D Tuesday, November 24, 2009 METROSPORT 23 FOOTBALL (7.45pm unless stated) Champions League Group E Debrecen v Liverpool ....................... Fiorentina v Lyon .............................. Group F Barcelona v Inter Milan..................... Rubin Kazan v Dynamo Kiev..(5.30pm) Group G Rangers v VfB Stuttgart.................... Unirea Urziceni v Sevilla................... Group H AZ v Olympiacos .............................. Arsenal v Standard Liege ................. Coca-Cola Football League One Charlton v Bristol Rovers.................. Colchester v Stockport..................... Exeter v Millwall................................ Gillingham v Yeovil ........................... Hartlepool v Southampton ............... Leeds v Leyton Orient ...................... Milton Keynes Dons v Carlisle.......... Norwich v Brighton........................... Swindon v Huddersfield ................... Tranmere v Southend ....................... Walsall v Oldham.............................. Wycombe v Brentford ...................... Coca-Cola Football League Two Accrington Stanley v Macclesfield ... Aldershot v Northampton................. Bournemouth v Dag & Red .............. Bury v Chesterfield........................... Cheltenham v Barnet........................ Crewe v Burton Albion ..................... Darlington v Morecambe.................. Grimsby v Bradford .......................... Hereford v Shrewsbury..................... Port Vale v Torquay........................... Rochdale v Notts County ................. Rotherham v Lincoln City................. RUGBY UNION Friendly match: Cardiff Blues v Australia (7.35pm) HORSE RACING Lingfield Park, Sedgefield, Southwell SOCCER COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP Preston ........0 Newcastle ...1 Nolan 74 P W D L F A Pts Newcastle 17 11 3 3 26 10 36 West Brom 17 10 4 3 35 15 34 Leicester 17 8 6 3 20 14 30 Swansea 17 7 7 3 15 12 28 Cardiff 17 8 3 6 33 20 27 QPR 17 7 6 4 29 19 27 Blackpool 17 7 6 4 27 19 27 Watford 17 7 6 4 27 26 27 Nottm Forest 17 6 8 3 19 16 26 Bristol City 17 6 8 3 20 19 26 Middlesbrough 17 7 4 6 23 18 25 Preston 17 6 6 5 23 23 24 Crystal Palace 17 5 8 4 17 18 23 Sheff Utd 17 5 6 6 26 28 21 Barnsley 17 6 3 8 21 28 21 Doncaster 17 3 9 5 21 22 18 Sheff Wed 17 4 6 7 23 25 18 Coventry 17 4 6 7 19 26 18 Derby 17 5 2 10 19 28 17 Reading 17 4 5 8 17 26 17 Scunthorpe 17 5 2 10 20 35 17 Plymouth 17 4 3 10 16 28 15 Ipswich 17 1 10 6 17 28 13 Peterborough 17 2 5 10 19 29 11 TENNIS BARCLAYS WORLD TOUR FINALS Mens singles Group B: (8) Robin Soderling (Swe) bt (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa) 6-4, 6-4 Nolan in the mood as Toon march on NEWCASTLE moved back to the top of the Championship table after Kevin Nolans 74th-minute winner at Preston last night. The hosts had dominated, with Neil Mellor twice going close, but they were stung when Nolan claimed a typically predatory winner by turning and netting his ninth of the season to put his side two points clear of West Brom. Evans hoping to stay on Fergies good side GROUP H P W D L F A Pts Arsenal 4 3 1 0 10 4 10 Olympiakos 4 2 0 2 3 5 6 Standard Liege 4 1 1 2 6 6 4 AZ Alkmaar 4 0 2 2 3 7 2 PRESTON................ 0 NEWCASTLE ......... 1 Carragher trying his best to keep the faith in Reds Tough task: Carragher in Hungary last night JAMIE CARRAGHER admits it is tough to accept Liv- erpools fate in this seasons Champions League is no longer in their own hands. Liverpool face Hungarian champions Debrecen in the Ferenc Puskas Stadium tonight with a lengthy injury list making their task even harder. But Carragher is refusing to give up hope, even though Rafael Benitezs side must also rely on Lyon not losing away to Fiorentina to keep alive their hopes of making it to the knockout stages. The Anfield defender said: The hardest thing is that our destiny is not in our own hands. In previous situa- tions we have had in the Champions League we have been able to look after ourselves. But the main thing is we must concentrate on winning our own games and hopefully things go our way. We always believe at this club that we can do special things. We have done it in the past and we know we can do it again. We have got ourselves into a bit of a hole, and hopefully we can get out of it. It has been done be- fore and we know we can do it again. He added: We have to win our own game. The worse possible scenario is that the other game goes for us and we dont do our job. We cannot worry about what has happened in the past, we must look forward and still believe we can go through. If we dont then we will have to deal with it when it happens, not now. What happens here tomorrow is not just about the Champions League. A win here will get the confidence going again and us playing well again. Meanwhile, Benitez again dismissed the conspiracy theory that Lyon will let Fiorentina win to make sure Liverpool are eliminated. The Spaniard said: It is an advantage to qualify in first place, so Lyon will want to do that. They are good professionals and want to win. It will be good for the club and give them more money, too, they will want to be top because you never know what the draw will throw at them. It will be good for the Lyon coach and his players to want to be top, I have confi- dence that they will try to do that. DEBRECEN coach Andras Herczeg has challenged his players to make history against Liverpool tonight. The 53-year-old, whose team have lost all four of their group matches so far, said: If we even draw against Liverpool it will be the greatest result in our clubs history. This game is easy for Liverpool. They have to win, nothing else will do. With Ryan Babel ruled out, Benayoun will provide the attacking impetus from the left wing. Right-back Bodnar, part of a Dynamo Kiev side that lost to Liverpool in 2001, will find himself facing arguably the Reds best player over recent weeks. Benayoun likes to cut in off his line, and that could expose Bodnar, who could well find Gerrard drifting out wide too. Steven Gerrard v Zoltan Kiss The clash of the captains. Despite not being fully fit after his groin problems, Gerrard will be the player Liverpool will look to now. Kiss, 30, left, has plenty of experience and did not look out of his depth when Liverpool won 1-0 in the groups opening match. Gerrard seemed more like his usual self against Manchester City at the weekend and will be key if Liverpool are to survive in the Champions League. P W D L F A Pts Lyon 4 3 1 0 8 2 10 Fiorentina 4 3 0 1 11 6 9 Liverpool 4 1 1 2 3 5 4 Debrecen 4 0 0 4 5 14 0 GROUP E For the latest team news ahead of tonights game, go to metro.co.uk/football Pictures:Getty Yossi Benayoun v Laszlo Bodnar KEY BATTLES DEBRECEN v LIVERPOOL MANCHESTER United defender Jonny Evans has insisted hard work is the best way to avoid the wrath of boss Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot last week revealed how he believes modern footballers are cocooned by agents and hangers-on and, ahead of tomorrows Champions League match against Besiktas at Old Trafford, 21-year-old Northern Ireland international Evans said: It is very rare for him to say anything bad about his players. He always gives them 100 per cent backing. You have to be on your toes as well as you cannot upset him. You have seen what he has done in the past. If you you are taking your eye off the ball, he will get rid of you. He treats everyone as men. Everyone has got to deal with certain situations but if you need to go to him, he is there for you. Fabregas shrugs off Barcelona link CESC FABREGAS insists he will not be distracted by his name being used in Barcelonas presidential election campaign and has hinted he could even see out his career at Arsenal. The Gunners skipper was on the books at the Nou Camp before joining Arsenal at 15 and is now, at 22, regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. He was part of the Spain team which won the European Championships last year and outgoing Barca president Joan Laporta wants to sign him at the end of the season. But ahead of tonights Champions League game at Standard Liege, Fabregas insisted he takes such speculation in his stride. It does not affect me at all. This has been going for years, he said. I do not think about it because I do not want to and I do not think I should. Asked if he could stay at Arsenal until he retires, Fabregas replied: I have never really thought about it because I am 22 but why not? No distractions: Fabregas FIXTURES RESULTS CHAMPIONSHIPSOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE BY KEVIN AITKEN We believe we can do special things. Weve done it before and know we can do it again index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html