Owen Hargreaves has warned Manchester United that Roma will be thirsting for revenge in Tuesday's potentially explosive Champions League tie at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side thrashed the Italians 7-1 when they met in the quarter-finals of Europe's top club competition last season.
Only six months later, Roma have the chance to regain some pride at the scene of one of most humiliating defeats in their history.
United midfielder Hargreaves watched that game on television with his then Bayern Munich team-mates, but he will be in the firing line when Roma return to Manchester for the Group F fixture.
The England international is set to make his European debut for the Premier League champions after recovering from a thigh strain and is determined to ensure United guard against a backlash.
"There will be no repeat of the 7-1," Hargreaves said. "Those results possibly happen once every three or four years in the entire competition. It is just not going to happen again.
"We have put ourselves in a good position by winning in Lisbon. Now, we have three home games to play. If we win those we will be comfortably into the next round. Roma is the next stepping stone towards that.
"I am sure they will try to come and avenge what happened last season but I expect us to win the game."
Nani of Manchester United, seen here 26 September 2007. Owen Hargreaves has warned Manchester United that Roma will be thirsting for revenge in Tuesday's potentially explosive Champions League tie at Old Trafford.
Nani of Manchester United, seen here 26 September 2007. Owen Hargreaves has warned Manchester United that Roma will be thirsting for revenge in Tuesday's potentially explosive Champions League tie at Old Trafford.
Big European matches at Old Trafford have a special atmosphere, but there will be an added spice to the occasion after the crowd trouble that blighted both meetings between the clubs last season.
United fans were attacked by Roma hooligans and Italian police during the first leg in Rome and there were skirmishes outside Old Trafford before the return.
Security is certain to be high and both teams will need to keep their cool to avoid inflaming the situation.
Hargreaves's ability to cope with the biggest matches was one of the main reasons Ferguson was so determined to sign him and the Canadian-born star can't wait to sample the atmosphere.
"I have had a lot of experience at Bayern Munich and been successful in the Champions League, so I am very excited about playing in this competition with United," he said.
"I have heard the European nights at Old Trafford are very special, so I am looking forward to that. The atmosphere against Chelsea last week was exceptional and I look forward to a similar atmosphere, if not better, against Roma."
Louis Saha of Manchester United, seen here 23 September 2007. Owen Hargreaves has warned Manchester United that Roma will be thirsting for revenge in Tuesday's potentially explosive Champions League tie at Old Trafford.
Louis Saha of Manchester United, seen here 23 September 2007. Owen Hargreaves has warned Manchester United that Roma will be thirsting for revenge in Tuesday's potentially explosive Champions League tie at Old Trafford.
The principle threat to United's hopes of continuing their 100 percent start in Europe is Francesco Totti and the Italian striker will be motivated by a desire to erase the memory of the saddest night of his career.
Totti has been Roma's captain and talisman for over a decade, as well as helping Italy win last year's World Cup.
His dazzling reputation was further bolstered last season as he claimed 26 goals for Roma to earn the European Golden Boot, awarded to the continent's top scorer.
But the 31-year-old was completely anonymous as Roma slumped to that dismal defeat in Manchester.
Luciano Spalletti's side crumbled under the pressure of a overwhelming performance that Ferguson was moved to describe as United's best in Europe during his 21-year reign at Old Trafford.
Totti was devastated by the loss and would love nothing better than to exact a measure of revenge.
Roma endured a miserable preparation for what promised to be their toughest assignment in the group stage when they were thrashed 4-1 at home by Inter Milan on Saturday.
Despite Hargreaves's caution, Roma's run of three games without a win will only strengthen United's belief that they are the cream of the crop in Group F.
Minggu, 30 September 2007
Hargreaves warns United to expect Roman revenge mission
Gunners rocking thanks to Robin
Robin van Persie maintained Arsenal's dazzling start to the season as his goal earned an impressive 1-0 win at West Ham on Saturday.
The Dutch international headed home in the 13th minute to keep the north London club sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League and extend their unbeaten run to 11 matches this term.
Victory in this hotly-contested London derby also provided a timely lift to manager Arsene Wenger ahead of the midweek Champions League encounter with Steaua Bucharest, although he will almost certainly be without Alexander Hleb after the midfielder was stretchered off in agony mid-way through the first half at Upton Park.
Wenger will not allow that blow to sour his weekend. This is the sort of result on which title challenges are built, so no wonder Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson believes Arsenal are "the team to beat" this season.
West Ham's Freddie Ljungberg controls the ball during a Premiership football match against Arsenal at Upton Park in London. Arsenal won the match 1-0.
West Ham's Freddie Ljungberg controls the ball during a Premiership football match against Arsenal at Upton Park in London. Arsenal won the match 1-0.
The Frenchman's young tyros coped admirably with a rugged West Ham, who earned their first booking after just 15 minutes when Lee Bowyer hacked crudely at van Persie.
Wenger remonstrated fiercely on the touchline but his mood was not entirely black. He had applauded warmly when his side took the lead, the overlapping Hleb crossing expertly for van Persie to nod into the bottom corner, via Robert Green's gloves.
While van Persie had been able to continue after lengthy treatment following Bowyer's foul, Hleb was not so lucky after being felled by Mark Noble. The Belarussian was carried off with a serious-looking ankle injury and will almost certainly miss the midweek trip to Steaua.
Arsenal's Alexander Hleb lies injured after a tackle during their Premiership football match against West Ham at Upton Park in London. Hleb had to be taken off the pitch due to the extent of his injuries, but Arsenal won the match 1-0.
Arsenal's Alexander Hleb lies injured after a tackle during their Premiership football match against West Ham at Upton Park in London. Hleb had to be taken off the pitch due to the extent of his injuries, but Arsenal won the match 1-0.
At least Arsenal had the lead their play deserved. Barely a minute had passed when Emmanuel Adebayor sent a low shot skidding past the post following good work from Abou Diaby, although West Ham also had their moments.
Dean Ashton, who had been tracked by Wenger while at, appeared particularly keen to impress and his muscular approach ruffled Arsenal. In the ninth minute, he easily shrugged off Philippe Senderos but saw his venomous left-footed volley whistle just over.
Yet for all their feistiness, West Ham lacked composure, and they were hardly helped moments after half-time when Anton Ferdinand limped off with a muscle injury.
His replacement, Danny Gabbidon, was immediately bamboozled by van Persie's lightning-quick footwork, and the forward's right-footed curler was tipped brilliantly onto the post by Green.
Arsenal's Kolo Toure(R) fights for the ball with West Ham's Dean Ashton during their Premiership football match at Upton Park, London. Arsenal won the match 1-0.
Arsenal's Kolo Toure(R) fights for the ball with West Ham's Dean Ashton during their Premiership football match at Upton Park, London. Arsenal won the match 1-0.
West Ham were galvanised by the let-off. They should have equalised in the 56th minute when Bowyer's cross found Ashton completely alone, but he headed straight at Manuel Almunia, and when Freddie Ljungberg saw a goal chalked off for a dubious offside moments later, Upton Park finally found its voice.
From then on, the game lurched breathlessly from one end to another. The excellent Green saved well from Adebayor and Gael Clichy, while Ashton went close with a 30-yard daisy-cutter and a firm downward header which was hacked clear by van Persie.
In the end, though, Arsenal held on.
Super-sub Benayoun sinks Wigan
WIGAN, England (AFP) - Fernando Torres was handed a start by Rafa Benitez against Wigan but it was substitute Yossi Benayoun, another player sometimes lost in Liverpool's squad rotation, who claimed the only goal in a 1-0 victory at the JJB Stadium on Saturday.
The Israel midfielder, scorer of a wonderful solo effort at Reading in midweek, claimed an even more memorable effort to settle a tightly-contested meeting in the 75th minute.
Having been introduced as a replacement for Fabio Aurelio ten minutes into the second half, Benayoun was alert when played through by Jermaine Pennant, wrong footing his pedestrian marker Titus Bramble with a clever back-heel, then twisting in the other direction, to put Bramble completely out of the game, before drilling home the winning goal from 15 yards.
Benitez had been interrogated long and hard in the build-up to the game over his decision to start Torres in the midweek League Cup victory while leaving him on the bench for the recent goalless draws with Portsmouth and Birmingham, two results that had done little to enhance Liverpool's status as credible title contenders.
Having been handed a starting job, Torres was quick to try and impress, making a darting run behind Wigan's back line in the 14th minute to collect a pass from his strike partner and see his shot deflected behind.
Then he was involved in Liverpool's best attacking move to date, appearing on the end of John Arne Riise's pass down the left wing and crossing accurately for Pennant who had his effort charged down by a blue and white shirt hurling his body in the ball's path.
Torres was less impressive a few minutes later when Kuyt headed a Pennant cross neatly into his path but the forward's first-time volley was mis-hit and presented Chris Kirkland with an easy save.
But the striker's predatory instincts were on full display either side of the half-hour, even though he failed to score on either occasion.
First, Jason Koumas gifted the ball in midfield to Kuyt whose pass sent the pacy Torres clear of his marker, only Kirkland's leg denying a certain goal although, even then, the rebound struck the Liverpool man and missed the target by inches.
Secondly, following a right-wing cross from Alvaro Arbeloa, Torres connected with an acrobatic and supremely athletic scissors kick which again flew just beyond the target.
Wigan, defeated 4-0 in this fixture last season, might have feared they could be heading for a similar scoreline and, even though their resilience could not be questioned, they were incapable of carving out a meaningful first half chance, save for Josip Skoko's audacious long-range lob that was held by Jose Reina.
At the other end of the field, Liverpool continued to probe and almost found a way past Wigan's spirited massed ranks in the 55th minute when a Torres shot took a wicked deflection that saw the ball spin along the by-line, allowing the quick-witted Gerrard time to keep the ball in play and pass back to Kuyt whose follow-up shot was blocked heroically by Skoko.
It was looking like being another afternoon of high frustration for Liverpool and their title hopes and it threatened to get even worse, in bizarre fashion, on the hour when Paul Scharner took advantage of Jamie Carragher misjudging a Koumas cross.
The Wigan midfielder flicked the ball with his heel over the head of Reina and agonisingly wide of the visitors' goal.
Wigan rallied late but Julius Aghahowa missed their last, and best, chance of an equaliser when he headed down and wide with the goal apparently at his mercy from Koumas' injury-time cross.
Grant defends Chelsea flops
LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea manager Avram Grant refused to criticise his players after they failed to overcome Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
The home players left the field to a chorus of boos aafter this Premier League stalemate and there is deeper frustration after the sending off of Didier Drogba and injury sustained by captain John Terry.
Terry will undergo an operation on a cheekbone fracture on Sunday and is set to miss his side's trip to Valencia in the Champions League this coming week.
Chelsea trail early league leaders Arsenal by seven points already, but Israeli manager Grant is refusing to show too much concern as the pressure mounts on him to reproduce the record of Jose Mourinho.
"We had seven or eight chances, which is good, but we did not score," he said. "I think it was not our best game. We created enough to win, but unfortunately we did not score.
"We need to score, and then we need to win, I can't argue with this. This gap there, anything can happen, but we need to score goals and play better.
"The players want to do that. We need to improve a few things and then we can speak about the gap."
Terry's injury came after a first half collision with Clint Dempsey. He will now become a doubt for England's upcoming Euro 2008 qualifying matches.
"He wanted to continue," Grant said, "But we did not want to take the risk. The players said it (the challenge) was an elbow, but I have not seen a replay of it."
Chelsea dominated this west London derby, but lacked the attacking edge needed to carve open this defiant Fulham defence.
And even when they did find a way through, goalkeeper Kasey Keller denied them.
Andriy Shevcheno and Joe Cole had their best efforts of the first half, while Fulham had a half hearted penalty appeal, against Tal Ben Haim for handball, turned down.
Keller made his best save of the afternoon on 53 minutes, from Salomon Kalou. The American goalkeeper made a clever reaction save as the forward slid in on goal.
Claudio Pizarro replaced Shevchenko soon after, and while the Peruvian substitute did not test Keller, he did add a different shape to the front line.
Joe Cole came agonisingly close to an opener on 70 minutes, but then Drogba received his red card. He had been booked earlier in the game for dissent, and after a high challenge on Chris Baird he was shown a second yellow card.
It was Fulham who finished the game strongest, and should have taken all three points away.
Paul Konchesky raced away from Alex eight minutes from time, but saw his effort blocked by the feet of Petr Cech. Then in the final minute, Diomansy Kamara wasted an opportunity as Clint Dempsey narowly missed his cross-cum-shot at the far post.
"Anyone would settle for a point at Chelsea," said manager Lawrie Sanchez. "But when you are that close to ending their record you think, 'let's take it'.
"We only got a point, but that sums up our season in the league. We have not got just desserts for the points we have accumulated."
Inter Milan shoot two points clear in Italy
ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan won 4-1 at 10-man AS Roma on Saturday for a convincing victory in this top-of-the-table clash to surge two points clear of the Italian championship.
Ahead of Sunday's clashes, the highlight of which will be the Turin derby between Torino and Juventus, unbeaten Milan have a two-point cushion on Fiorentina who also kept their slate clean with a 3-0 win at tailenders Livorno.
The Romans were quickly reduced to 10 men to hamper their task when Frenchman Ludovic Giuly was sent off.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored from a 29th-minute penalty to put the visitors ahead at the Olympic stadium, though Simone Perrotta equalised for Roma in the 53rd minute.
However further goals from Milan by Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz and then Ivan Cordoba meant Inter had scored their four with more than 20 minutes to go till full time.
For Roma, the defeat was particularly badly-timed with midweek European action looming.
Following two draws against Fiorentina (2-2) and then Juventus (2-2), Luciano Spalletti's men travel to England on Tuesday to face Manchester United in the Champions League where they had been humiliated by a 7-1 defeat in the quarter-final, second leg of last season's competition in April.
Reigning Italian champions Inter, still handicapped by the absences of injured players Patrick Vieira, Marco Materazzi and Cristian Chivu, and a suspension to Brazilian Maicon, made the most of a major mistake by Giuly, who did a handball in the middle of his own area following an Inter counterattack leading to the first goal.
Giuly was shown the red card and Ibrahimovic stepped up to score from the spot.
Swede Ibrahimovic has now scored five times within a week to put him on top of Italy's goalscoring charts with seven, one ahead of Juventus striker David Trezeguet.
Inter made numerical superiority count and gave themselves the luxury of resting Ibrahimovic after the break when they brought on Hernan Crespo and Julio Cruz, for Frenchman Olivier Dacourt, as Roberto Mancini perhaps had one eye on Tuesday's home match against PSV Eindhoven which has taken on even more importance since Inter's opening defeat to Turks Fenerbahce in the Champions League group stages.
Mancini's substitutions proved decisive as both Argentinians got on the scoresheet before Colombian defender Cordoba added Inter's fourth.
Meanwhile, a double from Argentine striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo helped Fiorentina to victory against long time Tuscan rivals Livorno.
Osvaldo put Fiorentina ahead at the stroke of half-time in a bad tempered clash which saw the visiting coach Nando Orsi sent off for dissent during the break.
Livorno were reduced to ten men after Massimo Loviso fouled Gianpaolo Pazzini after 63 minutes, allowing Osvaldo net his second when he chested down Mario Alberto Santana's pass and fired over the goalkeeper. Santana sealed Fiorentina's win three minutes later.
Hleb injury takes shine off Arsenal's winning run
LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger admitted a serious injury to Alexander Hleb had stripped the gloss from Arsenal's 1-0 victory at West Ham.
The Belarussian international was stretchered off mid-way through the first half at Upton Park after being felled by a crude, shin-high lunge from Mark Noble.
The referee Alan Wiley awarded just a yellow card to the West Ham midfielder, a decision that triggered angry remonstrations from Wenger on the touchline.
His fury had barely abated when he addressed the media in his post-match press conference and, while he stopped short of accusing Noble of deliberately attempting to hurt his opponent, Wenger suggested that the collision was not entirely accidental.
"It looked very nasty, although I haven't seen it again on the replays," he said. "If it was an accident, it is a very bad accident, because if you see his [Hleb's] leg it is unbelievable.
"It is red and bruised from the knee down to the toes. We are quite optimistic because Noble is usually a fair player. I don't know if it was an accident or not, but he caught him very well."
Hleb left Upton Park on crutches and has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Steaua Bucharest, although speculation last night that he had suffered a broken leg proved unfounded.
Alan Curbishley, the West Ham manager, claimed not to have seen Noble's challenge, although he did suggest Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini had been guilty of an equally reckless first-half challenge on Scott Parker.
The former Newcastle midfielder failed to re-appear for the second half, with Curbishley confirming that he had aggravated a long-standing knee injury.
Wenger's mood may have been soured by Hleb's injury, but this was still an immensely satisfying afternoon for his talented young side.
A first victory in four attempts over their east London rivals maintained Arsenal's position at the head of the English Premier League and stretched their unbeaten run this season to an impressive 11 matches.
Their latest success was sealed by Robin van Persie's well-taken 13th-minute goal, the Dutchman nodding in at the far post after Hleb had crossed from the right.
Arsenal should have built on that advantage in the second half, but Robert Green, the West Ham goalkeeper, made a string of fine saves to deny Emmanuel Adebayor, twice, and van Persie.
"We had a bit of apprehension because we lost here last season and this was a big test," Wenger added. "We started with the handbrake on but the goal helped. We didn't make the same mistake we made at Blackburn: we continued to play and move forward and try and score the second goal.
"Unfortunately we didn't get that but we deserved it. There's room for improvement but I am very proud of what the team is achieving at the moment.
"We are very young but we have to show we can eke out results. We did that today and I think that shows the team is maturing tactically."
West Ham could have snatched an equaliser, first when Dean Ashton headed straight at Manuel Almunia and then when Freddie Ljungberg, playing against his old club for the first time, saw a goal incorrectly chalked off for offside, but a point would have been generous reward for a laboured performance.
Defeat, however, was the least of Curbishley's concerns. In addition to Parker's injury, the manager saw his centre-half Anton Ferdinand limp off with a hamstring strain, while Craig Bellamy is still struggling to recover from a troublesome groin injury.
"It's been this way ever since I have been at the club and we'll just have to cope with it," he said. "But I've said to the lads that they worked as hard as they could.
"We're disappointed we couldn't get back in it: if we had, it would have been anyone's match."
Owen could be back in a few days - Allardyce
Michael Owen stands a good chance of being fit for England's vital Euro 2008 double-header next month according to Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce.
Remarkably, the 27-year-old striker could even confound expectations by being included for United's game with Everton next weekend after undergoing stomach surgery in Munich at the clinic of top specialist Ulrike Muschaweck.
Initial predictions after he was diagnosed with a weakness in his stomach, which could have led to a hernia, and torn abductor muscle were that he might miss six weeks.
But Allardyce, speaking on Sky Sports News before today's game at Manchester City, revealed he could be back in contention within days.
'The second operation on the weaker side of his stomach today (has been) very successful as we know from the girl in Munich,' he said.
'Only a few days in terms of recovery we're talking now, and then there's the abductor to think about with the tear.
'But really good news, not like all the speculation that we are neglecting him - that was rather distasteful as far as I was concerned.
'He is with the best in the world and that is why it's only a few days' recovery.'
Asked whether he would rule Owen out of the forthcoming qualifiers with Estonia and Russia, Allardyce insisted: 'I couldn't do that - with what we've heard from Germany it might be a shorter recovery than we thought.
'Taking that and the abductor into consideration, who knows? He may even be fit for Everton next week.
'There's a possibility, the surgeon said. There was such little damage, hardly any at all, it wasn't really a hernia, it was just a threatening of one and she has tidied that up now.
'We think the recovery will be days rather than weeks.'
He added: 'We'll make the sensible decision for us and England, we have got to get both of them (the injuries) really cleared up and strong.'
Van der Saar to have tests on foot injury
BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) - Edwin van der Saar will have precautionary scans on the foot injury he suffered in Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Birmingham City this weekend which kept the Premiership Champions within two points of leaders Arsenal.
The Dutch international goalkeeper was unable to continue after half-time, after falling heavily during the first half at St Andrews and United have already ruled him out of taking part in Tuesday night's Champions League Group game against AS Roma at Old Trafford.
"Edwin has a problem with his foot and our medical people are taking care of the situation. They will have a better idea of the problem after tests, but he is unlikely to be fit to play against Roma," said Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager.
The loss of the experienced goalkeeper is a major worry to Ferguson ahead of the meeting with the Serie A side, who are determined to avenge their 7-1 humiliation against the English Premier League Champions in last season's competition.
Van der Saar has not conceded a goal in seven hours and 44 minutes since he was beaten by Manchester City's Brazilian striker Geovanni's deflected effort off Nemanja Vidic caused them to lose the Manchester derby against Sven-Goran Eriksson's side on 19 August.
Tomasz Kuszczak, signed from Championship side West Bromwich Albion permanently in the summer and who replaced van der Saar for the second half against Birmingham, has been placed on stand-by for his Champions League debut.
"Tomasz made one very good save and showed why he is a Manchester United player. It is very hard for him behind a player as good as Edwin and he has had to wait for his opportunity, but we are very confident in his ability and we have no worries," said Ferguson's assistant manager Carlos Queiroz.
The loss of van der Saar was the only real negative for United as they recorded their fifth successive Premier League victory, as Portuguese winger Christiano Ronaldo marked his 100th Premiership appearance with the decisive 51st minute goal.
Ronaldo ensured that it remains 29-years since Birmingham last beat United, an emphatic 5-1 victory back in November 1978, with his first Premiership goal of the season, after registering his first goal of the campaign against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.
And Ferguson believes that his side could not have been given a better examination ahead of returning to Champions League duty, by the side managed by his former Manchester United captain, Steve Bruce.
"They gave us the hardest game we have had all season. The first half of the game was especially difficult and we had to really defend. They are a good team, with a lot of pace and aggression and they deserve a lot of credit for the problems they caused us," added Ferguson.
Ferguson believes his defence is as strong as it has been for many seasons at Old Trafford, as they kept a fifth successive clean sheet in the Premiership, but that will still not prevent him from pursuing his interest in Sporting Lisbon defender Miguel Veloso.
Veloso, who captained the Portuguese under-21 side at the recent European Championships in Holland, impressed in United's recent 1-0 Champions League win in Lisbon and United are believed to have been quoted a six million pound fee for the central defender, who is a close friend of Ronaldo and United's other Portuguese star Nani.
Strachan hails his free-scoring Celts
Gordon Strachan hailed his free scoring Celtic team after they moved top of the Scottish Premier League on Saturday with a 3-0 at home to Dundee United.
This victory - courtesy of Australian striker Scott McDonald's hat-trick - coupled with Rangers' 1-1 draw at Motherwell, means the Parkhead side now lead their Old Firm rivals, with a goal difference of plus five.
Celtic have now scored an astonishing 27 times in only seven SPL games - although the fact they have conceded six has led to questions being asked of their defence.
This may not be too much of a concern in the domestic game, but with holders AC Milan their next Champions League opponents on Wednesday at Celtic Park, there are fears a weak rearguard could hamper their European ambitions.
However, Strachan conceded he is not too bothered about losing goals as long as his team continue to hammer them in at the other end.
The Celtic manager said: "The most pleasing thing for me is we're scoring goals. If you can score goals you always have a chance of winning matches.
"Last season in some games we found it very hard to make chances but now in most games we're making numerous chances and that's the most satisfying thing."
Strachan continued: "There were some good individual performances, especially from the forwards, which is pleasing before the AC Milan game.
"The way we play we are always going to give away a couple of chances.
"On Saturday Artur made a world class save and Stephen McManus blocked a shot, but we created 15 or 16 chances."
Although the victory, and returning to the top of the table, will have boosted confidence for the Champions League match, Celtic's hopes of defeating the Italian giants suffered a blow when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink limped off in the first half.
Strachan admitted the Dutch international striker has little chance of facing the Italian giants.
However, the Celtic manager is still hoping their Japanese star Shunsuke Nakamura, who has missed their last three games with a ligament injury to his left knee, may still make it.
Strachan said: "Big Jan has injured his hamstring and it doesn't look good. He only has an outside chance of being ready for Wednesday.
"I'm not sure about Nakamura, but we'll have a look at him and make up our minds on Monday."
One player who could be key to Celtic's hopes on Wednesday is Republic of Ireland international Aiden McGeady.
In addition to setting up two of McDonald's goals, McGeady's trickery and direct running were a constant source of trouble for Dundee United.
Strachan said: "Aiden played well. He was terrific. The more we gave him the ball the better he became.
"Recently he played on the left and won the man-of-the-match award and today he was brilliant playing on the right so it doesn't seem to matter which side he plays."
Celtic had taken the lead in only the seventh minute on Saturday.
McGeady skipped past Barry Robson before chipping the ball to the back post for Vennegoor of Hesselink and, although the Dutchman's header was palmed away by United's Polish goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski, McDonald was on hand to nod home from close range.
In the 66th minute Scott Brown burst through the centre of the United defence before playing in McDonald, who showed good strength to hold off his marker before rounding the goalkeeper and rolling the ball into the empty net.
And McDonald completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute, stealing in at the back post to poke home McGeady's cross.
Lyon back on top in France
LYON, France (AFP) - Champions Lyon resumed their traditional place atop the French league with a 3-0 victory over Lens at their Gerland Stadium on Saturday.
Lyon coach Alain Perrin had been under intense pressure to take the three points from the delayed match and move up from fourth place in the league.
And his side duly delivered as they warmed up for Tuesday night's Champions League game here against Scottish side Rangers with goals from Brazilian Fabio Santos, Swede Kim Kallstrom and Karim Benzema.
The win puts Lyon joint top with Nancy on 19 points after nine games. Nancy have a game in hand, however. Perrin expressed his delight that his strategy is falling into place.
"Everything is running like clockwork. We wanted a victory to give us a confidence boost but also to win in style. We did what we wanted ahead of meeting Glasgow Rangers," he said.
"The team are beginning to gel and work well together, which gives me confidence for what we are trying to put in place. Now we have to focus on Tuesday's Champions League match which will be difficult to win."
Lyon made most of the early running, missing three goal chances through Czech striker Milan Baros (10), Abdulkader Keita (18) and Santos (31).
But Santos hit back four minutes before the break with his first goal since joining the club in January, beating the offside trap to finish off a pass from Baros.
Kallstrom scored their second nine minutes from time with a long shot from the left, as the league's top scorer Benzema, netted his ninth this term just before the full-time whistle.
Lens with just one win from eight games stay stuck in the relegation zone in 18th position, as their new coach Jean-Pierre Papin tries desperately to find the winning formula.
Papin complained bitterly at the refereeing and particularly Santos's opening goal which he considered to be offside.
"The refereeing made the difference, notably the first goal. There were other arguable decisions. Lyon don't need that to win.
"It's never nice to lose 3-0. I'm frustrated."
Lyon have not finished outside the top three in the league since 1999 and won their sixth consecutive championship last season.
Jumat, 28 September 2007
Birmingham´s Forssell requires hernia surgery
BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Birmingham will have to do without their Finland international Mikael Forssell for the next month as the striker requires surgery to cure a hernia problem.
Forssell has been dogged by injury problems, most notably a knee complaint for the past three seasons.
The former Chelsea player finally looked as if his troubles were behind him after impressing in pre-season and scoring on the opening day of the season at Stamford Bridge.
But Blues boss Steve Bruce admitted Forssell needs to go under the knife sooner rather than later to try and minimise the time he will be sidelined.
Bruce said: "Mikael will go into hospital on Monday. It looks like he has got a hernia problem and we will do something about it as quickly as we possibly can.
"He will miss the Manchester United and Blackburn games but, with the two-week international break coming up soon, hopefully he will be back available after that. These things usually take three to four weeks.
"You feel sorry for the lad because he has had so many knock backs in recent years but kept persevering. This season, he came back looking sharp and we wondered if he was finally over everything and this will be another blow to him."
Bruce confirmed that keeper Richard Kingson will be available to face the Red Devils after suffering a bang to the head against Blackburn in the mid-week League Cup tie.
He said: "He's going to be okay. It was a bit of a worry at the time but he is in today and we think he is fine."
Belief pushes Brazil to brink of football glory
HANGZHOU, China (AFP) - Self-belief has pushed Brazil to the brink of World Cup glory as the Samba Girls go in search of a title won by their more famous male counterparts five times.
Few would have wagered money on Brazil at the beginning of the tournament but their silky skills and unselfish teamwork have not only won over the Chinese fans but driven them further than they have ever been before.
Coach Jorge Barcellos said their philosophy has always been never-say-die.
"In football, nothing is impossible -- that's what I'm always telling my players," he said after his side stunned double champions the United States in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Their 4-0 victory sets up a final in Shanghai on Sunday against title-holders Germany, who would have been uneasy spectators as stylish but aggressive Brazil tore apart the top-ranked Americans.
World Player of the Year Marta scored two goals, with some sublime individual skills underlining why she is considered the best in the business.
But both Marta and Barcellos say Brazil's trademark attractive football is just a bonus as the ominous Germans, who have yet to concede a goal here, loom.
"For me, it is always more important to win the match than to play beautiful football," said Barcellos. "Germany is a very strong team and we need to make plans.
"Now, we are still nothing and we still have a long way to go to beat Germany in the final."
Marta, now the tournament's leading scorer on seven goals, was equally dismissive of individual showmanship, despite displaying plenty against the Americans.
"We are creating history by making the final and that is not down to me, it is down to a great performance by our team," she said.
"My goal is always to be the best and that is why I work so hard, but without my teammates I would be nothing."
The Auriverde are the only side from South America to have appeared at every women's World Cup since its inception in 1991, and Barcellos believes this could be the start of a golden era for Brazilian women.
"We have so many talented players in Brazil," he said. "We still have a lot of young players with great potential."
Their performance here is impressive after they lost a World Cup qualifying game in the lead-up to the tournament for the first time in their history.
In doing so, they also gave away their South American crown to Argentina.
That hit them hard and winning here is also about redressing that balance and repairing their battered pride.
Barcellos said the steely resolve of his players since that defeat has shone through in China.
"I congratulate my players not only for their performance but for their strong desire to win," he said.
"You can see that desire in their aggressive play."
Wenger worries for 'heart' of English football
BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Birmingham will have to do without their Finland international Mikael Forssell for the next month as the striker requires surgery to cure a hernia problem.
Forssell has been dogged by injury problems, most notably a knee complaint for the past three seasons.
The former Chelsea player finally looked as if his troubles were behind him after impressing in pre-season and scoring on the opening day of the season at Stamford Bridge.
But Blues boss Steve Bruce admitted Forssell needs to go under the knife sooner rather than later to try and minimise the time he will be sidelined.
Bruce said: "Mikael will go into hospital on Monday. It looks like he has got a hernia problem and we will do something about it as quickly as we possibly can.
"He will miss the Manchester United and Blackburn games but, with the two-week international break coming up soon, hopefully he will be back available after that. These things usually take three to four weeks.
"You feel sorry for the lad because he has had so many knock backs in recent years but kept persevering. This season, he came back looking sharp and we wondered if he was finally over everything and this will be another blow to him."
Bruce confirmed that keeper Richard Kingson will be available to face the Red Devils after suffering a bang to the head against Blackburn in the mid-week League Cup tie.
He said: "He's going to be okay. It was a bit of a worry at the time but he is in today and we think he is fine."
Kamis, 27 September 2007
Platini backs refs who stop matches because of racism
PARIS (AFP) - Referees who stop football matches because of racist behaviour would be fully supported by Europe's football governing body, UEFA president Michel Platini said Thursday."Some things are fundamental in life," Platini said, adding the action should be taken in consultation with the match delegate. "A football match is important but there is conduct that we cannot tolerate in the stadiums."Turning to the issues of violence in football, Platini repeated the policy of zero tolerance towards those who engage in such conduct."We can take strong decisions if we have to exclude supporters from stadiums or suspend clubs, we will, until the day that we have people in the stadiums who come to watch football, not to cause problems," he said.
Read More......Barca's Zambrotta out for a month but Puyol is back
MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona said Thursday they will lose Italian international defender Gianluca Zambrotta for a month with a leg muscle tear he sustained in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Zaragoza but centre back Carles Puyol is fit again after knee problems.Zambrotta went off after just 20 minutes of Wednesday's encounter which saw Barca provisionally go third above Real Madrid, who were seeking to move top again Thursday with a win over Betis.Puyol is now over the knee trouble which plagued him from the end of last season and, after resuming training last week, is now ready to resume, according to medical staff.
Read More......Barcelona move to dampen Ronaldinho speculation
Barcelona have issued a statement reiterating that Ronaldinho remains part of the club's long-term plans.Speculation over Ronaldinho's future at Camp Nou has been rife in recent days following the Brazilian's absence from the wins over Sevilla and Real Zaragoza. Chelsea have been linked with a move for the playmaker, whose form and attitude have come under scrutiny in recent weeks. On Wednesday coach Frank Rijkaard stressed that Ronaldinho was staying at the club. "It doesn't even cross my head that he will leave," he declared. "In football people forget very quickly. He had and still has incredible value. "He's working hard to recover as quickly as possible and he's got great desire to return to the team and there's nothing behind the issue," he added. Following Wednesday night's win over Zaragoza, the club released a statement explaining Ronaldinho's continued absence from Rijkaard's starting line-up. The statement read: "In the face of the avalanche of information and opinions about the absence of first-team player Ronaldinho from the last two league games, Barcelona wishes to clarify: "That the absence of the player is strictly medical - specifically related to a calf problem in his right leg, as was officially announced last Saturday. "That the player, the same as the rest of the players at the club, has the support of all the organisation to recover from his physical problems. "That Ronaldinho is considered a basic piece of the current sporting project, and as such, there are no plans other than for his continuity in the first team."
Read More......Marta's brilliance leads Brazil's rout of the U.S.
HANGZHOU, China -- The streak is over, and so is the United States' bid for a third Women's World Cup championship.
Brazil and its star player Marta put on a dazzling performance against the Americans and cruised to a 4-0 victory in the semifinals Thursday, ending the U.S. unbeaten streak at 51 games and sending the Brazilians into their first title match, against Germany on Sunday.
Brazil went ahead on an own-goal in the 20th minute, and Marta made it 2-0 soon after. Cristiane and Marta added goals in the second half, with Marta becoming the tournament's leading scorer with seven goals.
The U.S. played the final 45 minutes with 10 players after midfielder Shannon Boxx was sent off in first-half injury time for a contentious second yellow card.
Goalkeeper Briana Scurry, playing in her 164th game for the U.S., was surprisingly picked ahead of Hope Solo, who started the first four games. Solo gave up two goals in the first match but was unscored on for the following 300 minutes. Scurry, meanwhile, hadn't played a full game in three months.
Though U.S. coach Greg Ryan didn't blame the loss on Scurry, Solo questioned the decision and Scurry's performance.
"It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that," she said. "There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it's not 2004 anymore. ... It's 2007, and I think you have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that's what I think."
The Americans play Norway in Sunday's third-place game.
Bidding for another title to go with championships in 1991 and 1999, the U.S. team was outplayed and outhustled by the Brazilians in its worst defeat in any World Cup match. The semifinal loss was a repeat of the 2003 event, when the Americans were eliminated by Germany.
"We could have come out stronger I think but today was Brazil's day," American striker Abby Wambach said. "I'm heartbroken.
"The first goal was kind of a fluke goal, then Marta comes down on the second goal and then we go down on the red card. Things were not falling for us today."
In the 20th minute, Formiga sent in a corner, which bounced just short of the goal. Attempting to head it behind, midfielder Leslie Osborne headed it into the net between Scurry and Lori Chalupny.
Marta, Brazil's creative striker, struck seven minutes later. She evaded a half-dozen players and cracked a left-footed shot from 15 yards that hugged the ground and beat Scurry diving to her left. She got her left hand on the ball but couldn't stop it.
Brazil may have also deserved a penalty in the fifth minute when American defender Cat Whitehill escaped despite bringing down Cristiane in the area.
Forced to push for the goal in the second half, the U.S. left itself exposed at the back with Maycon, Daniela and Cristiane narrowly missing in the opening minutes. Cristiane finally broke through in the 56th to make it 3-0, left-footing a shot home in a one-on-one contest with Scurry.
"Tonight we played as a team, and we have not always done that," Brazil coach Jorge Barcellos said. "We have the individual talent and this game was a complete team effort."
The Americans had only two shots on goal in the first half and top striker Abby Wambach was never a factor. Kristine Lilly, playing in a record fifth World Cup, had the best U.S. chance in the second half but her point-blank shot landed in Andreia's hands in the 63rd.
After the third goal, Brazil slowed the play as the Americans kept pressing for a score.
Brazil's last flurry came in the 79th when Marta showed off all her talent. Off the left wing, she faked around U.S. defender Tina Ellertson, raced into the box, dummied around another and beat Scurry with a shot that drew a huge ovation from a crowd of 48,000.
Scurry, the 36-year-old veteran who was coach Greg Ryan's surprise goalkeeping choice against Brazil, had a nervous first half. In the seventh minute, she came out to catch a free kick, but it slipped through her fingers although Brazil missed the scoring chance.
Ryan said he picked Scurry because of her quick reflexes. She was in goal in a 2-0 win over Brazil in June in New York, and she also was the keeper in the Americans' 2-1 victory over Brazil in the 2004 Olympic final. Badly outplayed in that match, Scurry was credited with bringing the Americans gold.
Brazil's victory was only its second over the United States in 23 games.
Despite winning Group B, the Americans seldom looked threatening on offense in this tournament, and was unable to sustain the form of its 3-0 victory over England in the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid overcome battling Betis to regain top spot
MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid maintained their unbeaten record and returned to the top of La Liga after a 2-0 win over Real Betis but they made hard work of despatching the side from Seville on Thursday.The reigning Spanish champions' captain Raul Gonzalez finally broke the deadlock from the penalty spot after 66 minutes following a foul on him by Betis midfielder David Rivas.Brazilian international Julio Baptista then got Real's second five minutes from time but the scoreline flattered the reigning Spanish champions with lowly Betis hitting the woodwork no less than three times during the game.Real started well and had by far the best of the first half hour, and a clear majority of the possession, but gradually Betis worked their way back into the game.Edu and Mark Gonzalez both had good opportunities to score just before David Rivas sent a header against the post six minutes before the break.The close shaves meant Madrid left the field at the break with whistles from the Real faithful ringing in their ears and the jeers from their ever-critical fans continued well into the second period until Raul opened the scoring.Madrid rode their luck once again late in the game when Betis threw everything at them in search of an equaliser.Firstly Rafael Sobis's free kick skimmed off the cross bar after 75 minutes and Mark Gonzalez then hit the post just a minute later.The hosts' nerves finally calmed when second half substitute Baptista, who had only been on the field five minutes, hammered home his first goal of the season from the edge of the area.The victory means that Real Madrid have 13 points from their five matches and a one point lead over Villarreal and Valencia, who are second and third respectively and split by goal difference after both teams won on Wednesday.By contrast, at the other end of the table, Betis are third from bottom and still looking for their first win this season with only two points to their name.Villarreal had an impressive 2-0 win at Racing Santander with goals from Turkish international Nihat Kahveci and their American-born Italian striker Guiseppe Rossi.Valencia laboured to a 2-1 win over struggling Getafe but notched up their fourth successive win with first half goals from Spanish internationals David Silva and David Villa before Braulio Nobrega got one back for Getafe late in the game.Unbeaten Barcelona are one point further back in fourth after inflicting a 4-1 thrashing on Real Zaragoza later on Wednesday. All the goals in Barca's Nou Camp stadium came in the first half, with their Argentine international winger Lionel Messi finding the net after just five minutes although Zaragoza's Alberto Zapater equalised four minutes later.However, the 2006 European champions quickly got back into their stride and Messi took barely a minute before he sent a cross from Deco into the back of the net to give Barca the lead again.Andres Iniesta and Rafa Marquez added more goals before the break before the Catalan club stepped off the gas in the second half."I didn't see anything negative about this team," said Barca coach Frank Rijkaard after the game, responding to public and media criticism about him and his team.However, Rijkaard might possibly concede that summer signing Thierry Henry once again had a below-par game, a fact which even the excellence of his team mates couldn't hide.The Frenchman squandering several chances, including two late in the game, which would have added to the Catalan club's tally.
Read More......Rabu, 26 September 2007
Aston Villa 0-1 Leicester
Coca-Cola Championship strugglers Leicester dumped former manager Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa out of the Carling Cup thanks to a second-half goal from Matt Fryatt.
O'Neill was on the end receiving end of the kind of cup shock he handed out to more illustrious opponents during his five years with the Foxes when he twice won the competition.
Former Walsall striker Fryatt settled the issue with a shot from a narrow angle with 16 minutes remaining of the third-round clash.
It was a huge tonic for new boss Gary Megson who had been on the receiving end of criticism from some Leicester fans after the departure of Martin Allen.
For Villa, it was a massive turnaround in fortunes barely three weeks after they overcome Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League.
O'Neill had made six changes from the side which defeated Manchester City at the weekend although they still fielded a starting XI which should have been strong enough to overcome a side lying 21st in the Championship.
But they seldom looked like breaking down a stubborn Leicester rearguard in which centre-backs Bruno N'Gotty and Gareth McAuley were outstanding.
Leicester showed all the tenacity and organisation associated with Megson's sides down the years in pulling off a famous victory.
The recalled N'Gotty, one of three centre-backs used by Leicester, quickly made his presence felt by blocking a powerful drive from Stiliyan Petrov after Marlon Harewood had laid the ball into his path.
Villa keeper Stuart Taylor was put under pressure in fisting away a corner from Joe Mattock at full stretch and he then blocked an effort from Matt Fryatt but the Leicester striker had strayed marginally offside.
The visitors, roared on by 4,000 fans, came more into the game and Patrick Kisnorbo was frustrated to head wide when well placed from a Joe Mattock corner.
Then an even better opportunity fell to Iain Hume who was unmarked at the near post when meeting an inswinging Mattock free-kick but he failed to hit the target with his header.
Villa retaliated and Mattock made a vital block to keep out a piledriver from Gabriel Agbonlahor after skipper Gareth Barry's free-kick had only been half cleared.
Leicester keeper Marton Fulop was called into meaningful action for the first time after 25 minutes and he did well to get fingertip a powerful drive from Shaun Maloney after he had seized onto a flick from Petrov.
The home side had upped their game after a sluggish start and McAuley blocked a Curtis Davies header from Barry's inswinging centre.
Harewood showed his pace in bursting clear of the Leicester defence to reach the byline but Petrov slipped over after running into the box to meet the low centre.
Villa made a positive start to the second period and Leicester were indebted to a fine save from Fulop for keeping them on level terms.
Barry's inswinging free-kick from near the byline picked out Harewood whose close range header was instinctively parried away by Fulop.
It was a rare moment of danger before Leicester made their first substitution, bringing on former Birmingham striker DJ Campbell in place of Hume to predictable boos from the Villa fans.
But the Villa faithful were silenced with 16 minutes remaining when Leicester broke the deadlock.
James Chambers played the ball into Fryatt on the left side of the Villa box and he somehow squeezed his low shot past Taylor into the far corner of the net.
Maloney came closest to snatching an equaliser with a shot turned around the post by Fulop.
Megson wants repeat performance in league
Gary Megson challenged Leicester to repeat their performance in tonight's Carling Cup win over Aston Villa - when they resume Coca-Cola Championship action at the weekend.
A second-half goal from Matt Fryatt earned the Foxes a 1-0 win at Villa Park in the third-round tie against their former manager Martin O'Neill.
O'Neill rang the changes from the side which had defeated Everton at the weekend - but they still possessed enough quality to have overcome Leicester had they been firing on all cylinders.
Megson said: 'As a player, I got a few decent results at Villa Park. But this is my first win there as a manager, and it's a great victory for us.
'When you enter these competitions you want to do as well as you can, and the effort we put in has got to be a starting point for us.
'We've now got to put that in every time we play. That sets the standard I want to see every week.'
Even a weakened Villa side were a step up on Leicester's usual opposition, according to Megson.
'Martin O'Neill might have rested one or two players, and also had a couple of injuries, but that was still a stronger side than we will face in the Championship at any time this season,' he said.
'When you see a Villa side containing Gareth Barry, England's best player in their recent matches, and £15million of talent at centre-half then you know what sort of game you're going to get.
'We knew we needed the effort and work rate to be at the highest level - and it was.
'Villa had a lot of pressure. But we had the best two chances, and Matt managed to take one of them.'
Megson reverted to playing with three centre-backs, and Villa seldom looked like breaking through.
'We finished against Charlton on Saturday with three at the back,' the Leicester boss recalled.
'It is not my favourite way of playing. But if you have got players whose style is suited to that formation, then we will play it.'
O'Neill pulled no punches about Villa's lacklustre performance - with debutant Curtis Davies looking especially ring-rusty in his first senior game for six months.
He said: 'We didn't play well enough, and it is particularly disappointing after our recent league form.
'We wanted a home tie. It was a game, even though I made changes, that we were capable of winning.
'We didn't do enough to deserve that. Credit to Leicester. They took their chance when it came along - but we didn't have enough tempo to our game.
'We put some pressure on only after they had scored. The players who came into the side were decent players - but we just didn't do the business.
'We didn't treat this game lightly. I said beforehand I wanted to win and have a good run in the competition, and it's disappointing to go out now.'
Fulham 1-2 Bolton
Bolton substitute Stelios Giannakopoulos was the hero for Bolton as they saw off hosts Fulham 2-1 after extra time to book a place in Saturday's Carling Cup fourth-round draw.
The Greek ace netted with eight minutes left, driving beyond goalkeeper Kasey Keller to give Sammy Lee's side only their second win of the season.
Earlier, on-loan Bolton debutant Danny Guthrie stunned Fulham with a 57th-minute strike, only for Cottagers substitute David Healy to send the game into an extra 30 minutes with a 78th-minute effort.
Bolton made nine changes from the side which drew with Tottenham on Sunday, handing full debuts to Guthrie, Christian Wilhelmsson, goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi and Daniel Braaten.
With stars such as Nicolas Anelka, El-Hadji Diouf and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen all left out, the visitors also awarded a rare start to defender Lubomir Michalik.
Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez gave first starts to Seol Ki-Hyeon, Danny Murphy and veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller.
Bolton were the first to threaten in the seventh minute when Mikel Alonso's long free-kick from the left found the head of the leaping Braaten, whose effort was clutched just under the bar by Keller.
Braaten's foul on Murphy, however, gave Fulham a free-kick at the other end and Hameur Bouazza's direct shot from 20 yards made Al Habsi work hard for the save.
And Al Habsi had to be sharp off his line three minutes later to clear from Simon Davies, following a ball from the impressive Steven Davis.
Fulham had a scare when Alonso's shot deflected off Carlos Bocanegra and into the side-netting with Keller going the wrong way after 19 minutes, before Gerald Cid forced Keller into a good save with a header from a corner.
Murphy fired just wide and Bolton rode their luck when shots by Bouazza and Davies both deflected off Cid for corners.
But the home side had a major escape just before the break when Braaten - seemingly offside - saw a shot blocked by Keller.
Wilhelmsson was looking a lively performer, nimble and effective on the ball and if Wanderers possessed other finishers of Anelka or Diouf's quality they could have been well in command.
It was no surprise when the visitors took the lead in the 57th minute with a cracking drive by Liverpool youngster Guthrie, who powered in from 25 yards.
Bolton almost scored again five minutes later when Braaten took Nicky Hunt's pass in his stride and shot just wide of the near post .
Fulham sent on £6million striker Diomansy Kamara for Bouazza - but Bolton were looking comfortable, although Gavin McCann was booked for a scything tackle on the substitute midway through the second half.
Clint Dempsey almost broke through for Fulham two minutes later after a throw-in bounced awkwardly in the Bolton area but Al Habsi admirably smothered the American striker's shot.
Healy replaced Baird in the 72nd minute - and the Northern Ireland international striker equalised six minutes later.
Seol's cross from the left was headed out by Abdoulaye Meite but straight to Healy, who rifled it through a crowd of players for his third goal of the season - with referee Steve Bennett ideally positioned to see it had crossed the line before being hacked away.
Tackles flew in a frantic finale to the 90 minutes and Bolton's Kevin Davies was booked for a crude foul on Keller - but the game went into extra-time.
Fulham finally took a grip against Bolton's much-weakened side, with Healy and Kamara both hitting the woodwork.
But Stelios made the decisive breakthrough with eight minutes left, after appearing to shove defender Paul Konchesky off the ball.
Sanchez fury over disallowed goal
Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez flew into a rage after his team were knocked out of the Carling Cup by below-strength Bolton tonight.
Greek star Stelios Giannakopoulos won the third-round match 2-1 for Bolton with an extra-time strike, after coming on as substitute and appearing to shove Fulham's Paul Konchesky off the ball.
But Sanchez was more incensed by referee Steve Bennett's decision to disallow an earlier effort by Diomansy Kamara.
Sanchez said: 'It is ridiculous. These referees are not up to the job and are costing us week-in and week-out. Something has got to be done about it.
'I'm getting fed-up with referees who come to little Fulham and disallow goals for no apparent reason. Whether they think they are coming for a nice trip or something, I don't know. But we have seen the goal, and it is definitely onside.'
David Healy's shot hit a post - and when Kamara put the rebound in he was given offside. Earlier this season a Healy goal - which would have earned Fulham a Barclays Premier League point against Middlesbrough - was erroneously disallowed, according to TV replay evidence.
Asked about Bolton's winner, Sanchez said: 'Our player [Konchesky] says he was definitely pushed in the back by their goalscorer.'
Bolton manager Sammy Lee fielded a virtual reserve side, making nine changes in his starting line-up from the team which drew with Tottenham on Sunday.
But he said: 'I picked a team which I thought would win the match.
'Of course, I'm aware I'm under pressure - most managers are under pressure. But I never go to any match prepared to lose it, and it will be the same at Derby on Saturday. This result will give us a boost.
'I used the squad tonight, and our lads did well. It was a great story for Stelios, who has just come back after a hernia operation. He has a nice habit of scoring vital goals.'
Tottenham 2-0 Middlesbrough
Late goals from Gareth Bale and Tom Huddlestone earned Tottenham a 2-0 win in their Carling Cup third-round clash against Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane.
Spurs played 21 cup games last season and, with boss Martin Jol under intense pressure following a dismal start to the season, the hunt for silverware is at least giving his side the chance to build momentum.
Two of their three victories this season have come in cup competitions - but getting out of the bottom three of the Premier League is the immediate priority.
The win was still welcomed by Jol. Bale rounded goalkeeper Brad Jones for the opener with 18 minutes remaining and Huddlestone headed in the second three minutes later.
Jones had frustrated Spurs with a polished performance, while Boro threatened from set-pieces, and in the end it was the substitution of Robbie Keane coming on for Jermain Defoe that proved the decisive moment.
Boro boss Gareth Southgate had a host of first-team players out injured, notably Jonathan Woodgate with a groin problem and former Spurs striker Mido with a hamstring injury.
It meant the visitors were on the back foot for long periods, looking to break when possible and look for lone-striker Lee Dong-Gook.
Spurs skipper Paul Robinson was tested early on by Fabio Rochemback's long-range drive and Chris Riggott wasted a glorious chance at the end of the first half when he volleyed over, but the rest of the opening period saw the hosts push forward and apply pressure.
Defoe had been left out of the squad altogether for the Bolton clash in the Premier League at the weekend, but he made a lively comeback to the starting XI and led the attack.
The England striker earned a free-kick which Bale had deflected just wide after his initial effort cannoned off the defensive wall.
He was in the action again, in the ninth minute, lofting the ball through but Jermaine Jenas sliced his shot as he raced through on goal.
Defoe came close himself when Teemu Tainio slipped him through but Jones rushed out and blocked bravely with his face.
Tainio was found in an even better position when Defoe raced down the right flank and stood the ball up, but Jones did not have to move when the header came in.
Boro keeper Jones, in the side instead of Mark Schwarzer, kept the scores level when Younes Kaboul flicked on Bale's free-kick, and he also tipped a Defoe header onto the bar before the break after Tainio's effort deflected into the striker's path.
Last season's league clash at White Hart Lane ended in a mass brawl, and there was an element of needle towards the end of the first half.
Rochemback was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card when he kicked out at Huddlestone after getting fouled, while Michael Dawson got a card for tripping Stewart Downing. Riggott's chance came from the resulting free-kick, with the defender volleying over after Spurs failed to clear the set-piece.
Spurs have looked suspect from dead-ball situations all season and they were shaky again after the break when Tom Craddock, a half-time substitute, was found unmarked from a corner but could not direct an effort on goal.
At the other end, Jones saved from a Bale free-kick after Jenas was fouled by Andrew Taylor 25 yards out, then David Wheater had to time a challenge on Aaron Lennon to perfection when the winger took the ball into the penalty area.
Defoe tested Jones again, with a diving header from Pascal Chimbonda's cross, before being withdrawn with jeers ringing around White Hart Lane.
Defoe looked angry at being taken off but the substitution was the catalyst for Spurs' late goals.
Keane, brought on for Defoe, sent Bale through and the left-back rounded Jones and squeezed home his finish from a tight angle.
Southgate was furious as Lennon appeared to be in an offside position when Bale was sent through, and the protests led to one of Boro's backroom staff being sent to the dressing room.
The second goal came when Lennon cut inside Rochemback and found found Huddlestone, who tucked away his header.
Jeers turn to cheers for Jol
Tottenham boss Martin Jol saw jeers turn to cheers with his substitution of Jermain Defoe in the Carling Cup victory over Middlesbrough at White Hart Lane.
Crowd favourite Defoe had hit the bar and been frustrated by Boro goalkeeper Brad Jones, and replacing him with Robbie Keane in the 69th minute prompted booing from home fans.
However, Keane had a hand in Spurs' opener three minutes later, with Tom Huddlestone sealing a 2-0 win and a place in the fourth round.
'I don't think it's about booing me because a minute later they are singing my name,' said Jol. 'I am in a very good position here and that is what I deserve, I gave them a bit of success over the last couple of years - no-one could have done better.
'I'm not someone to fear things. They say in Holland 'have no fear Jolly is here'.'
While this substitution had an immediate impact, Jol's decision to bring Defoe on for Keane in a Premier League match earlier in the season against Fulham led to Spurs letting a 3-1 advantage slip.
'You can leave it and wait or make a decision,' Jol added. 'I've had around 150 games, maybe 170, and they normally come off, maybe a couple of them didn't.
'I make brave decisions all the time because I want to win.
'Everyone will be involved, that's what I tell them. Darren Bent was on the bench.'
Defoe reacted angrily to being taken off against Boro, with Jol adding: 'He's a human being.
'Even with children, if they have a lot of support they feel confident. I always say if you come off you have to show respect for your team-mates.'
For the opener, Keane slipped Gareth Bale through to round Jones and finish from a tight angle, his third goal in as many starts. Boro's bench felt Aaron Lennon was offside in the build-up to the 72nd-minute striker and goalkeeper coach Paul Barron was sent to the stands for leaving the technical area.
'We are well aware that Bale was onside but we do feel Lennon was interfering, he was standing five yards from Bale and let the ball run,' said Boro boss Gareth Southgate. 'Our covering defender has to go around Lennon.
'Maybe I have to go on another course! It's difficult for the linesman but the flag should have gone up.'
Huddlestone doubled the lead with 15 minutes remaining, meeting Lennon's header after the England winger skipped inside Fabio Rochemback.
Boro were left to rue Chris Riggott's opportunity just before the break when Spurs failed to clear a free-kick and the defender volleyed over.
'It's important to take those chances but we didn't,' Southgate added. As they have been all season, Spurs were suspect from set-pieces, and substitute Tom Craddock could not direct his effort on goal when he was found from a corner early in the second half.
Having the likes of Mido, Jonathan Woodgate and Julio Arca out injured and staying level with Spurs for 72 minutes came as no consolation to Southgate.
He added: 'We came and played in a style we were forced to. We kept it tight in the first half and put a striker on after the break and it could have been a night we could have grabbed a 1-0.
'We don't have to bleat on about who we don't have here, Tottenham were the better side and good luck to them.'
Villarreal lead La Liga, Barca still unbeaten
MADRID (AFP) - Villarreal took the lead in La Liga after they won 2-0 at Racing Santander on Wednesday.First half goals from Turkish international Nihat Kahveci and their American-born Italian striker Guiseppe Rossi secured pole position on goal difference from local rivals Valencia, who laboured to a 2-1 win over Getafe.The two teams both have 12 points from their five games, with unbeaten Barcelona one point further back after inflicting a 4-1 thrashing on Real Zaragoza.However, Villarreal's lead may only last a little over 24 hours as Real Madrid, who started the week on top, have a game in hand and play host to struggling Real Betis on Thursday.The unbeaten reigning Spanish champions need only to draw with Betis, who have yet to win this season, to leapfrog over the three teams who are ahead of them.After Racing had several good early chances, Kahveci broke the deadlock six minutes before half time after a superb pass from the right flank by Chilean winger Matias Fernandez.Racing were reduced to 10 men on 62 minutes after defender Aldo Duscher was dismissed for a wild tackle on Cani Garcia.Guiseppe Rossi then secured three points for the visitors when he scored, his fourth goal of the season, from a Robert Pires pass after 76 minutes."Duscher's sending off wasn't decisive. Our effectiveness was," reflected Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini."This was a very good victory against a team that was waiting for us, a team that had only lost once and that against a very good team before we met them," added the Chilean coach.Valencia were made to work hard for their fourth successive win but eventually triumphed after first half goals from Spanish internationals David Silva and David Villa.Silva opened the scoring after 15 minutes, jumping on the ball after Getafe goalkeeper Oscar Ustari failed to properly clear a Fernando Morientes shot.Villa, last season's top domestic scorer with 16 goals, then got his first of this season on the half hour when he hammered home a pass from Valencia captain David Albelda.Getafe midfielder Braulio Nobrega got one back but, despite some late pressure, the visitors from Madrid could not quite salvage a draw."We gave away the two goals and that makes life difficult however well you play after that," said Getafe's under-fire coach Michael Laudrup.The result means that Getafe are still without a win this season and are just one place off the bottom of the Spanish first division.Barcelona produced their best performance of the season to unravel Real Zaragoza with four first half goals.Argentine winger Lionel Messi found the net after just five minutes but Zaragoza's Alberto Zapater equalised four minutes later.However, the 2006 European champions quickly got back into their stride and Messi took barely a minute before he sent a cross from Deco into the back of the net to give Barca the lead again.Andres Iniesta and Rafa Marquez added more goals before the break before the Catalan club stepped off the gas in the second half.Thierry Henry once again disappointed and - with the crowd chanting 'Ronaldinho, Ronaldinho' and clamouring for the return of the Brazilian - squandered several chances late in the game despite the best efforts of his team mates to set him up with a gilt-edged goal scoring chance.Osasuna got their first win of the season with an emphatic 4-1 defeat of bottom club Levante.Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani put the hosts ahead with a header after 31 minutes, connecting with a Jose Izquierdo cross from the right wing, but Levante equalised through Felix Ettien just three minutes later.Pandiani then put Osasuna back in front six minutes after the break and Juanfran Torres added the Pamplona-based side's third from the edge of the area just before the hour.Javi Garcia finished off the thrashing 14 minutes from time to leave Levante continuing to prop up the Spanish first division with just a solitary point to their name.
Read More......Grant sends Shevchenko a warning
HULL, England (AFP) - Avram Grant has warned Andriy Shevchenko he cannot guarantee the Ukraine striker a place in his Chelsea revolution.Grant took the brave decision to leave Shevchenko out of his starting line-up for Chelsea's 4-0 League Cup third round win at Hull on Wednesday following his disappointing display in last weekend's defeat at Manchester United.It remains to be seen if Shevchenko is recalled to face Fulham on Saturday but Grant insists he won't bow to pressure from billionaire owner Roman Abramovich to pick him unless he feels he is ready.Jose Mourinho's refusal to select Shevchenko on a regular basis played a key role in the breakdown of the former Chelsea manager's relationship with Abramovich, leading to his departure from the club last week.So Grant was taking a risk by axing Shevchenko, but he did little to assure the former AC Milan star that he was a major part of his plans.But despite the ongoing problem surrounding the record 30 million pounds signing, Grant insisted he had the backing of the majority of his players and that this result showed the players wanted to perform under his leadership.He said: "We have three games coming up within a week so we need all the players feeling fit and fresh and no player can perform three games in such a short space of time."It's too much. We have a big squad but we will need each and every one of them. Will he (Shevchenko) play on Saturday? I will have to think about it."I'm delighted with this result. I thought out passing and movement was good and we scored some good goals."It is most important that the players want to play for the club. Managers come and go but it is the players and supporters who are the most important."It's important that they show commitment at a high level for the club. It is not easy to do after what has happened but it's important they have the right attitude. At the end of the day we need to play football and be together."Grant has assured England manager Steve McClaren that Shaun Wright-Phillips will be available for his country's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers next month, even though the winger limped off at Hull.Grant looked concerned when Wright-Phillips hobbled off in the 49th minute clutching his knee and looking in some discomfort. The midfielder pulled up after taking a shot at goal and was immediately replaced by Joe Cole.Wright-Phillips will go for a precautionary scan on Thursday to make sure there is no substantial damage and could be rested for his side's Premier League encounter with Fulham this weekend.McClaren must have greeted the sight of Wright-Phillips departing down the KC Stadium tunnel with some despair given the injury problems afflicting his squad at the moment.He has seen both Emile Heskey and Michael Owen ruled out in the last week and can ill-afford to be without Wright-Phillips for the forthcoming qualifiers against Estonia at Wembley on October 13 and Russia in Moscow four days later.But Grant, who secured his first win in charge of Chelsea thanks to goals from Salomon Kalou (two), Steve Sidwell and Scott Sinclair, believes Wright-Phillips will be available.Grant said: "Shaun has told me he feels okay. He came off because his knee was hurting but he's told me afterwards that he now feels fine. So this is good news."Hull forward Jay-Jay Okocha reckons Chelsea should get behind Grant and give him a chance to make a success of following in Mourinho's footsteps.He said: "Chelsea have some world class players but they need to play as a team. They need to support the new coach and get behind him because if they don't the team will find it difficult to be successful."It was a difficult experience for us but hopefully one we can learn from. It is no disgrace to lose to Chelsea. They are one of the best teams in Europe."
Read More......Celtic back on track in League Cup
GLASGOW (AFP) - Celtic got back on track as Gordon Strachan's side beat Dundee 2-1 in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.The Scottish champions slumped to defeats against Shakhtar Donetsk and Hibernian last week, but goals from Scott McDonald and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink eased them past their First Division opponents at Dens Park.Australian striker McDonald opened the scoring with a header from Derek Riordan's cross in the 27th minute. Vennegor of Hesselink smashed in the second on the hour to end any chances of a shock Dundee victory.Kevin McDonald got one back for Alex Rae's team in the 71st minute but it was too little, too late as they had Jan Zemlik sent off for two bookings in the final moments.Celtic's Old Firm rivals Rangers eased into the fourth round with a convincing 4-0 win against East Fife.East Fife chairman Willie Gray promised his players a trip to Barbados if they knocked out the Ibrox outfit. But Walter Smith's side were far too strong for the Third Division leaders.East Fife had beaten Premier League St Mirren in the previous round but there was never any chance of a repeat after Nacho Novo opened the scoring in the 14th minute.The Spanish striker's second goal of the season put Rangers on control and Kris Boyd emphasised their superiority when he netted in the 35th minute.Carlos Cuellar grabbed a third after 54 minutes and Boyd notched the fourth from the penalty spot in the 66th minute.Holders Hibernian crashed out as John Collins's side lost 4-2 to Motherwell.Last season's Final triumph over Kilmarnock brought Hibs their first major trophy for 16 years, but that must have seemed like ancient history as Mark McGhee's team ran riot at Easter Road.Hibs were undefeated this season before kick-off and took the lead through Clayton Donaldson in the 11th minuteBut David Clarkson equalised in the 17th minute to start a sequence of three goals in seven minutes. Keith Lasley got Motherwell's second three minutes later and Ross McCormack claimed the third in the 24th minute.Chris Porter made it four before Mickael Antoine-Curier's consolation for Hibs.Aberdeen comfortably defeated First Division Partick 2-0 thanks to goals from Derek Young and Andrew Considine.
Read More......Hull 0-4 Chelsea
New Chelsea coach Avram Grant can afford himself a welcome sigh of relief after seeing his Blues ease into the last 16 of the Carling Cup with a 4-0 win at Hull.
Goals from 18-year-old Scott Sinclair, Steve Sidwell and two for Salomon Kalou ensures there will be no uncomfortable inquest for Grant.
His tenure is already under close scrutiny due to him lacking the relevant coaching badges required to manage in the Barclays Premier League.
The likes of Marco van Basten and Jurgen Klinsmann have been linked with the role - speculation which was strongly refuted by Chelsea.
But at least Grant has a win under his belt - even if only against the Coca-Cola Championship Tigers - which offers him a degree of breathing space.
Grant can initially thank Sinclair, whose delightful opener came eight minutes before the break at a time when Hull were growing in confidence.
This third round tie was settled by two goals in the space of seven minutes at the start of the second half, with a Kalou header followed by a searing drive from Sidwell before the former doubled his tally late on.
But even taking into account this was a supposedly 'weakened' Chelsea side, the divide in class was not apparent until the goals started to go in.
The appointment of the experienced, but unqualified Grant has done little to ease the anxiety of Blues fans fearful of the direction their club is now heading.
What cannot be denied is the quality of players Grant still has at his disposal, and that was case in point for this tie.
Grant made seven changes to the team beaten by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, with £21million Shaun Wright-Phillips, £8million Kalou, Claudio Pizarro and Carlo Cudicini named in the line-up.
On the bench at Grant's disposal was a further £60million worth of talent in Andriy Shevchenko, Claude Makelele, Joe Cole and Wayne Bridge.
The question still remains as to how such players will take to Grant's leadership, and whether they will respond to his methods as Abramovich seeks the entertaining football he has spent millions in the hope of watching.
The KC Stadium was clearly no place for silky skills and finesse as Hull are an earthy side, even if manager Phil Brown has been able to attract the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha and Henrik Pedersen of late,
Chelsea certainly had to dig in on occasions after the Tigers had weathered an opening four-minute storm in which the visitors had forced five corners.
Notably, goalkeeper Bo Myhill showed agility and fine reflexes in turning over the bar a drive from Sidwell and then a shot from Kalou around the post.
Hull proceeded to have their moments as they soon countered, with Okocha seeing a 20-yard effort deflected wide and Stephen McPhee thwarted by Juliano Belletti just as he was primed to shoot.
After Myhill had smothered another low drive from Kalou in the 19th minute and the defence had repelled a further three corners in quick succession before the 25-minute mark, Hull then began to seriously look capable of an upset.
But Chelsea upped a gear and after Myhill had saved from Wright-Phillips, the England winger then teed up Sinclair for his first for the club on his fifth appearance.
McPhee almost levelled before the break, but then after it Kalou headed home his first of the season in the 48th minute followed four minutes later by Sidwell's maiden goal since his summer move from Reading.
Credit to the Tigers as they refused to roll over and came close with sub Richard Garcia forcing a save from Cudicini, Ian Ashbee heading narrowly over the woodwork and Okocha shaving the bar with a rising free-kick.
In the end, it was Chelsea who added an exclamation point to the scoreline with Kalou sweeping home a low ball from substitute Joe Cole.
Grant hoping for more of the same
New Chelsea coach Avram Grant is hoping he tonight witnessed a brand of football which will continue to be seen throughout his reign.
Grant, whose position has been questioned because he lacks the necessary coaching qualifications to manage in the Barclays Premier League despite his undoubted experience gained elsewhere, was certainly a little more at ease following the game.
'I am happy with the performance,' said Grant.
'We scored four goals. All came from combinations and with movement from the players, so it is a good start.
'I want Chelsea to continue playing that kind of football, but I don't expect it will be like that in a few days' time.
'But I did like the goals that we scored, and I hope we can continue on this basis.'
Grant was asked whether he felt it was a performance that proved the Blues are willing to play under him.
But he deflected that by saying: 'I want the players to want to play for the club - that's the most important thing.
'Managers come and go. The only thing that always remains are the supporters, but their commitment and my commitment is to the club first of all.
'We saw that the players' commitment was at a very high level for this club.
'It's not been an easy time for them after Sunday's result [losing 2-0 at Manchester United] and what happened last week.
'But they showed a very good attitude.'
Hull boss Phil Brown had no complaints with the scoreline, because he appreciated his side were outclassed on the night.
'Grant made seven changes to the team beaten at Old Trafford, yet it was far from a 'weakened' line-up - in particular because there was £60million worth of talent on the bench,' he noted.
'It was a lesson in quality.
'They were clinical in front of goal - and while we had chances to get something on the board, their second goal killed us and was quickly followed by the third.
'Chelsea, with their experience and quality, made the pitch big - and it was always going to be a tough night when it got to 3-0.
'The one thing I have learned from this tonight is that their players trust and believe in one another.'
John Terry insisted Chelsea fully deserved their 4-0 victory over Hull in the Carling Cup third round after they had endured a traumatic week.
He told Sky Sports 2: 'It was a great win and certainly well needed, it is a tough place to come.
'I thought we played really well, we knew the first 15 to 20 minutes it was going to be really difficult and they were going to be in our faces.
'But we deserved it, especially after the last three games.
'The quality came through in the end.'
The England skipper insists spirit is good at Stamford Bridge despite the off-field happenings.
He said: 'We do our best to maintain team spirit in Chelsea. We'll try to keep it going. It has been tough recently but we take a lot of positives from tonight.'
Mifsud stings United
MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Maltese striker Michael Mifsud stunned Manchester United with two goals as Coventry clinched a 2-0 League Cup victory against the Premier League champions at Old Trafford on Wednesday.Mifsud, nicknamed the 'Mosquito', scored in each half as United's collection of youngsters and fringe players were outplayed by the Championship mid-table outfit.It was the first time United had lost to lower league opposition since their defeat against York in 1995 and the sloppy display reflected Sir Alex Ferguson's lack of interest in the competition.Despite talking up the possibility of naming Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha in his team, United manager Ferguson fielded a largely inexperienced starting line-up.John O'Shea, Anderson and Nani were the only recognisable performers in the first eleven, but Ferguson had claimed in his programme notes that United's youngsters were good enough to beat Coventry.It was a confident boast by Ferguson, but from the start, Iain Dowie's outfit were first to every ball and they were not intimidated by their opponents or their surroundings.Leon Best, Robbie Simpson and Mifsud all looked lively as Dowie's team went in search of an upset.And after dominated the opening period, Coventry claimed the lead when Mifsud scored from close range after 27 minutes. Although it was a well-worked goal by the visitors, United should have cleared the danger long before the Maltese forward put the ball in the back of the net.Leon Best's cross to Michael Doyle was taken easily by the Coventry captain and his far post cross to Mifsud went through the heart of the penalty area before the tiny striker tapped in from three yards.Mifsud, billed as Malta's answer to David Beckham, nearly scored again four minutes later with a cheeky back-flick from Simpson's cross, but his effort bounced off the far post to United's great relief.Despite the setback of falling behind, United failed to respond and Coventry again went close when Simpson sent a 20-yard effort inches over the crossbar two minutes before half-time.Ferguson threw on experienced campaigners Wes Brown and Michael Carrick in the second-half, but the changes did not immediately concern Coventry, who continued to frustrate United.Although Dowie's team found themselves pushed deeper and deeper back into their own territory, United just could not get behind the Coventry defence and it was left to Nani and substitute Fraizer Campbell to try their luck from long range.On the one occasion when United did give themselves a sight on goal, Dong Fangzhuo's close range effort was saved by Andy Marshall before Carrick's follow-up shot was blocked by Elliott Ward.Fraizer Campbell then had a header brilliantly saved by Marshall before Mifsud finished the tie off with a breakaway goal. After working a one-two with Jay Tabb, Mifsud broke into the penalty area and lashed a right-foot strike past the helpless Tomasz Kuszczak to seal a famous victory.
Read More......Man Utd 0-2 Coventry
A man from Malta made Sir Alex Ferguson very cross indeed as Michael Mifsud struck twice to dump Manchester United out of the Carling Cup.
The 26-year-old finished off Michael Doyle's low cross to give Coventry a surprise half-time lead, then completed his own hard work by drilling home a superb second 19 minutes from time to send the Sky Blues' 11,000-strong travelling army into orbit.
Iain Dowie's men just about deserved their triumph, if only for Mifsud's determined efforts.
Dubbed 'mosquito' by Coventry assistant-boss Tim Flowers, Mifsud certainly gave United a nasty bite and should have emulated legendary Brazilian Ronaldo by netting an Old Trafford hat-trick, only to fire wide of an empty net when Tomasz Kuszczak spilled a free-kick into his path.
Seven days after Chelsea attracted just 24,000 to Stamford Bridge for a Champions League encounter with Rosenborg, almost three times that number turned up to see effectively a Red Devils reserve side in action.
True, there were huge numbers from Coventry and the home supporters had been forced to buy their tickets through a controversial 'automatic cup scheme' implemented by the Glazer family. But the thousands of empty seats which had been predicted just did not materialise.
There were plenty at full-time however as Ferguson's team found themselves humbled by a supposedly out-of-form Coventry side.
It was United's first defeat to lower league opposition on home soil since the 1995 humiliation by York City.
David Beckham and Ryan Giggs were unable to save United that night. On this occasion, it was the turn of Michael Carrick, Wes Brown and John O'Shea to squirm.
United had been the dominant side until Coventry grabbed their opener, yet Sky Blues goalkeeper Andy Marshall was not tested by the hosts who, while completely changed from the side that beat Chelsea on Sunday, still contained six full internationals.
One of them, Nani, a much-trumpeted £17million purchase from Sporting Lisbon, was a particular disappointment.
The Portugal winger got on the ball often enough but, for a player of his supposed quality, the final pass or shot was too poor to be true.
Immediately before Mifsud struck, Nani screwed a shot so badly wide it threatened the corner flag more than the visitors' goal.
The Coventry fans were still jeering Nani when they were given something far more positive to celebrate as Mifsud put them in front.
Skipper Michael Doyle had already found too much space on the left-hand side of United's area but when he delivered a low cross to the right, Mifsud was on his own as well and slid the ball home with ease.
Had the former Lillestrom forward's luck been in when he back-flicked Robbie Simpson's cross towards Tomasz Kuszczak's goal on Coventry's next attack, the visitors really would have been in dreamland.
Instead, the ball bounced agonisingly against a post with Kuszczak totally beaten.
Ferguson delivered his own damning verdict on his side's performance by introducing Wes Brown and young striker Fraizer Campbell at the break.
A third - and final - change followed 10 minutes after the restart as Michael Carrick was introduced for Jonny Evans.
With John O'Shea slotting into the left-back position Evans had been filling, and Danny Simpson before him, clearly Ferguson felt Simpson was the source of his side's problems.
Even with the alterations, the second period was halfway through before United carved out anything like an opportunity as David Marshall parried Dong Fangzhou's shot into the path of Carrick, whose follow-up effort was blocked at close range.
Marshall then produced an outstanding fingertip save to deny Dong, whose header was floating into the top corner.
The value of that stop was proved within a minute as Mifsud doubled his tally.
He picked up possession on the left, then when Jay Tabb overhit his first touch as he tried to collect the winger's pass, Mifsud raced on and rocketed the ball home.
Mifsud will probably never know how he failed to walk off with the match ball as he darted onto the ball Kuszczak pushed into his path as United disintegrated. Unbelievably, the striker fired wide of an empty goal.
By then Ferguson was slumped back in his seat, resigned to his fate anyway.
Inter join AS Roma on Serie A summit
ROME (AFP) - Defending champions Inter Milan moved level on points with Serie A leaders AS Roma after a 3-0 home win over Sampdoria on Wednesday.With Roma being held to a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina it left them and Inter on 11 points, with Roma retaining the lead on goal difference.Roma, missing skipper Francesco Totti and Simone Perrotta, held the advantage until ten minutes from time when Adrian Mutu's penalty earned Fiorentina a share of the points.The Romans were held to the same scoreline on Sunday by Juventus."We could have done better, but I'm satisfied with the result as it is," said Roma coach Luciano Spalletti.He added: "It was a good match, a great battle between two sides who went out to win."Inter had Zlatan Ibrahimovic largely to thank for their points at the San Siro, the Swedish striker producing a double in the 24th and 49th minutes with Luis Figo completing a good night's work just before the hour.Ibrahimovic leads the goalscoring list with David Trezeguet with six. Trezeguet moved up to the half dozen mark for the season when scoring in the 76th minute in Juventus' 4-0 win at Reggina.That pushed Juve into third, one point behind the leaders.The big surprise of Wednesday night's full league programme was the 2-1 defeat imposed on European champions AC Milan by Palermo, Milan's first loss of the season.After three consecutive draws AC Milan slipped to defeat when succumbing in the final minutes to Palermo whose Italy international Fabrizio Miccoli produced the decider in the third minute of time added on.AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti told Sky Sport: "This loss was cruel, first because it wasn't deserved, and secondly because we were penalised (AC Milan's protests for handball in the first goal were turned down)."This evening Milan should have won."
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