D Wednesday, February 17, 2010 SPORT 23 SOCCER (7.45 unless stated) UEFA Champions League First Knock-Out Round First Leg Bayern Munich v Fiorentina..........TV Sky Sports 2 FC Porto v Arsenal .......................TV RTE2/UTV Barclays Premier League Wigan v Bolton .......................... 8.00 Coca-Cola Championship Crystal Palace v Reading .......... 8.00 Newcastle v Coventry ...................... Coca-Cola League Two Notts County v Grimsby................... Scottish Cup Fifth Round Replay Rangers v St Mirren......................TV Sky Sports 1 Clydesdale Bank Premier League St Johnstone v Hibernian................. HORSE RACING Musselburgh, Leicester, Kempton, Lingfield, Punchestown FIXTURES uefa champions league last 16 1st leg AC Milan .........2 Man Utd ......... 3 Ronaldinho 3 Scholes 36 Seedorf 85 Rooney 66, 74 Att 80,000 Lyon ................1 Real Madrid ... 0 Makoun 47 Att 40,500 uefa cup third round first leg Everton ...........2 Sporting ......... 1 Pienaar 35 Veloso 87 (pen) Distin 49 Att 28,131 barclays premier league Stoke ...............1 Man City ......... 1 Whelan 72 Barry 85 Att 26,778 P W D L F A Pts Chelsea 26 18 4 4 61 22 58 Man Utd 26 18 3 5 62 21 57 Arsenal 26 16 4 6 61 30 52 Man City 25 12 9 4 48 33 45 Liverpool 26 13 5 8 43 27 44 Tottenham 26 12 7 7 45 26 43 Aston Villa 25 11 9 5 32 19 42 Birmingham 25 10 7 8 24 26 37 Everton 25 9 8 8 35 36 35 Fulham 26 9 7 10 30 28 34 Stoke 25 7 10 8 24 28 31 Blackburn 26 8 7 11 26 43 31 Sunderland 25 6 8 11 32 42 26 West Ham 25 5 9 11 32 40 24 Wolves 25 6 6 13 21 42 24 Wigan 24 6 6 12 26 49 24 Hull 26 5 9 12 25 51 24 Burnley 25 6 5 14 25 50 23 Bolton 24 5 7 12 29 46 22 Portsmouth 25 4 4 17 20 42 16 coca-cola chship Blackpool .......2 Mboro ............ 0 Bristol City ......1 Leicester ........ 1 Cardiff .............1 West Brom ..... 1 Derby ..............5 Preston ........... 3 Nottm For .......1 Sheff Utd ........ 0 Peterboro .......3 Ipswich ........... 1 Plymouth ........1 Swansea ........ 1 QPR ................ P Watford ..........P Scunthorpe .....2 Barnsley ......... 1 Sheff Wed .......0 Doncaster ...... 2 P W D L F A Pts West Brom 31 17 9 5 62 32 60 Newcastle 30 17 9 4 49 21 60 Nottm Forest 32 16 10 6 47 24 58 Swansea 31 12 14 5 28 22 50 Cardiff 30 14 7 9 56 36 49 Leicester 30 12 11 7 37 30 47 Sheff Utd 32 12 9 11 44 43 45 Blackpool 32 11 11 10 48 40 44 Middlesbrough 32 12 8 12 43 36 44 Doncaster 30 10 10 10 37 36 40 Coventry 31 10 10 11 35 41 40 Derby 31 11 6 14 38 44 39 Barnsley 31 11 6 14 40 48 39 Preston 31 10 9 12 37 45 39 Watford 29 10 8 11 41 43 38 Bristol City 31 8 14 9 35 43 38 Scunthorpe 31 10 6 15 37 56 36 QPR 30 8 10 12 41 48 34 Sheff Wed 31 9 7 15 36 49 34 Crystal Palace 29 11 10 8 33 31 33 Ipswich 30 6 15 9 35 44 33 Reading 29 8 8 13 32 46 32 Plymouth 30 8 4 18 28 42 28 Peterborough 32 5 9 18 36 55 24 league one Carlisle............ 1 Huddersfield ... 2 Leeds .............. 1 Walsall............. 2 Yeovil............... 0 Colchester ...... 1 league two Hereford.......... 2 Aldershot......... 0 Lincoln............ 2 Accrington ...... 1 Morecambe.... 3 Burton.............. 2 scottish cup fifth-round replay Aberdeen........ 0 Raith ................ 2 RESULTS ROUND-UP WoLVES manager Mick McCarthy believes Portsmouths financial plight was a disaster waiting to happen. McCarthy lost out on signing two players last summer as Wolves could not match the wages being offered at Pompey. Since then Portsmouths finances have imploded, with another date in the High Court looming on March 1 relating to unpaid bills. McCarthy said: If someone is prepared to run their business and keep spending a pound more than they earn, you know it is a recipe for disaster at some stage. TOTTENHAM winger Aaron Lennon will miss Sundays trip to Wigan and faces an uphill battle to prove his fitness for Englands March 3 friendly with Egypt. He does not need an operation on his groin injury but the 22-year-old has yet to return to full training. It is understood Lennon is not in boss Harry Redknapps plans for Wigan, which means he has just next weeks FA Cup replay against Bolton as a possible appearance before Fabio Capello names his England squad. footballdigest Fitness battle: Lennon ToNy MoWBRAy has urged his Celtic side to make the old Firm derby at the end of the month interesting by beating Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League this weekend. After cutting the gap behind Rangers to eight points by beating Hearts last Wednesday, the Hoops blew a 4-2 lead to draw at Aberdeen on Saturday, allowing their arch-rivals re-establish a ten-point cushion. We were all disappointed after Saturday but if we win our next two games, it makes life very interesting, said Mowbray. CHELSEA striker Daniel Sturridge is trying to forget about matching Peter Osgood by scoring in every round of the FA Cup. No player has managed it since Osgood in 1970 but Sturridge has hit the target in all three of Chelseas wins so far this term. Someone told me about it and I was thinking I dont need that pressure, said Sturridge. I always want to score and want the team to win but I am not looking at the record. If someone is in a better position then I will pass to them. ONeills backing play-off proposal Aston VillA manager Martin oneill has given his blessing to early proposals for a play-off for the fourth Champions league place. the idea is understood to have been raised at a recent meeting of all 20 Premier league clubs, and may well be aired again when the next meeting takes place in April. At present, the top four places in the top flight are guaranteed a Champions league spot, either directly into the competition or via a qualification round. However, the possibility of a play-off system would see only the top three teams given automatic entry, with those finishing fourth to seventh fighting it out for the remaining coveted spot. i only heard about it yesterday and gave it a wee bit of thought last night, oneill said. its quite interesting. i wouldnt knock it immediately, particularly if we finish seventh in the league! i know the team who finished fourth would be galled if that was the case, but if you knew the rules in advance at the start of the season then you know the parameters. However, as any Premier league vote requires a 14-six majority the remaining clubs would likely be in favour. outside the top sides i think people might go for it, oneill added. there is definitely that element of where do you fit [the games into the fixture list]? But the prize is so big, youre talking about a Champions league qualifying game in August. Interest: ONeill United in charge as Rooney sinks Milan Lucky strike: Paul Scholes savours his goal, which brought United level while, left, Old Trafford old boy David Beckham set up Milans opener Picture: Reuters MAnCHEstER UnitEd have one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions league after a Wayne Rooney-inspired win in the san siro. the England forward struck twice in eight second-half minutes to put sir Alex Fergu- sons side in total command of this last-16 tie after Paul scholes had cancelled out the early lead Ronaldinho had given Milan. And despite substitute Clarence seedorfs late goal for the hosts and Michael Carricks sending off, United know this result makes them huge favourites to go through. the build up to the tie was all about david Beckham and he was at the centre of a blis- tering Milan opening, which saw them go ahead after three minutes when he curled a free-kick into the United box and Patrice Evras botched clearance fell to Ronaldinho and his shot deflected in off Carrick. Ronaldinho, luca Antononi and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar all had further chances as Milan should have extended their advantage. Yet United got lucky with a freak 36th- minute equaliser when darren Fletchers cross found scholes in the penalty area and after miskicking the ball, it hit his standing leg and crept in past dida. And the visitors grabbed the lead in the 66th minute when Rooney left dida rooted to the spot with a fine header from Evras right-wing cross. Rooney was now posing a constant threat and Milan were shell-shocked when he struck again eight minutes later when he headed home Fletchers clipped pass. then there was late drama when seedorf produced a sublime flick to steer home Ro- naldinhos centre before Carrick saw red for a second booking. However, United held on for their first win in the san siro. Arshavin: Id understand if Cesc chose Barca ANDREY ARSHAVIN says he would not blame Cesc Fabregas if he quit Arsenal for Barcelona. It has been suggested the Gunners captain has agreed a deal to go to the Nou Camp in the summer something both clubs have denied. But Arshavin, out of tonights game at Porto through injury, said: If he goes to Barcelona, I will understand his choice. As an Arsenal player, I really dont want this to happen. I remember when there were rumours of his departure last summer, I told him half-jokingly, half seriously: Stay at least a year or two, I want to play with you. But Cesc is a grown man and only he can decide. SOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AC MILAN 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 3 By Chris Stocks AC Milan: Dida, Nesta Bonera, Silva, Antonini (Favalli 38), Beckham (Seedorf 72), Pirlo, Ambrosini, Alexandre Pato, Huntelaar (Inzaghi 77), Ronaldinho. Booked: Ronaldinho. Man Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael (Brown 90), Ferdinand, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Nani (Valencia 64), Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Park, Rooney. Booked: Rooney. Sent off: Carrick. Referee: O Benquerenca (Portugal). MATCH FACTS index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html