UEFA CHAMPIONS NEWS
Jose Mourinho has history on side against Sir Alex Ferguson
As British football's most successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson has the upper hand over just about everyone in the game. Except for a certain Jose Mourinho.
Just once in their 13 confrontations has the Manchester United manager picked up a victory over Mourinho. A sixth draw in that dreary record came against Mourinho's Inter Milan side in the first leg of their Champions League meeting two weeks ago.
"It proves I'm not infallible - I'm vulnerable to everyone who gets involved in football," Ferguson said Tuesday in a rare moment of contrition. "What can you say about football? It's a strange game and maybe tomorrow it could be even stranger."
The Red Devils outplayed the Italian league leaders at the San Siro two weeks ago but were held to a 0-0 draw. Inter can oust the defending champions and reach the quarter-finals with a scoring draw Wednesday at Old Trafford.
The most memorable of Mourinho's six victories over Ferguson came on his first visit to Old Trafford five years ago, guiding eventual champion FC Porto to the final eight and memorably sprinting down the touchline in celebration.
"My career changed after that," Mourinho said Tuesday. "That was the goal that opened for me doors in England because it was a goal that gave me the chance to win the Champions League and my career was never the same again."
But Ferguson still believes that Mourinho should never have achieved the victory that paved the way for him to join Chelsea and beat United to two Premier League titles.
"It doesn't bring back nightmares," Ferguson said. "On the night we were the better team and were beaten by a poor decision - I move on, many things have happened since then and it has been an upward trend. It was the time of our rebuilding and now we have a fantastic squad we are proud of. You move on in football and that's exactly what we have done."
Ferguson only needs to look at how the Red Devils overcame Barcelona to reach the victorious final against Chelsea in May.
"People said when we faced Barcelona in the semifinal last season that we might struggle after a goalless draw in the away leg," Ferguson said. "But on another of those fabulous European nights Paul Scholes scored a marvellous goal to take us to the final.
"We need to pull out something special again if we are to go through because we are up against a very experienced Italian outfit and a clever manager who will try hard than ever to thwart us."
That puts extra pressure on United's formidable defence to stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano from scoring.
"They're both big, strong, quick lads - probably the biggest, strongest pairing you're going to play against in European football at the moment," United centre back Rio Ferdinand said. "They've got great skill as well. Ibrahimovic showed a couple of flashes of that with the ball at his feet in the first leg, as did Adriano, so they're both technically very gifted too.
"If we don't bring out our 'A' game then we'll be punished."
After recovering from an ankle injury he sustained Saturday, Ferdinand will partner Nemanja Vidic, who missed the first leg through suspension, at the heart of the defence.
"(Vidic) is a great player, he's done very well so far this year," Ibrahimovic said. "I'm looking forward to taking on Vidic. It's no problem for me to play against the best because that's part of the challenge. Players look forward to big occasions. You have to enjoy them.
"We have to win or draw to go through, but I don't think that any team really plays for a draw. We'll have to see how it turns out." Canadian Press
Roma decimated by injuries for Arsenal Champions League rematch
AS Roma is decimated by injuries and suspensions entering its return match with Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Giallorossi need to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit but might not have the manpower necessary for the task.
While captain Francesco Totti will likely play despite a bad right knee, key midfielder Daniele De Rossi is suspended, Simone Perrotta is out with a hip injury, Cicinho underwent knee surgery Monday and fellow right back Christian Panucci can't step in as a replacement.
Panucci was removed from Roma's list of eligible players after clashing with the club and coach Luciano Spalletti over playing time.
"There's not many of us left, but whoever plays you can count on them giving 100 per cent," said forward Mirko Vucinic, who scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Udinese on Saturday.
Vucinic will likely pair with Totti in attack, with Alberto Aquilani in the playmaker position despite lingering ankle pain.
Italy's under-21 captain Marco Motta, who has impressed since arriving on loan from Udinese, should get the nod at right back.
Teenage striker Theo Walcott has returned for Arsenal, coming on as a second-half substitute in Sunday's 3-0 FA Cup win over Burnley - his first appearance since dislocating his shoulder nearly four months ago.
"Overall it feels fine. I still haven't experienced getting clattered yet so that's the next test," said Walcott, adding that he'd be happy to come off the bench again.
In the first leg, Robin van Persie scored a first-half penalty for Arsenal after he had been tripped by Roma defender Philippe Mexes. Van Persie figures to again partner Nicklas Bendtner, who squandered two scoring opportunities in north London two weeks ago.
Arsenal was late arriving to Rome and coach Arsene Wenger's official pre-match news conference was cancelled, which could draw a fine from UEFA.
Wenger spoke to English media before departing.
"We need to go there and play our game. It is very important for us to focus on scoring and going forward," he said. "Roma are a very good team offensively, so if we allow them to spend 90 per cent of the time doing what they like to do, we will expose ourselves.
"So let's go there and focus on dictating the game. It is part of the personality of the team, so let's show that."
Arsenal has been successful in its last four visits to Italy, beating Roma 3-1 in 2002-03, routing Inter Milan 5-1 in the 2003-04 group stage and holding Juventus to a 0-0 draw to advance to the 2005-06 quarter-finals.
Arsenal visited AC Milan in the first knockout round last year following a 0-0 home draw, and departed the San Siro with a 2-0 victory thanks to late goals from Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor.
Fabregas has been out since December with a knee injury.
Defender Kolo Toure will return for Arsenal after a calf problem and midfielders Samir Nasri and Denilson are also back after being rested against Burnley.
Defender Mikael Silvestre is still recovering from a calf injury and Adebayor is nursing a hamstring problem.
Roma midfielder David Pizarro was injured in the match against Udinese but may be forced to take a spot on the bench, as could forward Jeremy Menez, who has been bothered by a thigh problem.
Totti and Pizarro were both included in Roma's squad Tuesday, as was Mexes despite a fever.
De Rossi's absence could prove the most troublesome. The Italy midfielder is the only member of Roma's squad besides goalkeeper Alexander Doni to have played every minute of all seven Champions League games this season.
"It will be key not to hurry because then we would run the risk of allowing a goal on a counter-attack," Mexes said. "We've got to play like we know how and then the goal will come calmly. It all depends on us. If we're 100 per cent we're better than them and we've got to realize that. We can advance."
Roma has bounced back from a first-leg away defeat only six times in 16 attempts in Europe. One of the club's most memorable comebacks came in the 1984 semifinals, when the Giallorossi overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Scotland's Dundee United with a 3-0 triumph.
Roma's reward then was a place in the final at its own Stadio Olimpico, which will also host this season's championship match on May 27.
"Everyone would like to play in the final at Olimpico, and it's a huge opportunity for us," said defender John Arne Riise, who knows Arsenal well after spending the past seven seasons with Liverpool. "It's going to be tough, but we've got to believe in ourselves."
Elimination could put pressure on Roma to fire Spalletti.
"If after four years together one game determines my future, then that means we haven't really gotten to know each other and we've given little to the cause," the coach said. Canadian Press
Stopping Juninho free kicks key, Guardiola says
Barcelona will have to starve Juninho of dead-ball scoring chances in Wednesday's Champions League clash with Olympique Lyon, coach Pep Guardiola said on Tuesday.
The Brazilian stunned Barca early in the first leg of the last 16 tie in France with a trademark strike that sailed over goalkeeper Victor Valdes, before Thierry Henry equalised in the second half.
"It will be important not to give away free kicks around the box," Guardiola said at a news conference on the eve of Wednesday's return at the Nou Camp, adding that Barca would try to keep the ball in the Lyon half.
"The best form of defence is attack," the former Barca and Spain midfielder said. "I think they will wait until we lose the ball and try to hit us on the break."
The Primera Liga leaders come into the match having stretched their advantage over Real Madrid to six points with a 2-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Lyon's 2-0 defeat at Lille at the weekend chopped their Ligue 1 lead down to one point from six two weeks ago and their woes have been compounded by injuries to key players.
At an earlier news conference, Barca striker Samuel Eto'o said he was unconcerned about his recent lack of goals and hoped his 28th birthday on Tuesday would bring the team luck.
"I have scored a lot already this season and when they don't go in for a few matches there is no point making a drama out of it," said Eto'o, who hasn't netted in four matches since his league double against Real Betis on Feb. 14. "I am calm." Reuters
Abel Resino Urges His Atletico Madrid Players To Attack Porto
Atletico Madrid will be out to ensure that their first Champions League appearance in 12 years will extend beyond the first knockout round as they travel to FC Porto after the home tie ended 2-2 a fortnight ago.
The only way for Atleti to qualify without winning is a high-scoring draw to cancel out their Iberian neighbours’ two-goal advantage away from home and their coach, Abel Resino, cannot see that happening.
“The word ‘victory’ now acquires importance more than ever. We cannot hope for any other result because it will not be worth anything to us,” he said during the pre-match conference.
“From the first minute of the game, we must go straight for the win. I do not believe a high-scoring draw will happen. It just does not seem probable.”
The 49-year-old trainer is also optimistic that the clash at the Estadio do Dragao Wednesday night will be different from the first-leg encounter at the Vicente Calderon.
“We have improved a lot. We are a far better team now compared to the first game in Madrid,” he beamed.
“What we must show is that we still have the same kind of attitude we had against Barcelona and Real Madrid. Every opponent provides a different challenge in different games, but our attitude has to be the same. And I am confident it will be.
“For Atletico, it is important that we advance because it is a stage where we belong.”
Finally, Resino defended star striker Sergio Aguero, who had countless opportunities to win the Madrid derby last weekend but spurned his chances.
“We had a lot of great opportunities to score on Saturday, and it is not normal for Kun to miss so many of them,” he said. “But I would be satisfied if we can continue to create the same number of chances [against Porto] as we did at the Bernabeu, although I do not believe that will happen.” Goal
