked very hard this week on passing the ball quickly, moving it, being organised, something we really needed.’
   After a series of lacklustre displays in the final weeks of Scolari’s brief reign, Lampard was delighted to see Chelsea show some of the defiant spirit that characterised the Jose Mourinho era.
   Former Chelsea boss Mourinho transformed Chelsea into title winners by building a highly-efficient team that ground down opponents in the way they saw off Villa on Saturday.
   ‘There was a little bit of the old Chelsea out there, that spirit, and the way we played,’ Lampard said.
   ‘We looked a bit more like ourselves. You could see the commitment in the lads, that never-say-die spirit when Villa were throwing balls into the box.
   ‘We also scored early and closed out the game, something we used to do regularly and it used to get on people’s nerves because we could get those 1-0 wins away from home.
   ‘That’s something we’ve lost touch a little with this season. We’ve drawn too many games in a frustrating manner.’
   Despite their Villa Park victory, Chelsea remain 10 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United and Lampard concedes there is a long way to go before his team will be happy with their season.
   A victory over Juventus, managed by former Blues coach Claudio Ranieri, in Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg is first on the hit list for Lampard and company.
   ‘We’ve still a lot ahead of us over the next few weeks. If we want to push for the title, or to at least stay in the top four and push on, we need to put a long run of wins together,’ he added.
   ‘The attitude we showed in this game, we need to show it game in and game out.
   ‘So this is only a start. There’s no way we can get carried away and say “we’re back”.’

Manche-ster United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has all but written off Real Madrid’s chances of winning this season’s Champions League.
   Ferguson believes Barcelona and the three other English teams involved in the competition are the biggest threats to his side’s hopes of retaining the trophy.
   Madrid, according to the Red Devils manager, lack the pace in their team to worry the rest of Europe’s heavyweight sides.
   When asked by French paper Le Journal du Dimanche earlier this month whether Madrid were among the favourites for the Champions League, Ferguson said: ‘No chance.
   ‘Their game lacks pace. They have great players like (Gabriel) Heinze, (Fabio) Cannavaro, (Fernando) Gago, but they aren’t quick. ‘There is (Arjen) Robben, the only one who can give them some rhythm, but he isn’t very brave.
   ‘The three English teams - Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal - or Barcelona (are the favourites, along with United). The level of the Premier League is so elevated that it prepares you for games at the highest level.
   ‘And Barcelona can count on a fantastic player - (Lionel) Messi.’
   The interview was given on February 4 but, since then, Madrid - who take on Liverpool in the last 16 - have won three Primera Liga games in a row, scoring 11 goals in the process.
   Indeed, they are on a nine-match winning run in the Spanish top flight and have drawn to within seven points of leaders Barca at the top of the table.
   There is no love lost between United and Madrid, especially since their high-profile bust-up regarding the future of Cristiano Ronaldo.
   Another player they may compete over in the next few years is Lyon’s star striker Karim Benzema.
   The France international is one of the continent’s hottest prospects and he could leave the French champions this summer.
   All of Europe’s big guns will have been monitoring the progress of Benzema, and Ferguson is an admirer of the 21-year-old.
   ‘He is an excellent footballer. He makes me think of Zinedine Zidane, the way he positions his body,’ Ferguson said in the same interview.
   ‘He has big shoulders and excellent control of the ball. The ball is stuck to his feet and defenders can’t get a tackle in. But it doesn’t mean I want to buy him.’
   When asked if Benzema could play for United one day, Ferguson added: ‘You always have to keep an eye on all the best players and how they are developing.
   ‘But Lyon’s president (Jean-Michel Aulas) is a sharp man. He sold (Michael) Essien for 38million euros, (Mahamadou) Diarra for 26million euros, (Florent) Malouda for 19million euros, (Eric) Abidal for 16million euros. And I congratulate him for that.
   ‘When we played Lyon last season, at the end of the match, he said, ‘Chelsea are making me an offer of 50million euros for Benzema’. I replied to him, ‘At that price, I’ll leave him to them!’’
   Ferguson also revealed he is a big fan of another young France star, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.
   ‘He is fantastic,’ the United boss said. ‘Always moving and incredible energy. ‘He is always going forward but defends a lot too. He would have no problem playing in England.’

Spanish international David Villa went from hero to villain as Valencia’s away-day blues continued with a 1-1 draw at Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
   Villa scored his 19th goal of the season on 24 minutes with an accomplished finish but was then sent off in the 76th minute, collecting a second booking for a late challenge on goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia.
   Deportivo’s Adrian Lopez punished the ten-man visitors equalising three minutes later.
   Valencia had lost their last five away league matches but the draw will still frustrate manager Unai Emery with his team now two points behind fourth-placed Villarreal.
   The other leading sides were in action on Saturday night with Real Madrid crushing Real Betis 6-1 to bolster confidence ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match with Liverpool.
   Barcelona’s surprise 2-1 home loss to Espanyol meant Real cut Barcelona’s lead at the top to seven points and all of a sudden it looks like there may be a title race on.
   But the Champions League is the next task in hand and Portuguese defender Pepe hopes for another goalfest at the Santiago Bernabeu.
   ‘Liverpool shouldn’t fear us. They should respect us, just like we do them. We’ll have the crowd on our side on Wednesday and we’ll capitalise on that,’ explained Pepe.
   Barcelona have seen their lead cut by five points in a fortnight and defender Gerard Pique admitted the league takes priority over the Champions League where Barcelona face Lyon today.
   ‘The Champions League has more glamour because it has the prize of the best team in Europe attached to it, however, the league is the top priority,’ said Pique.
   New Numancia coach Jose Rojo Martin ‘Pacheta’ had a forgettable debut as his side lost 2-0 at Osasuna in a vital bottom of the table clash in Spain.
   Goals from Jaroslav Plasil and Masoud Soleimani sealed victory for Osasuna to keep them out of the relegation zone while Numancia are rooted to the foot of the table, four points from safety.
   Pacheta replaced the sacked Sergio Kresic this week and had a real baptism of fire with a relegation battle against Osasuna.
   Espanyol’s surprise 2-1 win at Barcelona on Saturday had lifted them off the bottom at Numancia’s expense so the pressure was on.
   Osasuna coach Jose Antonio Camacho, a former manager with Real Madrid and Spain, said in the build-up that this was his most important match since taking charge in mid-October and the hosts had a flying start with Plasil scoring after two minutes.
   Soleimani grabbed a second in the first half and Numanica, who beat Barcelona 1-0 on the opening day of the season, had no response.
   ‘The good results bring more confidence but we are doing the same amount of work as two months ago only now we are getting a bit of luck,’ said Camacho.
   Cup semi-finalists Real Mallorca stay third from bottom despite a last gasp 1-0 win over Racing Santander with Jose Jurado scoring an 88th-minute penalty.
   Malaga were expected to be fighting for survival following their promotion last season but are knocking on Europe’s door following a 3-1 victory at Valladolid.
   Malaga climb to sixth, level on points with Valencia, with the win and are just four points behind Villarreal and the Champions League spots.
   ‘We will see what we are going to play for after the next few matches,’ warned Malaga coach Antonio Tapa.
   Malaga have tough games coming up against Barcelona, Sevilla, Real Madrid and Villarreal.

Jose Mourinho has said he deserves the credit for turning Manchester United into European champions, after his Chelsea side raised the bar for the current European champions.
   The Inter Milan coach claims his reign at Chelsea made United up their game, resulting in them winning back the Premier League and Champions League.
   He told the Sun: ‘When I was in England, Chelsea was the best team between 2004-06. That is why we won two consecutive Premierships.
   ‘Manchester United at that time realised they needed to be better to win it and, in my third season, that’s what they did. And they went on to win the Champions League.
   ‘That has given them so much confidence. They are certainly a better team now than when I was in England.’
   His Inter Milan side face United in the San Siro in their Champions League second-round, first-leg clash on Tuesday and Mourinho is convinced his side has what it takes to knock out the holders.
   Mourinho added: ‘This is the biggest challenge of my career here. The Champions League is so important to Inter Milan, because they have not won the cup for nearly 50 years. It is the ambition of everyone at this club to do it.’
   ‘I have a great relationship with Sir Alex. You know during the game it is going to be a real war. But afterwards there is always happiness and we share some time together. I don’t want that to change, no matter who wins or loses.
   ‘I have so many good memories of facing United. I beat them while with Porto in the last 16, in a Carling Cup semi-final with Chelsea and also at Stamford Bridge to claim our second title.’ You can throw in the 2007 FA Cup win, too, and Mourinho admitted: ‘My personal record against them makes me confident.’
   Many believe Mourinho will return to England in the near future, but the Portuguese revealed other plans.
   ‘One of my ambitions as a manager is to win the three most important championships in Europe - the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga. If I can do the first two, my focus in the future will be on La Liga,’ he added.
   Mourinho also believes the United battle could revolve around how his team handle Cristiano Ronaldo and United cope with the player he believes is the world’s best - Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
   He declared: ‘Cristiano Ronaldo is a top player. It is impossible to stop such a good player, just as Sir Alex will find with Ibrahimovich.’

Fabio Cannavaro has called on Real Madrid to ‘play smart’ in their Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool.
   The Spanish giants meet the Merseysiders on Wednesday in the first leg at the Bernabeu on the back of a 6-1 thrashing of Real Betis - their ninth successive Primera Liga win under new coach Juande Ramos.
   The deficit to leaders Barcelona has been trimmed to seven points, breathing new life into the title race and boosting morale further ahead of the visit of Rafael Benitez’s men.
   Italy defender Cannavaro told his club’s website: ‘We’re in good form. The team is doing well and it has the fans’ support. We’re up against a historic team that is used to winning the Champions League. We must play smart, score and not concede any goals.’
   Cannavaro is likely to come up against Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, a player he admires.
   ‘He’s a player I like very much. He’s gained a lot of confidence playing outside of Spain,’ he added. ‘He also won the European Championship last summer with Spain. He’s one of Europe’s best strikers.’
   Cannavaro also had words of praise for Ramos, who has revitalised a Madrid squad underachieving under previous boss Bernd Schuster.
   The former Juventus centre-half believes Ramos, sacked by Tottenham in October, has done wonders for team spirit.
   ‘The coach is doing a good job, we’ve gone back to being a team,’ he said. ‘We made many mistakes during the first half of the season because we thought we could win just by wearing this shirt.
   ‘We need to play as a team. That’s what Juande has done.’

Petr Cech has dismissed reports of divisions within the Chelsea dressing room. There were claims all was not well at Stamford Bridge when Luiz Felipe Scolari was dismissed as manager earlier this month.
   But goalkeeper Cech insisted there have not been any problems with player relations since he joined the club in 2004.
   ‘I think there was a lot of reports about Chelsea
   being divided in the dressing room and stuff
   like that but it has never been true,’ he told Sky Sports News.
   ‘This club, since I have arrived, there is something which keeps the momentum, keeps the club going, and that is the strength in the dressing room.
   ‘I think the players have a great relationship.
   ‘We stick together, the team has a sprit and, even in a difficult time, we show now and again this is the case.’
   Chelsea kept their slim Premier League title hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over top-four rivals Aston Villa on Saturday.
   Much was made of their show of unity at the end
   of the match, with new
   boss Guus Hiddink insisting it was not just for the cameras.
   And Cech echoed that claim, saying: ‘I think it was the reaction after the game, it was not showing off for the cameras, it was because we felt it was a massive game and we knew it was going to be difficult and we made it.’

Tim Cahill’s performances as an emergency striker have been good enough to put him in contention for England’s player-of-the-year awards, Everton boss David Moyes believes.
   Everton’s injury woes have resulted in the Australian midfielder regularly being pressed into a forward role and he has responded with some vital goals for the Merseysiders.
   ‘I think Tim is all about the spirit he gives to the team and his all round play,’ Moyes said. ‘It’s not always just his form in the game, it’s what he gives to the team and what he gives to the club.
   ‘Maybe people in time will look at Tim and see him as a player who is worthy of that top spot (player of the season).’
   Cristiano Ronaldo won both the Professional Footballers Association and English Football Writers player of the year awards for last season.
   Ronaldo’s mixed form in the first half of the season suggests he may not retain the awards with his team-mates Nemanja Vidic and Edwin van der Sar among the front-runners to succeed him.

AC Milan got back to winning ways and gave themselves a boost ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Cup last-32 second leg clash against Werder Bremen with a 1-0 home victory against Cagliari on Sunday.
   Clarence Seedorf scored the only goal of the game with a simple tap-in midway through the second half of a match in which the visitors were the better side for long periods.
   The win allowed third-placed Milan to narrow the gap between themselves and table-topping city rivals Inter Milan, who won 2-1 at Bologna on Saturday, to 11 points; Juventus are second after beating Palermo 2-0 on Saturday.
   But more important, perhaps, is the fact the victory will have restored Milan’s confidence ahead of the return leg against Bremen, with the tie delicately poised at 1-1 from the opening match in Germany.
   It will also have appeased Milan president and Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said he was horrified to have heard about Werder’s late equaliser in Bremen last Thursday.
   That statement sparked rumours that Berlusconi wanted to replace Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season.
   But Ancelotti insisted that, contrary to newspaper rumours, his head was not being prepared for the chopping block.
   ‘I’m also disappointed when we’re leading and get pegged back,’ he said. ‘What the president said was normal, I don’t see anything strange about it.
   ‘His words are always blown out of all proportion. This happens in football as well as in politics.
   ‘The truth is that the relationship I have with the president is very different from the picture painted in the newspapers.’
   Cagliari came into this game as one of Serie A’s most in-form sides and they certainly had the better of the first-half at the San Siro.
   Their first chance came on 16 minutes when diminutive Brazilian Jeda fed Robert Aquafresca in the box but the Italian hot-shot was a little slow in turning to shoot from seven yards and his effort lacked power, allowing Christian Abbiati in the Milan goal to kick the ball away.
   On 22 minutes veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi found the net for Milan but he was narrowly offside from Seedorf’s pass.
   David Beckham was having a largely quiet game on the right flank but one devilish cross almost earned a reward on 34 minutes but Marek Jankulovski and Inzaghi just failed to get a decisive touch on the ball.
   Just before half-time Jeda tested Abbiati’s reactions with a venomous shot from just outside the area, but the Milan goalkeeper tipped it over the bar.
   Cagliari were still in the ascendancy early in the second half as Andrea Cossu hit a howitzer from distance that beat Abbiati with ease but crashed back off the post with the goalkeeper looking relieved.
   But on 65 minutes a horrendous mix-up in Cagliari’s box allowed Seedorf to stroke home a simple goal.
   Running back towards his own goal, Uruguayan Diego Lopez received a shove in the back from Inzaghi and headed the ball against goalkeeper Federico Marchetti before colliding with him for good measure.
   The ball fell to the Dutch veteran who couldn’t miss from 15 yards.
   Fiorentina moved back up to fourth place, and the final Champions League qualifying position, as Romania captain Adrian Mutu scored a last-gasp winner in a 2-1 home success against Chievo.
   The ‘Flying Pigs’ had taken an early lead through Santiago Morero but Alberto Gilardino started the La Viola fightback 17 minutes from time and Mutu struck four minutes into injury time to secure the three points.
   Genoa moved above Roma, who beat Siena 1-0 on Saturday, into fifth with a 1-0 success at Napoli courtesy of Bosko Jankovic’s second-half strike.

Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema, top scorers in this season’s Champions League, hold the key to today’s second round, first leg clash between Lyon and Barcelona which should be an attacking feast.
   Both men have five goals in this year’s competition to share top spot in the goal charts with Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Miroslav Klose of Bayern Munich.
   Argentine ace Messi likes coming up against the seven-time French champions.
   Last season, he scored in both group games which finished 2-2 in France and a comfortable 3-0 win in Barcelona as the Spanish giants, twice European champions, made it as far as the semi-finals.
   However, Barcelona did not have the best preparation for today’s clash, losing 2-1 to city rivals Espanyol. It was their first defeat since the opening day of the season, ending a 22-match unbeaten run.
   ‘Nobody said this was going to be easy,’ said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. ‘It was a demanding match and we need our players to recover from it.’
   Like Barcelona, Lyon are on top of their domestic league, but coach Claude Puel believes his side have the toughest assignment of the entire Champions Legaue second round draw.
   ‘It’s the most difficult draw we could have faced, given that Barcelona is the best team in the world at the moment,’ said Puel.
   ‘It’ll be difficult for us, but I think we have a chance if we play as a team and produce good football. Barcelona have some great individual players, but we have a great team.
   ‘We can produce some great football, and we need to play as a team in order to win.’
   Lyon, for whom the sought-after Benzema hit his 12th league goal of the season in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Nancy, will need to shore up a leaky defence having conceded ten goals in the group stage, more than any other side left in the last 16.
   In stark contrast, no other team scored as many goals as Barcelona in the group stage with 18 in six matches.
   Barcelona will be without French international defender Eric Abidal, a former Lyon star, for the both legs of the tie after injuring his leg in Saturday’s defeat.
   Barcelona paid Lyon 15 million euros for Abidal in June 2007 after the player made his mark for France at the 2006 World Cup finals.

Real Madrid are in confident mood ahead of their Champions League showdown with Liverpool at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday after nine successive league wins, including an impressive 6-1 thrashing of Real Betis on Saturday.
   Liverpool could not have picked a worse time to face the double Spanish champions and Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart said the five-time European champions would be intimidated.
   ‘We’re Real Madrid, which is why I think Liverpool are frightened of us,’ said van der Vaart. ‘The team is working hard to be in perfect shape. We’re anxious to do well in Europe, and I will do anything to win the Champions League.’
   Real closed to within seven points of Barcelona at the summit with a ruthless 6-1 destruction of Betis - with all the goals in the first half - to warn Liverpool of their firepower.
   ‘Liverpool shouldn’t fear us. They should respect us, just like we do them. We’ll have the crowd on our side on Wednesday and we’ll capitalise on that,’ explained Portuguese centre-half Pepe.
   ‘We need to be determined. I will be happy if we score half as many goals as we did tonight, but it will be a very different match.’
   Gonzalo Higuain scored his 14th goal of the season with the opener against Betis and said it was time to forget the league and concentrate on trying to turn over Liverpool.
   ‘It’s time to start thinking about the next match. The Champions League is up next and we need to maintain this rhythm,’ explained Higuain.
   ‘Wednesday’s game is another final. It will be a very difficult match against a great team that does well under such pressure. We will do our best and hope to have the upper hand heading into the return leg of the tie.’
   Real coach Ramos, who has steadied the ship following Bernd Schuster’s sacking, has not given up on the league but admits the Champions League could be an easier target for Real.
   ‘In the Champions League our destiny is in our own hands and if things go smoothly and we don’t slip up we can win it,’ explained Ramos. ‘In the league that is not the case so the Champions League is easier, although there are eight or so teams that could be crowned European champions. The competition is much harder.’
   Real have won the trophy nine times but their last success came back in 2002 and Dutch international Roysten Drenthe admitted Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres had been singled out as the main threat.
   ‘Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are their two danger men,’ said Drenthe. ‘Torres scores lots of goals and Gerrard is very dangerous shooting from long range. However, they have a lot of other players that can hurt us.’
   While Raul and Higuain hope to build on their goals against Betis, Dutch forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who scored twice against Betis, must watch from the stands after being omitted from Real’s Champions League squad.
   ‘It is a big blow and it is not going to be easy watching from the stands,’ said Huntelaar. Lass Diarra was included instead of Huntelaar with UEFA rules only permitting Real to register one player who had already played this season in Europe with his previous club.

Everton’s hopes of winning some silverware this season suffered a severe blow on Monday when their Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta was ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
   Arteta, the creative heartbeat of David Moyes’s side, suffered the injury in the opening minutes of Sunday’s goalless draw at Newcastle.
   The club revealed on Monday that their worst fears had been confirmed by a scan which showed that the 26-year-old had ruptured a cruciate ligament in his right knee.
   Everton are currently sixth in the English Premier League and the Merseyside club have also advanced to the last eight of the FA Cup, in which they will face either West Ham or Middlesbrough for a place in the semi-finals.
   Already struggling with the most meagre playing and financial resources of the top six, Everton have been desperately unlucky this season with injuries.
   Nigerian striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu is also out for the rest of the season after rupturing an Achilles tendon at the end of November while knee problems have sidelined forward James Vaughan and Portuguese left-back Nuno Valente.
   Hamstring issues have restricted Louis Saha to 14 matches this season and midfielder Marouane Fellaini is currently playing with a cracked bone in his back.
   South Africa midfielder Steven Pienaar (hamstring) and Leon Osman (stomach strain) have both missed recent games and Moyes is awaiting an update on the severity of the injury suffered by young forward Victor Anichebe in Sunday’s match.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes victory over Roma in today’s Champions League showdown would give his young side the confidence to end their four-year trophy drought.
   Wenger’s decision to blood so many youngsters has been exposed by a host of injuries to key players and the inevitable result is a campaign scarred by the growing pains of his fresh-faced kids.
   The Premier League title slipped out of reach before the turn of the year and the Gunners now face a major battle to even secure the top four finish required to guarantee a crack at the Champions League next season.
   But Arsenal can still salvage their season by making a sustained challenge for the Champions League, starting with the last 16 first leg clash against Roma.
   Wenger is certain that lurking beneath the insecurities brought on by Arsenal’s spluttering form, his players have the talent to win on Europe’s grandest stages.
   ‘For us it is a big game because we have a good opportunity to do well in the Champions League,’ Wenger said at his pre-match press conference on Monday. ‘It is important because I feel the team is in a period where a big victory can give them the lift and confidence.
   ‘There is a lot of quality coming out of this team, they have matured a lot mentally but they still lack a little spark to really take off.’
   Arsenal have scored just once in their last four league games but Wenger insists the attitude of his squad is positive enough to overcome the problem.
   ‘We just lack what the supporters are used to seeing. That means the flowing, creative game. At the moment that doesn’t come off,’ he said.

David Beckham revealed on Sunday that something could happen next week with his proposed transfer from Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan.
   Beckham’s on-off transfer saga has been dominating column inches over the past few weeks with both the former England captain and the Italian giants making clear they want to make his loan deal permanent.
   But Galaxy are holding out for four-times the reported three million dollars Milan have offered for the 33-year-old.
   ‘I honestly don’t know but I know that next week will be important,’ said Beckham when asked about his transfer following Milan’s 1-0 victory over Cagliari.
   ‘I want to stay at Milan, I’ve not heard anything from Galaxy but when it’s like that you could say it could be good news.’
   Transfer talks seem to have hit a stalemate with Milan vice president Adriano Galliani insisting the club won’t increase the offer which Galaxy described as ‘ridiculous’.
   ‘Absolutely not. I have a lot of experience with regards the price of players,’ said Galliani when asked if Milan would increase their bid.
   ‘And from a point of view regarding the European parameters, there’s no sense in spending any more.
   ‘In the States they look at the commercial aspect. But in Europe transfers are done for technical reasons.
   ‘I’m already at the limit of the budget at my disposal.’
   However Galaxy chief Tim Leiweke has been holding his ground and claiming that the Americans won’t be bullied into accepting less than their own valuation.
   ‘Two weeks ago Milan made a ridiculous offer that took me just a few seconds to reject,’ he said of the reported three million dollar bid.