Van Gaal: United are favourites

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal insists Manchester United are still the favourites to progress from their Champions League quarter-final despite the German side going into Wednesday night's second leg with a 2-1 lead.
Bayern came from behind to secure their advantage in Munich last Tuesday with late strikes from Franck Ribery and Ivica Olic after Wayne Rooney had put United ahead in the second minute.
The hosts looked good value for their victory in the Allianz Arena, but Van Gaal feels his side remain underdogs for the return match at Old Trafford.
Asked if he saw United as the favourites for the tie, the Dutchman said: "Yes. They have scored an away goal and they are a great team.
"They have a lot of experience playing big games at home and of course, they will have the support of the crowd.
"Our team is quite a young one in that it consists of young players, so that is a different situation.
"It is going to be our team versus theirs tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes.''
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is refusing to rule out naming Rooney on the bench, as his 34-goal striker looks to overcome the ankle injury he suffered in the final moments of United's first leg defeat seven days ago.
Ferguson had at first rejected the notion of an appearance in the return match, insisting Rooney had "no chance'' of being involved.
However, seconds later he said he didn't "think'' Rooney would be on the bench, before adding that he expected the 24-year-old to try to change his mind before he confirms his squad an hour before kick-off.
Any chance, however slight, of Rooney being involved will be seized upon by supporters desperate for some good news at the end of a dismal week which will see United's European aspirations brought to an end unless they can overturn a 2-1 deficit.
"He has no chance,'' Ferguson began. "We have made some good progress with the lad and the medical team have done fantastic.
"But I am not prepared to take a risk on a player who is not 100% fit. They are looking more at the Manchester City game, maybe Blackburn as a substitute. That is possible.
"But it is an ankle injury, the same as any other. He is no different to anyone else.''
Asked directly whether Rooney could be on the bench, Ferguson replied: "I don't think so, although he will maybe talk me into it. It is a difficult one.''
Van Gaal does not believe that his opposite number is trying to play mind games with him over the fitness of the England forward.
He said: "I don't think that will happen, but when we played Fiorentina we were faced with a different team than we thought and that does happen in the football business.
"(But) I don't think Ferguson will do that and I'd also like to say that we did win a game with Rooney (playing) - it's not as if we can't win when Wayne
Rooney is playing for Manchester United. We don't even need to win - a draw is fine.''

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Serie A champions cruise through in Russia

 CSKA Moscow 0 - 1 Internazionale
Inter Milan reached the last four of the Champions League for the first time since 2003 as they eased to a 2-0 aggregate victory in Moscow.

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Jose Mourinho ignores the celebrations of Sneijder's goal to focus on qualification

Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder grabbed the only goal of the game in the sixth minute as his low free-kick found its way through the CSKA wall and beyond goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.

Things got worse for the hosts when they had substitute Chidi Odiah sent off early in the second half and Inter were comfortably able to repel any pressure from their hosts and coast in the last four.

Overhauling their first-leg deficit always looked like being a tough task for the home side, given the way they were completely outplayed at the San Siro last week and the absence of key midfielder Yevgeny Aldonin and Milos Krasic through suspension.

But they made a bright start on the plastic pitch at Luzhniki Stadium and had an early effort on goal from Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda, who dragged a long-range effort wide.

But Inter landed an early body blow as they opened the scoring.

Sneijder drilled in a low free-kick that flew under the leaping wall and fooled keeper Akinfeev to end up in the back of the net.

That goal meant the hosts needed to score three goals to have any chance of going through and Inter went close to getting their second goal of the night as Goran Pandev had a sight of goal, but Akinfeev comfortably held his shot.

Conceding the goal prompted an early response from CSKA manager Leonid Slutsky as he hauled off defender Vasili Berezutsky after just 13 minutes to replace him with Odiah.

Honda then fired wide with two optimistic free-kick efforts from distance, but the hosts did go close to grabbing a goal back when Tomas Necid fired agonisingly wide after controlling Odiah's pass in the 24th minute.

The hosts then carved out another chance in the 34th minute as they broke quickly through Mark Gonzalez, but Alan Dzagoev made a mess of the finish, scuffing the ball infield as he drove into the box.

And that miss was almost instantly punished as Sneijder's excellent lofted ball played Diego Milito in, but the Argentinian forward could only hit his shot at Akinfeev.

Odiah then saw Julio Cesar tip his shot round the post at the other end, but the Italian champions looked comfortable soaking up any CSKA pressure.

And things got even worse for the Russian side when Odiah was dismissed just three minutes into the second half as his rash lunge for a loose ball saw him bring down Samuel Eto'o to earn himself a second yellow card.

But they continued to push forward in search of a goal and midfielder Gonzalez had two chances in the space of a minute.

The Chile international firstly smashed a half-volley that Julio Cesar did well to hang on to, before dragging another effort wide from the edge of the box.

With 20 minutes to go, Jose Mourinho's side were dominating possession, sweeping the ball around at will, and Sneijder and Dejan Stankovic both forced Akinfeev into action with powerful efforts, and the keeper did superbly to keep out Milito's effort with the Argentina international through on goal.

The game rather petered out from that point, although Eto'o just failed to add a second as he shot over the bar in the final minutes.

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Barcelona - Arsenal 4-1 (video)

Messi quartet haunts Gunners
Lionel Messi lived up to his billing as the best player in the world with four goals to end Arsenal's Champions League dream in the Nou Camp.

Nicklas Bendtner had fired the Gunners into a shock lead on 18 minutes. However, Messi soon drew Barcelona level after capitalising on a mistake by Mikael Silvestre.

The Argentina forward then added a second from close range before dashing clear to make it 3-1 on the night just before the break, and grabbed a fourth with three minutes left to complete a comfortable 6-3 aggregate victory for the tournament holders.

Arsene Wenger's injury-hit squad - without the likes of captain Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin and Alex Song - must now regroup and focus on overhauling Chelsea and Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League title race.

Arsenal, playing in their white change kit, looked determined not to be overrun as they had during the opening exchanges of the first leg.

Barcelona, however, created an couple of chances when Xavi, captain for the night in the absence of suspended Carles Puyol, flicked the ball wide before Messi fired an angled shot just over the bar in a sign of things to come.

The English side, though, snatched a shock lead on their first real chance after 18 minutes.

Theo Walcott was put clear by Abou Diaby down the right, and he dashed into the Barca penalty area before squaring to Bendtner.

Victor Valdes made a good reaction save, but the in-form Denmark striker was quick to stab the rebound into the net and put the English team ahead in the tie for the first time.

The Gunners then wasted another chance of a breakaway, as Diaby pushed the ball left to Bendtner when Walcott was in space on the right.

It proved a costly error as Barcelona went up the other end to equalise on 21 minutes.

Silvestre, in the side ahead of veteran Sol Campbell who was not fully fit, failed to clear the ball on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area - and Messi needed no second invitation, lashing his shot into the top right corner.

Messi continued to torment Arsenal as he collected the ball on the right touchline before weaving into the box and drilling a shot into the side netting.

Arsenal were again punished by Messi for some poor defending as Barcelona went 2-1 ahead on 37 minutes.

Eric Abidal crossed the ball into the Arsenal box from the right, which was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen. However, his team-mates were slow to react as Pedro knocked the loose ball out to Messi - and he smashed it past Almunia.

The Argentina international completed a stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he latched onto a header from Abidal to race clear before dispatching a brilliant chip over the Arsenal keeper.

Messi nearly had another at the start of the second half when Pedro whipped a low ball across the Arsenal six-yard box from the right, which was just too far ahead of the Barcelona forward.

Arsenal had little choice but to go forwards, but that left the visitors exposed at the back.

The visitors nearly found away through when Diaby stabbed the ball to Bendtner just inside the Barcelona box, but the Denmark striker was hustle out of possession before he could shoot.

Then when left-back Gael Clichy broke and fed Bendtner, the home defence again got back in numbers to clear.

Diaby's low ball across the edge of the Barcelona box went all the way through to Tomas Rosicky, but the Czech snatched at his shot, which flew harmlessly wide.

Messi's clever quick free-kick released Pedro, but his angled chip was off target, before at the other end Bendtner's header crashed against the post - but the offside flag was up.

With 18 minutes left, Wenger sent on Eduardo for Rosicky, with Samir Nasri moving out to the left in a 4-4-2.

Clichy knocked Alves off the ball to charge forwards, but, with team-mates well placed, drilled an ambitious shot over from 20 yards.

Maxwell forced Almunia into a good save at his near post after cutting into the right side of the Arsenal penalty area.

Messi then completed a fine night's work with another well-taken goal three minutes from time as the holders marched on towards a mouth-watering semi-final clash against Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Wayne Rooney drink beer !

                                           

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Sir Alex rules Rooney out of Bayern clash

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted that there is "no chance" that Wayne Rooney will play any part in Wednesday night's Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.

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Sir Alex Ferguson takes training

Rooney suffered minor ligament damage to his right ankle in the first leg against Bayern in the Allianz Arena, and initial reports said he could be out for up to a month.
But speculation in the press had suggested that Sir Alex would risk him against Bayern in a bid to reach the Champions League semi-finals. On Monday it was reported that the 34-goal striker had a 40% chance of featuring in the return leg.
Sir Alex has now said he is not prepared to risk the long-term fitness of the England international as United look to overturn a 2-1 deficit.
''He's got no chance,'' he said. ''We've made some good progress with the lad, the medical team have done fantastic, but I'm not prepared to take a risk on a player who is not 100% fit.
''The boy is making good progress. The medical team have done a fantastic job but it is an ankle injury the same as any other ankle injury. You can't take a risk with a player who is not 100%.
''I don't think he will be on the bench although he might talk me into it, it is a difficult one.''
The one piece of good news for Ferguson is the likely availability of John O'Shea, who has not played since suffering complications in his recovery from a dead leg sustained in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup play-off defeat to France in November.