The Argentinean striker joined United from West Ham on a two year loan deal in 2007 and, despite both parties claiming a permanent contract would be forthcoming, no contract has yet been put in place.

This despite the former Hammer enjoying a successful first season at Old Trafford. He was a virtual ever present in the squad and scored 14 league goals as United claimed both the Premier League and the Champions League title last season.

However, according to the News of the World, Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to sign 18-year-old Costa who currently plays for Brazilian side Gremio.

Any transfer fee for the young Brazilian is likely to be in the region of £20 million which,  claims the paper, would leave no funds available to secure a deal for Tevez.

However, United are likely to face stiff competition in the race for Costa. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are also reported to be interested in signing the teenager who looks to have his pick of the top clubs.

Yet the Red Devils already have number of Brazilians installed at Old Trafford, including Anderson, Rodrigo Possebon, Rafel Da Silva and Fabio Da Silva, which means a move to the Premier League could tempt the young Gremio star.

Of course should he decide to move to Old Trafford, there would be no shortage of takers for Tevez who has proved an excellent signing both at West Ham and Manchester United.

Expectations were huge when Berbatov signed for United from Tottenham Hotspur on September 1 in a deal worth just under £31million.

The Bulgarian striker had established himself as one of the Premier League's most dangerous attackers during his time at White Hart Lane. His partnership with now-Liverpool hitman Robbie Keane produced 88 goals in two seasons, and Spurs - currently bottom of the table - are clearly missing Berbatov's flair and goalscoring prowess.

The former Bayer Leverkusen player is just beginning to hit his stride at Old Trafford, and Van der Sar believes he will prove an invaluable asset as the Red Devils attempt to defend their English and European titles.

"Berbatov has added qualities we didn’t have before," the Dutch goalkeeper told The Sun.

"We mostly played with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney up front but, with Berbatov, we’ve more possibilities. He is tall and can be reached through the air."

The Manchester United forward started the season in lacklustre fashion, leading many to question his worth to the Red Devils' XI, much less Fabio Capello's England set-up.

Now, though, Rooney has hit his stride in a big way, smashing three in his last three United appearances.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Rooney's return to form has coincided with the introduction of Berbatov to the side.

"The mere fact he is at Old Trafford should take me onto a different level," he told the club's official website. "I am not guaranteed my place in the side anymore."

"More than anything I like playing just off a front man. It's probably because I get on the ball more. I don't like to be out of the game too long.

"Some centre-forwards can stay up front, not touch the ball and just look to score goals. I don't really enjoy doing that. I like to be involved in the game. Mainly at United I have been used in different roles but maybe the fact Dimitar has arrived will bring some continuity to my game."

Rooney went on to admit that competition for places brings the best out of him.

"I like to play under pressure," he added. "The other week when the manager left me out against Bolton, I was disappointed. I just wanted to get on the pitch as quickly as I could and show him what I could do. I like to prove people wrong if I can."

The 24-year-old will be winning what is already is 40th cap against Norway tomorrow in what is already being billed as a must-win encounter for the Scots at Hampden.

And with regular skipper Barry Ferguson and vice-captain Stephen McManus out through injury and suspension respectively, Fletcher will lead the side out as stand-in captain.

Fletcher says he will be drawing on his experienced gained at both club and international level to do the job well, admitting he is looking forward to the extra responsibility that being an international captain gives you.

"I'll go out there and give it my best and get the team up for the game and try to lead by example," Fletcher told Sky Sports.

"There are a number of experienced players at our club and in the international team as well - but especially at the club because you are with them day in day out," he stated.

"We've got a lot of experienced players who have won a lot of things and you learn different things from different types of characters. But I'll be my own man and I'll enjoy it on Saturday.

"If anything goes wrong on the pitch, sometimes you have to take responsibility and maybe change something.

"It's hard sometimes, the manager can obviously change things but, as a captain, if you see something going wrong then, on the pitch, you have to take that responsibility."

Despite the added pressure of leading his nation. Fletcher, who recently signed a new long-term contract Old Trafford, is confident of handling it.

"Maybe people do expect more but it's not a problem to me," he stated.

"It will give me a challenge to raise my game and answer those calls. It's something I look forward to," Fletcher added.

"Playing for Manchester United, sometimes these expectations do come but you have to deal with that every week at Manchester United and it's no different with Scotland.

"The Scotland fans expect a lot from us and rightly so because we have been progressing over the last couple of years and we're looking to get to the next stage, which is qualifying for a major competition.

"The fans, the squad, the manager all want that to happen."

Torres, who enjoyed a fantastic debut season at Anfield last term scoring 33 goals in all competitions, had a slow start to this term by his own high expectations, scoring only once in the club's opening five Premier League games.

The 24-year-old has shown he is almost back to his brilliant best with a brace in each of his side's last two games at Everton and Manchester City and says there is more to come.

Torres believes he has been playing catch-up due to Spain's involvement at Euro 2008 where he helped them win the tournament with the only goal against Germany in the final.

"Me and the other players from the Euros started back in pre-season later than everyone else, and as a result weren't in the best physical shape," said Torres.

"Last year was very long for me. I played nearly 50 games with Liverpool and then went straight to the Euros. But I'm getting better each day and I'll soon be 100 per cent again."

Torres is also hoping to build on his success with Spain by helping Liverpool win some silverware this season.

He added: "It was a great experience and the first big honour I've won. Now I know how it feels to win something like that, it makes me even hungrier to win trophies with Liverpool.

"I came here for that reason and hope this season will be better than last year.

"I believe we can win the Premier League or the Champions League. If we did that, it would be fantastic. We have started well, so there is optimism.

"But I'd be happy with just 20 goals if we won the Premier League or Champions League."

Torres also revealed he dreams of scoring against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final.

The former Atletico Madrid man has yet to find the net against Liverpool's biggest rivals and he knows scoring against them would further endear him to the Anfield faithful.

Torres missed Liverpool's win over United last month and he is determined to get one over on the Old Trafford outfit.

"Every player wants to score against their biggest rivals. It matters so much to the fans and I know it would mean even more to ours if I scored against Manchester United," he said.

"Unfortunately I didn't get the chance this season. But I'm hoping I'll have an opportunity to do so at Old Trafford after Christmas, or maybe in the cup - or best of all the Champions League final.

"It was a little unusual for me watching the recent game against United but we won, and the most important thing was the fact we proved how strong the squad is."

Sir Alex Ferguson rewarded Darren Fletcher with a three-year contract extension this week, to run till 2012.

It took the Scot time to win over the United supporters, but some crucial goals and much-improved performances over the course of last season and in the early part of the new campaign have convinced many of his worth.

Now, he's been handed the Scotland armband by boss George Burley and will lead the side out at Hampden for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway on Saturday.

Established skipper Barry Ferguson is still crocked and deputy Stephen McManus is suspended after his red card against Iceland. Thus, Fletcher has beaten off competition from Rangers veteran David Weir and Celtic stopper Gary Caldwell to win the right to lead out his side.

The captaincy will cooincide with the 24-year-old's 40th cap. Boss Burley explained his decision, saying:

"Since I took over, his attitude towards playing for his country has been outstanding.

"He is a player who is always desperate to represent Scotland. At the same time, he has established himself as a regular player for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

"I know he will be very proud to lead the players out at Hampden on Saturday. He will do a great job for Scotland."

Despite whispers suggesting that his Manchester United stay is in jeopardy, Carlos Tevez is keen to put the controversy surrounding his career to bed and achieve a degree of stability at Old Trafford.
United have the option to make 24-year-old Tevez a permanent Red Devil for a fee of around £25m. He is in the second of a two season loan deal from West Ham United, who could end up paying out £50million over the striker, as Sheffield United look set to bag mega compensation over their controversial relegation two seasons ago.

It's been a wild ride for Tevez, who arrived at Upton Park from Corinthians, only to endure a period of raging controversy.

Thus, few would blame the striker for wanting to finally secure his future with the reigning Premiership and Champions League holders.

The powerful forward said:

"Ever since I came here I have wanted to sign a permanent contract and I would sign it, without a doubt.

"I had very happy first season and I would be very happy if the chairman would put a permanent contract in front of me."

With the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga sure to resume in January and again in the summer, one suspects the club will be keen to tie down one of their most valuable players as soon as possible.

Asked if there was any truth to reports suggesting that the Tevez deal had hit a roadblock, a United spokesman said:

"David Gill told the papers in South Africa in July that we would hope to conclude a deal with Carlos before the new year.

"That is still our aim. The clocks haven’t even gone back yet, so to talk of delays is nonsense. Both the club and Carlos are relaxed about the situation."

33-year-old Scholes suffered an injury in Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Aalborg BK and will be out of action until 2009.

However, manager Sir Alex Ferguson has shown huge faith in the former England international by handing him a one-year extension to his current deal, which will keep him with the Red Devils until 2010.

Scotland international Fletcher, a player who is becoming more important to Ferguson’s plans as time progresses, has penned a three-and-a-half-year extension that ties him to the club until 2012.

Fergie was delighted to announce the news to the press late this afternoon.

"Paul is proof that if you look after yourself you can carry on playing and be rewarded at a club of this size," stated Ferguson.

"He is (almost) 34 now and he has been here since he was 14. That tells you the desire and the ability he has to stay at the top," he added.

"Darren is in the same vein as Paul, Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown in that he is a long-serving member of the team.

"His consistency and level-headed approach is a great attribute and we are all delighted he has signed a new contract."

The players themselves also commented briefly on the news, revealing their joy at reamining with the reigning English and European champions.

"It is great to sign a new deal. Last season was fantastic but you always want to achieve more and with this team we are capable of doing just that,” said Scholes.

"When you play at such a great club with a great team you always want to be a part of that. The spirit here is amazing and I am happy that I can play my part in achieving more success," added 24-year-old Fletcher, who is fast closing in on 200 appearances for United.

Trailer de Fifa 09

Saturday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford was turned on the 60th minute decision to award Cristiano Ronaldo a penalty after a seemingly legal challenge by Jlloyd Samuel.

Referee Rob Styles took his time over the decision and pointed to the spot to the astonishment of just about every player on the pitch.

Bolton have since rued the decision, which they feel destroyed a previous hour of good solid work in which they stifled their hosts.

Their skipper Kevin Nolan has now revealed that his Manchester United counterparts were in agreement with the Bolton players in believing the penalty call was wrong.

Amazingly, he stated that certain individuals, including the recipient of the tackle, Ronaldo, told the referee he made an erroneous call.

Nolan told the Times:

"Ronaldo was on the floor saying, 'I didn’t want a penalty!'. I don’t think one of them put their hands up asking for a penalty. [Darren] Fletcher’s going, 'It’s not a penalty', [Carlos] Tevez is going, 'It’s not a penalty'.

"Twenty players who were in the box at the time knew it wasn’t a penalty. But the man who was in black had the final say. They couldn’t believe their luck. But you’re at United and unfortunately that happens.

"It does strike fear into you when you look at this magnificent stadium. Maybe that’s what’s happened to the referee. He said he thought Jlloyd took Ronaldo before the ball. It didn’t make sense to me at all."

The referee in question has reportedly forwarded an e-mail to Bolton regretting his decision to award the spot-kick.

When people look back on the defining moments of United’s season in May, they very well might point to the excellent goal that Wayne Rooney scored against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday as a turning point in the Reds’ campaign.

The day itself had started badly for the ex-Everton man as he was surprisingly deposed to a place on the Red Devils’ bench. However, upon his 71st minute arrival in to the game as a substitute for Carlos Tevez, Rooney played like a man determined to quell the barbs that his critics had directed his way in the last few weeks.

He began linking up with his team-mates in trademark style as soon as he entered the fray, with a skilful back-heel from Cristiano Ronaldo providing the England international with just the opportunity to score his first goal of the season for United with a wonderfully weighted shot in to the bottom corner of Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen’s net.

This strike should not only act a triumph for Rooney on a personal level, however, as the implications that this could have for the team as a whole will whet Sir Alex Ferguson’s appetite.

Never mind Cristiano Ronaldo’s unbelievable 42-goal haul; Rooney was so often the inspiration behind the Red Devils’ double-winning campaign, and while United have struggled so far this year, so has Rooney.

This symbiotic relationship between club and player should now operate to the benefit of the Red Devils after the morale-boosting events of the weekend, with Danish side Aalborg BK now finding themselves next in the firing line as the two sides meet on Tuesday night.

United will though be aware that their last trip to Denmark ended in one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history as they went down 1-0 to FC Copenhagen in the 2006/07 edition of the competition.

As such, the Red Devils may very well need Rooney to be at his tigerish best once more if they are to avoid another embarrassing Scandinavian set back.

There is surely no other sport on the planet which would pit the Premier League and European champions against a team that needed an extra-time goal in their last match against lowly Danish second-division opposition to secure victory?

However, the footballing hands of fate have created such a contest this week when Aalborg BK face the glittering array of stars that comprise the Manchester United side.

Whilst no one would dispute this assertion, the plucky 0-0 draw that the side from Denmark picked up two weeks ago against Celtic shows that surprise results can indeed happen. Anyone watching that match would have seen a team which was good value for their point, with even Hoops midfielder Barry Robson’s missed penalty acting as a reward to AaB for an otherwise excellent showing. Bruce Rioch’s side must repeat dogged play like this on Tuesday evening if they are to stand even the smallest chance of denying the Reds their first Champions League victory of the season.

Regrettably for the AaB fans, such solidarity has rarely been on show in the club’s defence of their Danish Superligaen title so far. A rearguard that was so resolute at Celtic Park has instead leaked goals at an alarming rate domestically, with their last two league fixtures being a 3-0 reversal to Danish champions-elect FC Copenhagen and a 2-0 defeat to AGF Aarhus.

The loss of inspirational USA international defender Danny Califf to rivals FC Midtjylland has been the root cause of this problem, with the clubs defensive woes reaching its crescendo this weekend in the cup game against Brønshøj BK. That match saw Aalborg scrape through 3-2 against opposition which even the Manchester United U-18s would pulverise.

A repeat of this kind of performance will see the Premier League glitterati put up a cricket score. However, if the European arena can again inspire Aalborg to defy the odds, then the Red Devils could very well be in for another disastrous night in Denmark.

26/09	v	Bronshoj BK	Ladspokal Cup	A		2	3
21/09	v	FC Copenhagn	Superliagen	A		3	0
17/09	v	Glasgow Celtic	UEFA Champions League	A		0	0
13/09	v	AGF Aarhus	Superliagen	H		0	2
31/08	v	Sonderjyske	Superliagen	A		1	2

Manchester United (last 5 games):

27/09	v	Bolton Wanderers	Barclays Premier League	H		2	0
23/09	v	Middlesbrough	Carling Cup	H		3	1
21/09	v	Chelsea	Barclays Premier League	A		1	1
17/09	v	Villarreal	UEFA Champions League	H		0	0
13/09	v	Liverpool	Barclays Premier League	A		2	1

Aalborg BK

Lasse Nielsen could move in to the Aalborg defence to replace the suspended Michael Jakobsen for the visit of Manchester United. Australian centre-back Michael Beauchamp is available for selection after the red card he picked up against Celtic was correctly transferred to his team-mate. Danish international right-back Kasper Bøgelund (hamstring) is a serious doubt for this game after being forced to come off at half-time during AaB’s match at the weekend.

Squad: Zaza, Stenild, Pedersen, Beauchamp, Bøgelund, Olfers, Due, Johansson, Augustinussen, Saganowski, Curth, Caca, Bræmer, Sørensen, Nomvethe, Risgård, Enevoldsen, Nielsen, Schwartz, Kristensen.

Manchester United

The list of absentees at the heart of the United midfield has grown with the addition of Owen Hargreaves (knee) to a treatment room that also contains his England team-mate Michael Carrick (ankle). The ex-Bayern Munich man has been ruled out after a flare-up of his long-standing tendonitis problem. In better news, Edwin Van der Sar should be between the posts once again for the European champions after his successful recovery from the knee injury he picked up against Chelsea a week ago.

Squad: Van Der Sar, Kuszczak, Amos, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, O'Shea, Evans, Rafael Da Silva, Ronaldo, Nani, Fletcher, Anderson, Scholes, Giggs, Park, Tevez, Rooney, Berbatov, Manucho.

Aalborg BK

The decision to rescind Michael Beauchamp’s red card against Celtic will provide a major boost to Aalborg’s hopes on Tuesday night. The Australian international had cut an imposing figure at the heart of the AaB defence before his unfortunate sending off, with his large frame helping to repel the Hoops forwards with ease. Such physical prowess will be needed once again if another unlikely result is to be obtained by the Danish champions.

Manchester United

After finally getting off the mark for the season at the weekend, Wayne Rooney will be determined to kick start the Red Devils’ Champions League campaign against Aalborg. The England man’s 20-minute cameo against Bolton thrilled the Old Trafford crowd and visibly inspired his team-mates. With United now looking to register their first Champions League win of the season on Tuesday, this return to form for Rooney should spell trouble for the Red Devil’s opponents.

It really is hard to see a repeat of Manchester United’s previous problems in Denmark in light of Aalborg’s struggles this season.

Bruce Rioch’s team needed extra time at the weekend to beat lower league opposition, whilst at the same time Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were announcing their return to form for the Red Devils with their match winning performance against Bolton Wanderers.

Such results show the gulf in quality to be so vast that if United don’t emerge from the Energi Nord Arena with all three points then one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history will have had to occur.

Aalborg BK 0-3 Manchester United

The Welshman has a year left on his current contract and despite reports suggesting the Premier League champions may offer him a contract extension, he revealed he would only stay at Old Trafford is he was to play regularly.

"I’m feeling good at the moment and, as long as I feel healthy, I’m getting picked and I still enjoy it, then I’ll carry on," said Giggs to the Daily Star, "But if any of those things change, I’ll have to consider when I retire and it will be sooner rather than later."

The champions already have a replacement for Giggs in place in the shape of Portuguese youngster Nani but the United veteran admitted he was not worried about his future. He said:

"I’m relaxed about my future and I’ve got this year left on my contract."

The Welshman also admitted that he was looking to follow former United team mates such as Steve Bruce, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes and Paul Ince into management when he finally hangs up his boots.

"I think working under the manager here is the best schooling there is and you can see that by the managers in the Premier League," said Giggs before adding, "Coaching would be an option and it is a natural progression for a lot of footballers. There are a lot of different roads that footballers can follow after they stop playing."

Yet despite hinting at a management role in the future, Giggs admitted he hadn’t made his mind up just yet. He concluded:

"I just want to be prepared for when I finish because, if I do decide to go into coaching or management, I want to make sure I’ve got my qualifications and the necessary coaching badges."

Giggs has been at Old Trafford since 1990 and has won 10 Premier League titles, 2 Champions Leagues and 4 FA Cups with the club. He also holds the club record for appearances having surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s previous record of 758 in last seaons's Champions League final.

 Cristiano Ronaldo '60
 Wayne Rooney '77

'22 Johan Elmander 
'27 Gavin McCann 
'38 Kevin Davies 

Two goals in the second half gave Manchester United the win over Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. A contentious penalty, converted by Cristiano Ronaldo, and a Wayne Rooney effort ensured victory for the Red Devils.

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to the Manchester United first-team with a goal-scoring performance, although there were some doubts about the legitimacy of the awarded penalty kick that gave his side the lead.

Jlloyd Samuel appeared to play the ball as Ronaldo attacked him in the box, but the Portuguese fell under pressure from the Bolton defender.

Ronaldo dusted himself down and converted the kick to break stubborn Trotters resistence as Rob Styles made a debateable call from Bolton's perspective.

To that point, the guests' 4-5-1 had stifled United's quest for a goal, with the first half's best opportunity going to Fabrice Muamba of Bolton. The England under-21 international somehow fired of-target with the goal at his mercy.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side enjoyed the lion's share of the chances in the opening period, but could not force the Bolton door down with Jussi Jaaskelainen in tremendous form in goal.

He saved smartly from Dimitar Berbatov, Ronaldo and Anderson in the first half to shut out the Champions, but was helpess to prevent the opener from the spot in the second.

Wayne Rooney, introduced as a substitute, put the result beyond reasonable doubt when he added a second goal to hand United a two-goal advantage.

Bolton will no doubt feel hard-done-by as a result of the contentious nature of the opener, but on weight of chances, United deserved the win - by hook or by crook.

Bolton started strongly, with Ricardo Gardner and Kevin Nolan going close with long range strikes early on.

Kevin Davies then bought a corner from Patrice Evra, from which Elmander directed a header over the bar.

The visitors maintained the pressure through the opening stages; United however, managed to get their first meaningful effort of the encounter in the tenth minute through Cristiano Ronaldo, and forced a wasted corner.

The same player went close with a drive three minutes later after a combination between Anderson and Berbatov on the edge of the box, but Bolton held firm.

The hosts gradually found their way on top and ratcheted up the pressure on the Trotters with Jaaskelainen having to save smartly from a Berbatov header on the quarter hour mark.

Park Ji-Sung should have put his side in the lead seconds later after Jaaskelainen spilled a Tevez shot. However, the Korean could only fire wide.

Patrice Evra was finding some space down the left flank but his crosses were invariably blocked out by the man-heavy Bolton backline.

Ronaldo went close again on the 25 minute mark with a free-kick from the edge of the area; however, his effort was well fielded by Jaaskelainen.

As Bolton sunk under the weight of United pressure, Anderson delivered a corner for Nemanja Vidic but United’s woes in front of goal continued as the Serbian could only head over.

The visitors threatened to take advantage of United’s poor shooting through Kevin Nolan on the half hour after Vidic’s header found only Gardner who prompted his captain to fire over the bar.

After Ronaldo wasted another free-kick, Anderson tested the impressive Jaaskelainen’s reflexes with a long-range drive that was tipped over.

Untied continued their strong showing as a Berbatov lay-off found Rio Ferdinand whose effort was repelled by the Finn again.

However, the best chance of the half fell to Fabrice Muamba of Bolton. The midfielder had the goal at his mercy from eight yards but contrived to put the chance off target as the sides went in level.

The guests once again started brightly from the whistle, and Ricardo Gardner going close in the 48th minute. United replied through the menacing Ronaldo, whose low drive struck the post as Jaaskelainen was beaten.

The winger was in fine form, as he won a corner through a shot following a United breakout in the 55th minute.

Gretar Steinsson was to be the hero for Wanderers on the hour; Ronaldo’s drive was goal bound before the Icelandic international put himself in the way.

The game’s true turning point came just moments later with the award of Ronaldo’s penalty. Despite Jlloyd Samuel winning the ball in the box, Ronaldo went down under the slight weight of the challenge and earned a dubious spot-kick. He converted smartly to give his side a debateable lead.

Bolton responded positively initially, with Davie forcing a save from Edwin Van Der Sar as United were forced to keep the back-door shut.

After Ferdinand had a shot blocked down in the box, Sir Alex Ferguson introduced Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes from the bench, and the former had an instant effect.

After Ronaldo’s impudent back-heel, Rooney was left in the clear to cut inside and curl United into a decisive lead.

Despite a brave front, Bolton were left short-changed from this fixture as third United substitute Nani tried desperately to add his name to the score sheet during the closing stages, which would have left the result looking extremely flattering for the hosts.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo (Nani 80), Fletcher, Anderson (Scholes 71), Park; Tevez (Rooney 71), Berbatov

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, A O’Brien, Samuel; Davies, Muamba, McCann, Nolan, Gardner (Smolarek 73); Elmander (Vaz Te 67)

Tottenham, who saw off Newcastle in the previous round, will welcome Rafael Benitez’s side as they prepare to defend the trophy they won earlier this year against Chelsea.

However, it is not the only all Premier League tie of the fourth round. Other all top flight ties included Sunderland facing Blackburn, whilst Arsene Wenger’s youngsters will welcome Wigan to the Emirates.

Elsewhere, last season’s beaten finalists Chelsea will play host to Burnley who dumped Fulham out in midweek.

Premier League champions Manchester United will welcome Queens Park Rangers to Old Trafford, who shocked Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa in the previous round.

The three other ties see Swansea meet Watford, Stoke hosting Rotherham and Brighton’s reward for defeating Manchester City is a home tie against Derby (3rd round) for a spot against Leeds (4th round).

Fourth Round Draw:
Sunderland vs. Blackburn Rovers
Arsenal vs. Wigan Athletic
Chelsea vs. Burnley
Swansea vs. Watford
Manchester United vs. Queens Park Rangers
Stoke City vs. Rotherham United
Brighton and Hove Albion or Derby County vs. Leeds United
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool

The ties will be played in the week commencing 10 September

Ieri prima di giocare a calcetto ci siamo divertiti a sperimentare la "potenza" della videocamera, la panza che vedete è la mia! :p

Come noterete non so capace a giocare... però mi diverto comunque!

Whilst it is hard not to be dubious when it comes to considering omens, United’s glorious 2007/08 campaign got off to a faltering start before it kicked in to life around this time last year with a 4-0 home thrashing of Wigan Athletic.

For those of a mystic persuasion though, it is hard to not see signs of history repeating as United struggle to gain any momentum once again after a series of poor results in the early weeks of the season.

To increase the feeling of déjà vu, North West opposition in the guise of Bolton Wanderers are also entering the Theatre of Dreams at a time when the Reds are desperate for a sacrificial lamb to give themselves a kick start.

Indeed, shambolic defending at Anfield, insipid attacking play against Newcastle and Villarreal, plus a no show in the UEFA Super Cup final had been all United had to show for their season until last weekend. However, a rallying display against ‘Big Phil’ Scolari’s Chelsea saw the Red Devils be the better side for large parts of a game that ended 1-1 after Salomon Kalou’s 80th minute equaliser.

If United play anywhere near as well on Saturday then the kind of winning run needed to ignite this Manchester United side could very well begin in earnest.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s midweek start against Middlesbrough should also add some much needed dynamism to a United attack that has struggled in his absence. The Portuguese has been sorely missed, with the Red Devils taking until last Tuesday’s Carling Cup fixture to score more than one goal in a game.

Such offensive impotence has not been on show at title rivals Chelsea and Arsenal. As such, the Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges must swiftly re-discover the cavalier attitude of 2007/08 if any more major silverware is to be added to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet come the end of May.

There weren’t many teams that beat Manchester United last season. To the joy of the Bolton Wanderers faithful, however, the Trotters were one of the few sides that did. That the 1-0 win over the Premier League and European Champions at the Reebok Stadium wasn’t a fluke result adds even more to the achievement.

Although normality was resumed when the two sides met at Old Trafford with the Red Devils easing to a 2-0 victory, the Bolton players should be able to draw on the confidence that home win created when the teams meet on Saturday.

Manager Gary Megson should also be able to point to Bolton’s promising performance last weekend against Arsenal. The Trotters took the lead in the game through a Kevin Davies header, and matched the Gunners in a heated contest that finally ended 3-1 to the North London club.

The tenacity that flows through Bolton was again on show against Arsene Wenger’s side, with a trademark challenge from goal scorer Davies sending Gael Clichy to the floor and the Arsenal bench up in the air in anger.

The post match comments of club captain Kevin Nolan condoning such play certainly didn’t help matters, and there can be little doubt that Sir Alex Ferguson will be watching out for any wild tackles after Rodrigo Possebon’s unfortunate incident against Middlesbrough in midweek.

As Bolton fans will be aware though, the return of Johan Elmander and Matt Taylor to the Bolton line-up will add some much-needed quality. These two players have more than enough to make their mark on this game in a much more civilised way than Davies did against Arsenal, however, and could help Bolton repeat the famous win they recorded against United last year.

Manchester United (last 5 games):

23/08	v	Middlesbrough	Carling Cup	H		3	1
21/09	v	Chelsea	Barclays Premier League	A		1	1
17/09	v	Villarreal	UEFA Champions League	H		0	0
13/09	v	Liverpool	Barclays Premier League	A		2	1
29/08	v	Zenit St. Petersburg	UEFA Super Cup	N		1	2

Bolton Wanderers (last 5 games):

20/09	v	Arsenal	Barclays Premier League	H		1	3
13/09	v	Fulham	Barclays Premier League	A		2	1
30/08	v	West Bromwich Albion	Barclays Premier League	H		0	0
26/08	v	Northampton Town	Carling Cup	A		2	1
23/08	v	Newcastle United	Barclays Premier League	A		1	0

Manchester United

The Old Trafford crowd can expect the big hitters of the first team to be unleashed by Sir Alex Ferguson for the visit of Bolton after the reserves mid week Carling Cup exertions. Serbian centre back Nemanja Vidic will undoubtedly be part of the squad after his one game suspension was served against Chelsea. This leaves Michael Carrick (ankle) and Edwin Van Der Sar (knee) as the only star names left on the Old Trafford treatment table.

Squad: Kuszczak, Amos, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Rafael Da Silva, O'Shea, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Scholes, Anderson, Ronaldo, Giggs, Park, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez, Manucho

Bolton Wanderers

Bolton expect club record signing Johan Elmander (hamstring) and ex-Portsmouth player Matt Taylor (broken toe) to be fit for the short trip on the M61 to the Theatre of Dreams. Promising centre-half Gary Cahill will also join this pair in the Wanderers team after the completion of the three-match ban he picked up against Northampton Town in the Carling Cup.

Squad: Jaaskelainen, Al Habsi, Steinsson, Shittu, Taylor, Andrew O'Brien, Samuel, Hunt, Joey O'Brien, McCann, Smolarek, Riga, Muamba, Vaz Te, Nolan, Cohen, Gardner, Elmander, Davies, Helguson

Manchester United

After marking his first start of the season with a goal, Cristiano Ronaldo will now be ready to start taking main stage in United’s charge up the table. The Portuguese international isn’t firing on all cylinders just yet, but you can be sure that his speed and outrageous skill means that the Bolton defence will be in for a testing afternoon on Saturday.

Bolton Wanderers

For Bolton to stand any chance in this game then Fabrice Muamba’s ball-winning skills will be vital. The ex-Arsenal player will need to call on all the lessons he learnt from Patrick Viera to ensure he is a constant thorn in the side of United’s classy midfield. If this happens then the foundations of a potential upset could very well be laid by the England U/21 international.

With United’s world-class squad finally coming together as we enter the last days of September, it really is hard to see Bolton taking anything from this game.

Bolton may have been impressive during their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, but it will take a lot more than that if they are to repeat the previous season’s victory over the Red Devils.

Manchester United 3-0 Bolton Wanderers

Even though Manchester United only managed to pick up a solitary point out of a possible six, it is arguable that Sir Alex Ferguson's side have gotten two of the hardest fixtures in the league calender - away trips to Anfield and Stamford Bridge - out of the way within the first five games of the season.

Ryan Giggs told MUTV that after United's League Cup win over fellow Premier League side Middlesbrough confidence is growing in the red camp and the Welshman sees no reason why United cannot kick start their season now and go on to win their next ten games - the last of which would be a trip to Ashburton Grove.

"It was a tough start [to the season], there’s no doubting that," Giggs said. "We didn’t play well at the beginning of the season, but over the last week or so – against Villarreal, and at Chelsea in the first half especially, then tonight [versus Middlesbrough] – we’ve showed some really good stuff."

"We’ve got a really strong squad. A lot of the players perhaps haven’t played games in the last few weeks, but they got that game time tonight. This team’s capable of going on a winning run of 10 games. Hopefully that’s started and we can carry it on against Bolton."

Location : Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England
Coordinates : 53° 27′ 46.99″ N, 2° 17′ 28.77″ W
Broke ground : 1909
Opened : 1910
Owner : Manchester United
Operator : Manchester United
Construction cost : £90,000 (1909)
Architect : Archibald Leitch (1909)
Capacity : 76,212 seated
Tenants : Manchester United (Premier League) (1910–present)

Old Trafford, given the nickname the Theatre of Dreams by Bobby Charlton,
is an all-seater football stadium in the Trafford borough of Greater Manchester
England. With space for 76,212 spectators, Old Trafford has the second-
largest capacity of any English football stadium after Wembley Stadium and is
the only facility in the country to have been given a five-star rating by UEFA.
The stadium is approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from Old Trafford Cricket
Ground and the adjacent Manchester Metrolink tram station.

The ground is the home of Manchester United and has been the club's
permanent residence since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year absence
from 1941 to 1949, following the bombing of the stadium in the Second World
War. During this period, the club shared Maine Road with local rivals, Manches
ter City. The ground underwent several expansions in the 1990s and 2000s,
most notably the addition of extra tiers to the North, West and East stands
which served to return the ground almost to its original capacity of 80,000.
Future expansion is likely to involve the addition of a second tier to the South
Stand, which would raise the capacity to over 90,000. The stadium's current
record attendance was recorded in 1939, when 76,962 spectators watched the
FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town.

The ground has frequently hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral
venue and several England international fixtures while the new Wembley
Stadium was under construction. It also hosted matches at the 1966 FIFA
World Cup and Euro 96 and the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final. Aside
from football-related uses, Old Trafford has hosted Super League's Grand Final
since the rugby league's adoption of playoffs in 1998 and the final of the 2000
Rugby League World Cup.

History

Before 1902, Manchester United were known as Newton Heath, during which
time they first played their football matches at North Road and then Bank
Street in Clayton. However, both grounds were blighted by wretched
conditions, the pitches ranging from gravel to marsh, while Bank Street
suffered from clouds of fumes from its neighbouring factories. Therefore,
following the club's rescue from near-bankruptcy and renaming, the new
chairman John Henry Davies decided in 1909 that the Bank Street ground was
not fit for a team that had recently won the First Division and FA Cup, so he
donated funds for the construction of a new stadium. The £60,000 lent to the
club by Davies was to have paid for the land and the construction of a ground
with a capacity of around 100,000 spectators. However, to reach the intended
capacity would have cost an extra £30,000 over the original estimate and the
capacity was reduced to approximately 80,000. Nevertheless, the cost of
construction at a time when transfer fees were still around the £1,000 mark
only served to reinforce the club's "Moneybags United" epithet, with which they
had been tarred since Davies had taken over as chairman. Designed by Scottish
architect Archibald Leitch who designed several other stadia, the ground
featured seating in the south stand under cover, while the remaining three
stands were left as terraces and uncovered. Construction was carried out by
Messrs Brameld and Smith of Manchester and development was completed in
late 1909. The stadium hosted its inaugural game on 19 February 1910, with
United playing host to Liverpool. However, the home side were unable to
provide their fans with a win to mark the occasion, as Liverpool won 4–3. A
journalist at the game reported the stadium as "the most handsomest [sic], the
most spacious and the most remarkable arena I have ever seen. As a football
ground it is unrivalled in the world, it is an honour to Manchester and the home
of a team who can do wonders when they are so disposed".

Before the construction of Wembley Stadium in 1923, the FA Cup Final was
hosted by a number of different grounds around England including Old
Trafford. The first of these was the 1911 FA Cup Final replay between
Bradford City and Newcastle United, after the original tie at Crystal Palace
finished as a no-score draw after extra time. Bradford won 1–0, the goal
scored by Jimmy Speirs, in a match watched by 58,000 people. The ground's
second FA Cup Final was the 1915 final between Sheffield United and Chelsea.
Sheffield United won the match 3–0 in front of nearly 50,000 spectators, most
of whom were in the military, leading to the final being nicknamed "the Khaki
Cup Final". On 27 December 1920, Old Trafford played host to its largest pre-
Second World War attendance for a United league match, as 70,504 spectators
watched the Red Devils lose 3–1 to Aston Villa. Unusually, the record
attendance at Old Trafford is not for a United home game. Instead, on 25 March
1939, 76,962 people watched an FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton
Wanderers and Grimsby Town.

Future

It has been estimated that for any further development to be attempted on the
stadium, specifically the South Stand, which is still only one tier high,
development costs would come to £90–100 million, almost as much as had
already been spent on the stadium since its first expansion in 1992. This is due
to the fact that up to 50 houses would have to be bought out by the club, which
would cause a lot of disruption to local residents, and any extension would
have to be built over the top of the railway line that runs adjacent to the stadium.
The expansion would potentially include bringing the South Stand up to at least
two tiers and filling in the South-West and South-East quadrants to restore the
"bowl" effect of the stadium. Present estimates put the projected capacity of the
completed stadium at approximately 96,000, more than the new Wembley Stadium.

Thank You For DATA And Image : http://en.wikipedia.org

The 25 year-old appeared on the Manchester United bench in midweek for the Champions League clash against Villarreal as a sign of his return to full fitness.

Last night however, he featured in a reserve team outing against Blackburn Rovers but badly twisted his ankle after an hour.

This season, Sir Alex Ferguson was expected the young England international to challenge Edwin Van Der Sar for the gloves at Old Trafford, so his injury is a serious set-back for the champions.

Since damaging a cruciate knee ligament in 2003 while playing tennis, Foster has had cursed luck with injuries; he missed almost the entire duration of the last campaign with a the same injury before finally making his debut for the Red Devils in March.

The Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson rued the player's luck and hoped for an injury-free run when he recovers.

Ferguson told Sky Sports News: "The lad's not getting any luck at all at the moment. He came down on his ankle in the reserve game last night and he'll be out for six to eight weeks. It's ligament damage.

"He was coming on fantastically well. He was training really well. I made him substitute on Wednesday as an indication of his return to fitness.

"He's a top goalkeeper. I just hope he gets a little break now, get over this one and hopefully he won't get anymore unfortunate injuries.

"This is nothing to do with his previous injury of course, where he had a cruciate knee injury, it's just bad luck."

The two most successful English teams of the previous four seasons lock horns again early in the current campaign, and as usual there are intriguing sub-plots.

The last time they met, Chelsea were dramatically beaten in a penalty shoot-out in Moscow at the end of a thrilling Champions League final. The European crown looked to be heading for West London when Chelsea skipper John Terry stepped up to take his kick. Had he scored he would have lifted club football’s most glamorous trophy; but he slipped, his effort hit the outside of a post and Manchester United went on to claim their third European Cup.
 
Ironically, Terry is already at the centre of controversy ahead of Sunday’s latest showdown between these two heavyweights. The England captain was sent off for a cynical foul during the Blues’ impressive 3-1 victory over Manchester City last Saturday. That should have meant an automatic three-match ban for Terry - the fate suffered by United’s centre-back Nemanja Vidic who was dismissed for two bookable offences as the defending champions succumbed to Liverpool at Anfield earlier the same day. But Chelsea appealed against Terry’s dismissal and, remarkably, the red card was rescinded - to the undisguised disgust of Sir Alex Ferguson, who feels anti-United bias was at work.
 
So United go into the game against Chelsea already harbouring a grudge, and also nursing the disappointment of a relatively poor start to the season. For their part, Chelsea still feel aggrieved about losing in Moscow - and being pipped to last season’s Premier League title by two points by the Red Devils. This game is a revenge mission for them; but more importantly it is a golden opportunity to open up a nine-point gap over their rivals before the end of September in the current season, which will almost certainly be all that matters to Chelsea on the day.
 
Yet coincidentally it was this weekend last year that Chelsea travelled to Old Trafford and lost to United in Avram Grant’s first game in charge, Jose Mourinho having left the club a couple of days earlier. Chelsea were shell-shocked on that occasion; they won’t be on Sunday after making an excellent start to the season under new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
 
They will also feel comfortable about hosting United at Stamford Bridge, which they have turned into the ultimate fortress in recent seasons. They won this corresponding fixture 2-1 in April, and have not been beaten at home by United since 20th April 2002, pre-Abramovich. Claudio Ranieri was Chelsea manager then, and Paul Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were on target in a 3-0 United win. Things have changed since then, and Chelsea are undefeated at the Bridge in a record 84 Barclays Premier League games (won 61, drawn 23). They last lost at home in February 2004, to Arsenal. Chelsea are also (uniquely) unbeaten in the League throughout 2008, winning 16 and drawing six of the 22 Premier League games they‘ve played since the turn of the year. Their last top-flight defeat was also at the hands of Arsenal, on 16th December 2007, and the Blues have picked up eight more points than United during the current calendar year. Yet is was United who lifted both the major trophies last season, and that is what rankles at the Bridge.

So the fact that Scolari’s Chelsea can go nine points clear by beating United is a huge incentive - not that incentives are usually required when any of the Big Four clash. United on the other hand will see the opportunity - no, the imperative - to win the game and peg Chelsea’s lead back to a much less daunting three points. But to beat Chelsea, especially at the Bridge, United will have to raise their game many notches above the level they’ve attained so far this season, especially in their last two games.
 
In losing at Anfield last weekend for the first time in a long time, United were out-muscled and out-thought in the second-half. And they struggled to break down Villarreal at Old Trafford in midweek, the game ending in a goalless stalemate. Meanwhile Chelsea, seemingly liberated tactically by Scolari, were pricking Manchester City’s pretensions with a 3-1 win at Eastlands, then brushing aside Bordeaux 4-0 with imperious ease in midweek Champions League action.
 
No question, then, about who goes into Sunday’s game in the better form. United are notorious for slow starts and certainly won’t be panicking yet; but they know from recent seasons that they can’t lag too far behind the pace for long. And Stamford Bridge is not exactly the easiest place from which to launch a winning streak. But they will be buoyed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s encouraging cameo performance after coming off the bench against Villarreal. The Portuguese winger, who enjoyed a simply sensational campaign last season, is seen as United’s talisman, and his presence against Chelsea will lift spirits among the Red Devils.
 
Not that Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard sees any reason to tremble. He says Chelsea have nothing to fear whether Ronaldo plays or not, and adds that he would rather face a full-strength United than a weakened side. Morale is high after those seven goals in their last two games, and Lampard said of Ronaldo:

"I don't know what the situation is with him and I'm not too concerned really.

"He's probably the best player in the world, having done what he did last season, you can't take that away from him. If they put him back for our game then we'll have to deal with that.

"We're good enough to deal with Manchester United at their strongest, we shouldn't want them weakened. If they are strong they are strong and we still want to beat them."

Top after having dropped just two points in four matches so far, Chelsea will present a formidable defensive barrier to United’s attackers, who as yet have not been firing on all cylinders - though Ferguson expects them to get back in the groove soon. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than the Blues’ two so far, while United, normally prolific in front of the net, have so far managed just three goals from their three Premier League matches.
 
Compounding Ferguson’s problems as he smoulders about Terry’s reprieve is the question of who should replace the banned Vidic in his own back-four. One option would be to move Wes Brown from right-back and replace him with the fit-again Gary Neville. But an alternative would be to give Jonny Evans a start at centre-half following his impressive showing against Villarreal.

"I need to work out whether I go with Evans' ability but lack of experience or whether I opt for Wes' experience and Gary at full-back," said Ferguson.

"Gary was only playing his second competitive match on Wednesday but he did very well. That will bring him on if I decide to play him on Sunday but Evans was excellent as well."

Ferguson added: "Jonny was the big plus. For a young man of 20, he shows great maturity in his game. He reads the game well, which is a fantastic asset to have at such a young age. He is commanding in the air and a good user of the ball and that gives me confidence that he could step right into the first team with no worries."

As for Neville, the right-back is philosophical about his chances after such a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Villarreal game was his first competitive start since he broke his ankle against Bolton Wanderers in March 2007.

"I just need games," he said. "Having been out for so long I need a run in the side. But it is difficult to get that at the moment because Wes Brown has performed so well and deserves to play.

"It is just a case of remaining patient, keeping fit and training well every day. I have made steady progress and when you look at the programme of matches we have coming up I am sure there will be enough games for everyone."

Chelsea (last 5 games):

16/09	v	Bordeaux	UEFA Champions League	H		4	0
13/09	v	Manchester City	Barclays Premier League	A		1	3
31/08	v	Tottenham Hotspur	Barclays Premier League	H		1	1
24/08	v	Wigan Athletic	Barclays Premier League	A		0	1
17/08	v	Portsmouth	Barclays Premier League	H		4	0

Manchester United (last 5 games):

17/09	v	Villarreal	UEFA Champions League	N		0	0
13/09	v	Liverpool	Barclays Premier League	A		2	1
29/08	v	Zenit St. Petersburg	UEFA Super Cup	N		1	2
25/08	v	Portsmouth	Barclays Premier League	A		0	1
17/08	v	Newcastle United	Barclays Premier League	H		1	1

Chelsea

Frank Lampard will make his 400th Premier League appearance knowing that's he's three short of 100 career goals in league action.

The Blues' CL side was unchanged from the team which had put Manchester City to the sword so potently. Scolari, therefore, will be loathe to tinker. Continuity is possible after John Terry's Eastlands red card being successfully overturned.

Anelka, having bagged two in a week, is expected to start despite Didier Drogba slowly snaking his way towards full fitness. Michael Ballack is also pushing for a place, but may be held back from the starting line-up for another week. Michael Essien, of course, is a long-term crock.

Manchester United

Dimitar Berbatov has recovered in time from his recent knee injury to make the matchday squad, while Cristiano Ronaldo, having made a comeback midweek, is eligible for selection. Edwin van der Sar will continue in goal as the luckless Ben Foster faces another two months on the sidelines. Key centre-back Nemanja Vidic is suspended. 

Chelsea
 
Frank Lampard will be making his 400th Premier League appearance in total (for West Ham and Chelsea), and a measure of his impact since joining the Blues is that he needs three more goals to reach the milestone of 100 career League goals (West Ham, Swansea on loan, and Chelsea). Following his decision to reject the overtures of Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, Lampard has looked at ease with himself and his game, and given his ability to come from deep and find the net, United will need to watch him carefully.
 
Manchester United

With Dimitar Berbatov new to the team - and possibly not playing the full ninety due to his injury status - and Wayne Rooney too often being played out of position, the main United goal threat is coming from Argentine Carlos Tevez. His prodigious work-rate and tireless chasing after lost causes is a major plus for United. He makes things happen, and it could be Tevez who finds a way through the Chelsea defence on Sunday.

It is a testament to United’s consistency that they could suffer a second successive league defeat for the first time in as many as 122 games. But then Chelsea’s home form is itself a byword for consistency, so the danger facing United is real. While Scolari has made an impressive start to his Chelsea managerial career, with four wins and one draw from five matches in all competitions, United are on the brink of equalling their worst ever start to a Premier League season. That is what defeat on Sunday will represent. And it is an uncomfortable fact for United that they have been beaten more times by Chelsea in the Premier League than by any other club (10) and have dropped more points to them than to any other team (56). It is difficult to envisage a Chelsea defeat on their own ground, but perhaps United will treat this as their wake-up call for the season and emerge with a point.
 
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United

Real Madrid 2-0 BATE Borisov

Partido sin historia en el Bernabéu. Los bielorrusos son el equipo más modesto de esta Champions, y su presupuesto es cuatro veces menor que lo que cobra cada año un jugador como Raúl, por ejemplo. Es decir, cerca de 1,5 millones de euros.

Con estas armas, no podían plantarle demasiada cara a los blancos, bastante hicieron con ser un equipo noble, que no hizo demasiadas faltas, y hay que alabarles que en vez de limitarse a estar encerrados en su área, intentasen adelantar la defensa para 'presionar' a los de Schuster.

El Madrid jugó a medio gas y aún así dispuso de muchas oportunidades de gol. El primer tanto llegó pronto, en el minuto 11, cuando Guti recibió el balón tras un saque de esquina y se inventó un pase maravilloso que eliminó a cuatro defensas y que dejó a Ramos en franquía para que batiese al portero bielorruso de fuerte disparo. 1-0 y partido sentenciado.

En el minuto 34 llegó la desafortunada lesión de Gago que tuvo que retirarse por problemas musculares y se prevé que esté de baja cerca de dos semanas. La noticia del partido se produjo en los minutos finales del primer acto. Como el segundo gol del Madrid no llegaba, los bielorrusos realizaron tímidos acercamientos al área de Casillas. Esta circunstancia acabó con la paciencia de algunos aficionados, que silbaron a los blancos al descanso debido a su excesiva relajación.

A los 9 minutos del segundo tiempo el Real Madrid aumentó su ventaja en una jugada plagada de rebotes. Raúl disparó a puerta y el portero bielorruso se estiró para despejar el balón, con tan mala fortuna que su rechace pegó en un defensa y cuando el balón se colaba en la red, llegó Van Nistelrooy para remacharlo. Por si acaso.

De ahí al final hubo poco. La expulsión del bielorruso Khagush y un par de tiros de Ramos y Van der Vaart.

Desde aquí, sólo queda felicitar al BATE por su heróica clasificación y alabar el encomiable esfuerzo de los pobres bielorrusos, que más parecían un grupo de amigos, que un equipo profesional.

Manchester United 0-0 Villarreal

Este sí era el partido de la jornada. Un teatro de los sueños abarrotado por 76.000 almas recibía al Villarreal en la primera jornada de Champions. Cristiano esperaba en el banco y Berbatov fuera de la convocatoria, pero daba lo mismo, ahí estaban Tévez, Rooney, Nani, Ferdinand o Hargreaves dispuestos a amargar el debut al submarino.

Y en estas llega Pellegrini (entrenador al que admiro), estudioso y metódico, y deja en el banquillo de inicio a Cazorla y Marcos Senna. Otro ataque de entrenador, inexplicable, no había molestias físicas ni cansancio, simplemente decisión técnica. Los amarillos salieron con Eguren y Edmilson en el doble pivote, Pires, Mati Fernández y Cani en la mediapunta y el Guille Franco sólo arriba, pegándose con los centrales.

En vista del resultado, la apuesta salió bien. Los castellonenses se llevaron un punto que sabe a victoria y encarrilaron su clasificación para la siguiente fase. El 0-0 acabó con un récord de 15 victorias seguidas del Manchester en su estadio en la Champions y ante eso no se puede reprochar nada, pero pudo ser peor, mucho peor.

Gonzalo y Godín hicieron un partido enorme, perfecto. El argentino se olvidó de sus maltrechas rodillas y volvió a su mejor versión, y el uruguayo Godín se doctoró en el mejor escenario posible. Aguantaron las embestidas de Tévez, los desmarques de Rooney y las llegadas desde la banda de Nani y Park Ji Sung.

Pero buena parte de ese punto es también gracias a Diego López. El portero gallego estuvo inmenso, y salvo un error en la salida en un saque de esquina al comienzo del encuentro, estuvo muy seguro durante los 90 minutos.

En la primera parte el Villarreal sufrió lo indecible. Los amarillos no tenían el balón y estaban a merced del Manchester. Guille Franco estaba demasiado sólo arriba y Mati Fernández, Cani y Pires no entraban en juego. Eguren y Edmilson no podían frenar a Hargreaves y Fletcher, y las bandas inglesas eran un constante quebradero de cabeza para el equipo español. Park y Nani llegaban muy solos hasta la línea de fondo y trazaban diagonales muy peligrosas, tanto, que el coreano fue derribado claramente por Eguren en dos ocasiones. El árbitro Wolfang Stark, un amigo, no pitó ninguno de los dos penaltis y se llegó al descanso con el 0-0.

En el segundo tiempo, Cazorla modificó el panorama de su equipo y del partido. El asturiano es un jugador diferente, con su entrada cambió la actitud de su equipo, Ángel encontraba un socio en la derecha, Pires y luego Ibagaza, podían trazar paredes.

Fue en esos compases del partido cuando el Villarreal gozó de la ocasión más clara del partido. Una sucesión de paredes y triangulaciones acabó con un centro al área que Guille Franco remató con el tacón. Caprichoso, el destino quiso que el balón se estrellase contra la madera y saliese hacia el meta Van der Sar.

En el minuto 61 Ferguson sacó a toda su artillería. Retiró a Hargreaves para meter a Anderson y a cambió a Park por Cristiano Ronaldo. El portugués fue recibido con vítores por la hinchada de los Red Devils, a pesar de sus escarceos veraniegos con el Real Madrid. Cristiano jugó, y estuvo muy activo en los 29 minutos que permaneció sobre el campo y de un centro suyo llegó la oportunidad más clara de los ingleses, cuando el central Evans, libre de marca, conectó un cabezazo a bocajarro que pegó en la cepa del poste.

Era entonces cuando más encerrado estaba el Villarreal, pero ni con Cristiano pudo el Manchester doblegar al submarino. 0-0 y un punto que sabe a gloria.

PD: Qué de trabajo da la Champions a los autores de los blogs

 Carlos Tevez '72

'35 Guillermo L.F. Franco
'88 Ariel Ibagaza
'90 Diego Lopez

The holders began the defence of their trophy with a goalless draw at Old Trafford against Villarreal. Cristiano Ronaldo made a second half comeback but even his presence was not enough to secure victory for the home side.

Much of the pre-match talk had surrounded the return of Ronaldo and sure enough the winger was to be found on the substitutes’ bench at the start of the evening.

On the field, however, the United side had an unfamiliar look. Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick were both missing through injury, and with Paul Scholes suspended, Fletcher, Nani, Park and Hargreaves made up an unfamiliar looking midfield.

Certainly the holders were missing the creativity of Ronaldo, Scholes and Giggs and chances were at a premium in an uneventful first half at Old Trafford.

A cautious start from both sides ensured the game failed to really spark initially with long range shots from first Evra and then Tevez the closest the home side came to breaking the deadlock in the early stages.

The visitors, on the other hand, seemed content to sit back and absorb the United pressure and offered little as an attacking threat.

Pires, on his return to Old Trafford, forced Van der Sar into a save just before the half hour mark but it was to be as close as Villarreal came in a quiet opening period.

The second half yielded little more joy for United and indeed it was Villarreal who should have opened the scoring on the hour mark.

Some excellent interplay from the visitors saw them patiently keep possession in the United area. The move ended with a low cross from Pires being converted by Franco, but agonisingly for the striker, his flick rebounded off the inside of the post and into the grateful arms of Van der Sar.

Ferguson’s patience with his side quickly evaporated and on came Anderson and Ronaldo, to a huge ovation, as the holders stepped up their search for the goal.

It took the Portuguese only five minutes to test Diego Lopez in the Villarreal goal. A quick break from Anderson and Tevez found the winger in the box but his shot was hit into the ground and allowed the goalkeeper the opportunity to save.

The arrival of the United number seven, however, certainly seemed to inspire the home side who upped the tempo. A fast flowing break saw Ronaldo feed Rooney and his cross reached Tevez but Diego Lopez just got a hand on his shot which allowed the covering Rodriguez to hook the ball off the line.

With ten minutes to go it was Ronaldo again. A Nani cross was whipped into the far post but the United talisman could only watch as his header flew just wide.

He then turned creator, a ferocious cross reached the far post where Evans was on hand but his header cannoned back off the post.

With Villarreal clearly tiring, United were dominant but even with the presence of Ronaldo they couldn’t quite find the opening and the visitors hung on for a point.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Nani, Hargreaves (Anderson, 62), Fletcher, Park (Ronaldo, 62), Rooney, Tevez (Giggs, 80).

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Cani (Cazorla, 46), Eguren, Edmilson, Pires (Ibagaza, 68), Fernandez, Franco (Llorente, 77).

Since joining Manchester United in 2002, Ferdinand has won a plethora of team honours including the Champions League, three Premier League titles and a Carling Cup. He missed out on a medal for United's most recent FA Cup success in 2004 due to the ban he was serving for a missed drugs test.
 
As a result of the prizes he has gained in the colours of United, Ferdinand has been made all the more eager to win prizes for his country.

England have not been beyond the semi-final stage of any major tournament in over a decade and the 29 year-old Ferdinand is determined to make a dent on the international game, saying that his England career has been a 'disappointment' up to now.

He told the press:

"With England I have been very disappointed.

"It's not just that I have never won anything with England, I have not even been in a position to win something by getting to a major final.

"I regard that is disappointing and the hunger to achieve something is only enhanced by the trophies I have won with Manchester United."

As well as becoming a mainstay in the United line-up and winning major honours at Old Trafford, Ferdinand has been handed the captian's armband in the absence of more senior colleagues.

It is a role with which he is comfortable, and he may be asked to skipper the England side on Saturday against Kazakhstan if John Terry is ruled out.

The Chelsea captain is struggling with a lower-back injury, and the door could be