Pro Eleven Headline News

Torres the key as Liverpool seek to rein in United

Fernando Torres has handed Liverpool a massive boost ahead of Saturday's must-win clash with Manchester United by predicting that he will be 100 percent fit in time for the lunchtime kick-off.

The difference a fit Torres makes to Rafael Benitez's side was perfectly illustrated by his stunning display in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League demolition of Real Madrid at Anfield.

The match was the Spanish striker's first in two weeks and he admitted he had played through the pain of an ankle injury which meant his foot was encased in a protective cast as soon as he came off.

But Torres is confident that the intensive treatement he has been having will ensure he is ready to go again at Old Trafford in an encounter which, he recognises, Liverpool simply must win if they are to retain a glimmer of hope of catching United in the title race.

"I feel good," he reported. "My ankle felt a little painful in the second half against Real, but that doesn't matter for a match like this.

"I'm training hard and I think I will be 100 percent for Saturday. It is a massive game that I hope to win, because that will give us more chances in the league. We know it's very important to win there, if not they will be many points ahead."

Ten points ahead, in fact, with a game in hand and only ten games left to play: not the kind of lead Sir Alex Ferguson's sides are prone to giving away.

Torres's team-mate Javier Mascherano, who was at his destructive best in the Liverpool midfield on Tuesday, underlined the importance of Torres being fit enough to unsettle a United's rock-solid back four.

"Fernando was fantastic against Real," the Argentina captain said. "He was unbelievable. Hopefully he can be at the same level against United on Saturday because he is so important for us.

"We know that it will be really difficult at Old Trafford but we have to try to play in the same way as we did against Real."

Barring a late setback for Torres, Liverpool are expected to stick with what is now an established first-choice line-up: Mascherano and Xabi Alonso shielding the defence, Dirk Kuyt on the right, Ryan Babel on the left and Steven Gerrard and Torres marauding through the middle.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, in contrast, is likely to shuffle his pack at least a little after taking the rare step of publicly criticising his players' performance in Wednesday night's 2-0 win over Inter Milan.

Although that was sufficient to send United into the last eight of the Champions League, Ferguson was furious over the complacency he saw creeping into his side's performance after they took an early lead.

Long-serving servants of the club Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were not spared the lash of their manager's tongue and, with Michael Carrick also having had an off night, it seems likely that Darren Fletcher and/or Park Ji-Sung will come in to freshen up United's midfield.

Carlos Tevez, outstanding at Fulham last weekend, must also be hoping for a rare start given how marginal Dimitar Berbatov was to the key action on Wednesday evening.

Liverpool's 2-1 win over United at Anfield back in September was their first league win over their biggest rivals under Benitez and one he predicted would imbue his squad with sufficient self-belief for them to go on and claim the club's first league title since 1990.

As things have turned out, it is United who have gone from strength to strength since that defeat while Liverpool have stumbled badly since the turn of the year, their slide unfortunately coinciding with Benitez's ill-advised outburst over Ferguson's perceived excessive influence in the English game.

There is no doubting however the extent to which confidence levels in Benitez's squad have surged in the aftermath of their performance in midweek.

"After beating Real 4-0 you have to think we have a chance at Old Trafford," argued Kuyt, the Dutch forward that Benitez has turned into a right-sided midfielder. "Man United are a very good team and we have to be focused but the confidence in the team at this moment is high. We know we can beat the big teams." AFP


Juventus Boss Ranieri Wary Of Bologna Striker Di Vaio

Juventus host Bologna on Sunday, a team that can boast the Serie A top scorer this season in Marco Di Vaio.

The former Bianconeri player has 19 goals in league play this season and Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri claims his team must try to limit Di Vaio's effectiveness.

"He is doing well. I had wanted him at Valencia, he is a golden boy," the former Los Che boss said during Friday's press conference, according to Goal.it.

"We expect a difficult match, we must make it clear to our supporters that we have turned the corner. How can we stop Di Vaio? We must be careful, because he can cut behind the defensive line. We cannot let him receive too many through passes, the kind he prefers."

Ranieri also discussed a few of the injuries currently hampering the Juventus squad.

"[David] Trezeguet is only suffering from muscular fatigue, while Amauri has suffered a distortion to his right femoral artery, so he will be out over a month. [Nicola] Legrottaglie and [Pavel] Nedved could be available for the match against Roma," he revealed.

Juventus are currently seven points behind first placed Inter and will be hoping the Nerazzurri slip-up when they play Fiorentina at the San Siro. Goal


Real turns focus to Bilbao, La Liga title

Real Madrid was dumped out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 for the fifth straight season earlier this week, getting hammered by Liverpool 4-0 in the second leg to fall on aggregate 5-0.

Real coach Juande Ramos dismissed the match in his weekly press conference, deciding to focus on what the two-time defending La Liga champions have done right over the past two months.

"Everyone always says we are in great form when we play brilliantly, or that we aren't fit if we play badly. We pulled off ten straight victories, after which we drew with Atletico and lost in Liverpool," Ramos said. "The ten victories no longer seem to count. I'm sure you'll all say we are great if we win our next two games.

"It shouldn't be this way."

With the Champions League no longer a concern, Real and Ramos will focus on hunting down Barcelona to claim another Spanish title. Real visits Athletic Bilbao, which it has beaten three straight times on the road, on Saturday.

Considering Real ran off 10 straight league wins to close a 12-point Barca lead to four points, Ramos is confident this side can bounce back and push for the title. The Madrid club did slip to six points back last week with a draw against Atletico Madrid, but the distance is still half of what it was for the once runaway leaders.

"We have to look for what's positive. The chance of making a comeback in the league gives us hope. We shouldn't waste the excellent work we've done in the past few months," Ramos said. "We must take points in Bilbao, but we must also realize it will be difficult to do so."

Raul and Gonzalo Higuain lead Real with 14 goals apiece in La Liga, but the club is also aided by striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, who was not on the Champions League roster. Huntelaar has been brilliant recently, scoring four goals.

Huntelaar will be fresh for this weekend's trip to Bilbao, but Ramos felt the team has recovered nicely from the loss in England.

"The players have recovered very well from the match in Liverpool and we will be able to perform at a very high level in Bilbao," Ramos said. "It's not the same on an emotional level, but we now play in a different competition and I'm sure my men will perform as they used to. We are doing a good job in La Liga. It's been a long time since we lost a game. We must stay focused and fight to the end."

Athletic Bilbao is winless in five straight, including last week's 2-0 loss to Barcelona, and despite being in the top half of the table, is just six points clear of the drop zone in a tightly-bunched pack of teams.

Also Saturday, Valencia will try to snap a five-game winless streak and get back into contention for a European spot when it hosts Recreativo.

On Sunday, Barcelona takes momentum from its win over Lyon in the Champions League into its game at Almeria, Atletico Madrid will try to rebound from its Champions League exit when it hosts Champions League survivor Villarreal, Racing hosts Numancia, Sporting Gijon hosts Deportivo, Malaga hosts third-place Sevilla, Real Betis hosts Osasuna, Valladolid hosts Getafe, and Espanyol hosts Mallorca. Sports Network