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Liverpool, Inter and Atletico through; Chelsea made to wait

Five-time winners Liverpool, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid advanced into the Champions League last 16 while Chelsea must wait for the final group match after a 1-1 draw at Girondins Bordeaux on Wednesday.

Captain Steven Gerrard scored the only goal at Anfield against Olympique Marseille to send Liverpool through. Atletico Madrid grabbed the other berth in Group D after a 2-1 home win over PSV Eindhoven behind closed doors.

Inter safely progressed from Group B despite a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Panathinaikos.

Chelsea still have to work to join fellow Premier League sides in the last 16 as a 83-minute Alou Diarra header cancelled out Nicolas Anelka's goal for Chelsea.

Roma went top of Group A on nine points after a 3-1 win at CFR Cluj but still have to secure a draw facing Bordeaux, now on seven, to get through. Chelsea, a point behind Roma, will host Cluj.

Group C produced two big-scoring matches. Barcelona beat Sporting 5-2 in a game of qualifiers to seal the top spot while Shakhtar Donetsk secured a UEFA Cup place, available to the eight third-placed teams, after a 5-0 home rout of Basel thanks to a Jadson hat-trick.

Panathinaikos scored a shock winner against Inter on 69 minutes when Josu Sarriegi pounced from close range after Giannia Goumas' header had been parried by Julio Cruz.

Inter had its best chance in the 11th when Adriano hit the post on a sharply angled shot.

They created little else afterwards until the final minutes when coach Jose Mourinho had four strikers on the field and his team laid siege to the Panathinaikos goal.

The loss left Mourinho fuming although they still progressed with eight points, one more than Panathinaikos and two clear of Anorthosis, who squandered a 2-0 lead at home to draw 2-2 with Werder Bremen.

"Panathinaikos deserves this win and we deserved to lose," said Mourinho.

"We played a slow game and in the first half basically didn't create anything. We didn't fight for the lose balls. I think the players were tired, that's the explanation I prefer."

The unlikely win put Panathinaikos in a better position for a knockout stage slot as they need only a draw in their final game against Anorthosis Famagusta in Athens.

Liverpool only rode their luck to advance as Marseille dominated possession for long periods but were made to pay for a atemporary reprieve.

Gerrard, restored to Liverpool's line-up from a groin injury, provided the highlight of a poor Liverpool display after 23 minutes. He stole in unmarked on the end of Xabi Alonso's ball to the far post to head powerfully in.

Chelsea failed to complete a clear sweep of English teams but are expecting little trouble against eliminated Cluj in their final game.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's side struggled with Petr Cech forced to make excellent early saves before Frank Lampard put Nicolas Anelkaclean through to score with a low finish on 60 minutes.

An unmarked Alou Diarra headed in from a corner to equalise with seven minutes to go. Chelsea were under further pressure as Lampard was dismissed for a second yellow card three minutes later but the hosts were unable to take the advantage. Xinhua


Roma beat Cluj 3-1 to overtake Chelsea

Matteo Brighi scored a goal in each half to help AS Roma beat CFR Cluj 3-1 and overtake Chelsea at the top of Champions League Group A on Wednesday.
Brighi opened the scoring for the Italians in the 11th minute after a defensive error and added his second in the 64th after a perfect assist from Rodrigo Taddei.
Talismanic captain Francesco Totti gave Cluj goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu no chance with a soaring 22-metre free kick into the left corner of the net to make it 2-0 in the 23rd minute.
Yssouf Kone, the Romanian side's best player on the night, pulled a goal back seven minutes later with a header after Doni failed to clear Alvaro Pereira's low shot from the edge of the area.
Roma's victory made up for their shock 2-1 home defeat to Cluj in the group opener at the Stadio Olimpico in September.
"We started the group really badly, but today we showed that we deserve to be the leaders," Brighi told reporters.
"We knew that CFR is a good team and we were happy to get two quick goals to set us on the way to victory. But I have to admit that we were lucky that CFR failed to score more in the first half."
The Italians now have nine points with Chelsea second on eight and Girondins Bordeaux, Roma's opponents in the final group match on Dec. 9, third on seven. Cluj have four points.
Cluj refused to bow their heads with the score at 2-0 and Kone had two good chances while Eugen Trica also missed an opportunity.
"While Roma scored their first two goals from half an opportunity, my players wasted several huge opportunities," complained coach Maurizio Trombetta.
"We played better when the score was 2-0 but it was too late."
Roma took command in the second half as Cluj tired and Luciano Spaletti's team created plenty of space with surging counter-attacks by Brighi, Simone Perrotta and Julio Baptista.
Substitute Mirko Vucinic, who came on for Totti in the 82nd minute, wasted two big opportunities to increase the lead further in the dying seconds.


Portsmouth aim to shock AC Milan

Portsmouth fans must pinch themselves sometimes. Almost 10 years ago to the day Stockport County beat Pompey 2-0 at Edgeley Park in front of just 7,504 spectators. On Thursday the FA Cup holders face Italian giant and seven-time Champions League winners AC Milan in front of a sell-out Fratton Park. If anyone had forecast this on that bleak day in Stockport they would have been rounded up by the men in white coats!

The AC Milan team sheet reads like a who’s who of world football. Kaka, Ronaldinho, Gattuso, Inzaghi, Zambrotta, Nesta, Pirlo, Seedorf and Maldini are true superstars with glittering trophy cabinets to go with it. They’ve played at the very highest level and could walk into any club side on the planet, but I doubt they will have experienced anything like the atmosphere Fratton Park will produce on Thursday night. The south coast ground has always been an intimidating place for visiting teams and fans, but Dan Taylor, from the Portsmouth Supporters Club London, says it’s been a while since he heard the Portsmouth fans in full voice, but thinks the arrival of AC Milan will get the best out of them.

“I’m hoping the atmosphere will be like it was when we first got promoted to the Premiership. The crowd at Fratton Park always seem to respond best on occasions when the team are up against it or when we’re chasing a lost cause. Whenever we get complacent or aren’t the underdogs the atmosphere always seems to suffer. If it gets anywhere close to the atmosphere at the 5-1 home defeat to Arsenal in the cup a couple of years ago I’d be more than happy.

And Peter Rendle, who will be watching the game from Australia, thinks the Portsmouth fans will definitely act like a 12th man for the club.

“With the knowledge that the game will be shown all over the world, the fans will make sure that they all know where Fratton Park is from now on. I think that the superstars will get a feel for how the game used to be played. Fratton Park is bit like a football museum. I’m sure that the Italian stars will lap up the charisma and appreciate the ‘olde world’ atmosphere.”

With all the hype surrounding AC Milan you almost forget that there are UEFA Cup group points to be played for. Portsmouth got their campaign off to a poor start with defeat away at Braga and they desperately need something from the Italians to keep their post-Christmas European jaunt on track. Jermain Defoe’s absence is a huge blow for Tony Adams’s men as the former West Ham striker has the pace to get behind the Italian defence, but it could be a huge chance for David Nugent to repay a large slice of his £6 million transfer fee. A lot of responsibility will also rest on the shoulders of David James, Sol Campbell, Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch, who have all experienced big European games.

But can Portsmouth shock the world by beating AC Milan and recording Tony Adams’s first home win as manager? Dan, who insists the Italians are the biggest team Portsmouth have ever faced but that this is not the biggest game they have ever played, isn’t ruling out the possibility.

“I think I’d need my head tested if I said yes, without some sort of wry smile on my face. However, it’s quite possible that if Milan don’t put out their full team, or decide they don’t like the intimate atmosphere that Fratton Park can offer, and/or we play out of our skins that we could shock the world of football. If Celtic can do it why can’t Pompey? We’ve turned over Man United and Liverpool at Fratton Park, and they’ve both won the Champions League and countless other trophies between them.”

Peter Rendle, who never thought he’d see Portsmouth win the FA Cup in his lifetime, is confident of a shock result.

“The game against AC Milan will depend on who shows up on both sides. If Milan field their best side then we will be looking to keep the score down to a minimum defeat. However, if they do not and some of our fringe players decide to go for regular first team place then we can take the game. Refer to the Man United game at Old Trafford in the quarter-final of the FA Cup earlier this year.”

Tony Adams played in some huge games for Arsenal and England and will be fully aware of the threat posed by the Italians. Defensively they will be solid, they will be creative and tenacious in midfield and up front they could be lethal. So just how do you play against a team currently sitting second in Serie A and on top of their UEFA Cup group? “Get stuck into them” seems to be the call.

“Pompey would obviously be on a hiding to nothing if they went out and attacked from the outset,” says Dan Taylor. “I think the game plan has to be one where every effort is made to close Milan down, hassle and hurry, and get stuck in, whilst using whatever possession we get wisely. I would rather our players gave it a good go than sit back for 90 minutes trying to soak up the inevitable pressure and catch Milan on the break; I’m not sure my nerves could take it.”

But Peter Rendle, from the Australian Portsmouth supporters club Pompey Down Under, believes much will depend on Portsmouth's quick players.

“Adams needs to suss out what game Milan intend to play. I think if we go for all out attack we will leave ourselves vulnerable at the back. I would like to see Nugent and Crouch up front and go for a defensive game alternating the breaks with long punts to Crouch and Nugent, but on the ground via the midfield. I think the pace player will stand out against Milan. Utaka, Benhadj , Johnson and Traore have all got the speed to upset the Italians. I’d be happy with 1-0 or 2-1.”

So Peter thinks Portsmouth could sneak the game by one goal, what about Dan?

“I’ve not a clue. It will either be a very close run thing or we’ll get blown out of the water by Milan’s big guns and get royally tonked. I hope for the sake of the rest of our season (as a win or a draw will do great tremendous amounts to boost the confidence of Adams and the team) it’s the former. I’d be happy with a draw, but more than the result I want to see a performance from the team that the fans can be proud of. No-one likes seeing their team lose, but if you go down fighting it’s much easier to hold up your head when you go into the office the following day.”

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will start the game as favourites but the Rossoneri may not have it all their own way and if the Italians decide to give on loan Arsenal defender Phillipe Senderos a run out then anything is possible!