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Scholes sets up all English Final

Manchester United secured a place in the Champions League final with a 1-0 win over Barcelona. It will be United’s first final in 9 years and the first ever all-English European Cup final with Liverpool and Chelsea fighting for the other place tonight.

Paul Scholes’ brilliant 35-yard strike after 14 minutes secured the win in a game where Barcelona dominated but were unable to muster many clear cut chances.

A rejuvenated Barca set the pace from the start and they could have had an early penalty when Scholes tripped Lionel Messi right on the white wash of the box, referee Herbert Fandel correctly called it as a free kick and not a penalty.

The goal after 14 minutes was totally against the run of play, Gianluca Zambrotta’s poor clearance found the Oldham born midfielder in space, striking across the ball Scholes found the top corner giving Victor Valdes no chance.

Barca came back with Deco have two shots from outside the box, one going over and one wide of Van Der Saar’s goal. Ji-Sung Park nearly grabbed a second for United but it looked set for a 1-0 win. Sub Thierry Henry headed straight at Van Der Saar in the second half as the Spainaird threw everything at the home team.

The United back four stood strong, without Vidic again with a centre back pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown keeping the Barca front line relatively quiet.

Liverpool face Chelsea tonight in the second leg of their match at Stamford Bridge with the game poised at 1-1.

Battle at the Bridge - Punch aimed at Patrice Evra

After the Chelsea V Manchester Untied game there was a bit of a bust up with the Chelsea ground staff and the Manchester United players. Apparantly Patrice Evra was racially abused and then it all kicked off. From other footage United players were running in the box which is against the rules of warming down.

Anyway, here’s the punch aimed at Patrice Evra from a Chelsea staff member, he misses and almost whacks a steward.

Sven to be Sacked

It looks like the writing is on the wall for Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Manchester City manager is going to be sacked at the end of the season, according to BBC Sport.

City owner Thaksin Shinawatra who has been unimpressed by the second half of City’s season told Eriksson he was “not the right man for the job” at a meeting on Saturday.

Eriksson took training on Monday and on informing the players many players didn’t like the news, Eriksson has done well at City considering the team hasn’t won in 2007 at home on his arrival.

But this year since the turn of the year City have been poor, being knocked out of the F.A. Cup to Sheffield United and losing on Saturday to lowly Fulham.

It seems like an insane move for the chairman Shinawatra to get rid of Eriksson but he might have someone lined up? Jose Mourinho anybody?

West Brom clinch promotion the the Premier League

A draw against Southampton tonight effectively promoted West Brom to the Premier League after a two year absence. Albion will be promoted due to their superior goal difference with Hull three points behind with one game to play.

Substitute Adam Lallana put Saints ahead late on with a goal against the run of play, Southampton are fighting for relegation and point gives them hope going into the last game of the season against Sheffield United.

Winger Chris Brunt grabbed the all important goal, with six minutes to go the winger slammed the ball home for the goal which sent the baggies boinging.

WBA now have to equal or better Stoke’s result on the last day of the season to clinch the title. WBA play at QPR and Stoke take on Leicester who could do a win to help then stay in the division.

Ballack double keeps title alive

A Michael Ballack brace kept the title race alive yesterday as Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1 at the Bridge. It was a cracking match which did boil over at times and it did after the game when Manchester United players brawled with Chelsea ground staff.

The game sparked into life straight away and it was Chelsea having the early chances, Joe Cole hitting the post before Michael Ballack headed in from a Drogba cross just before the half time break. Drogba had been involved earlier in the game in a incident with Nemanja Vidic, Drogba accidently kneed Vidic in the face. The Manchester United defender was stretched off with a cut mouth.

Chelsea pushed on in the second half but it was United who scored next when Ricardo Carvalho’s awful backpass found Wayne Rooney. The United forward slotted the ball past Cech to set the game up for a grand stand finish.

Carrick hand-balled Essien’s cross, the linesman gave the penalty and Michael Ballack smashed the ball past Van der Saar who dived the wrong way.

It wasn’t over then with United having two shots cleared off the line, first Ashley Cole saving from Ronaldo and then Shevchenko.

A great game of football which keeps the title alive with United being top just by goal difference with two games to go.

Ronaldo fires a blank in Barcelona

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in the second Champions League Semi final match tonight as Manchester United held on for a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp against Barcelona.

Ronaldo won the penalty in the second minute of the game when his header was hand-balled by Barcelona’s Gabriel Milito. Ronaldo chipped wide from the spot as Barca keeper Victor Valdes dived the opposite way.

The home side went on to dominate the match with Lionel Messi being the stand out player, but from all the possession and great build up play the home side couldn’t take the lead and now go into second leg with no goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo may have been given a second opportunity from the spot when he was fouled as could have Samuel Eto’o, but referee Massimo Busacca felt the one penalty on the night was enough.

United did do well with a makeshift back four after Nemanja Vidic pulled out of the match with a stomach problem, Owen Hargreaves filled in at right back with Wes Brown moving to centre back.

United should win the second leg but with Messi reaching full fitness the Spaniards will be looking for a place in the final. Next leg, at Old Trafford next Tuesday.

Arne Riise gives Chelsea the advatange?

John Arne Riise’s injury time own goal earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the first leg of the Champions League Semi-Final. Arne Riise’s headed own goal from a Salomon Kalou cross in the fifth minutes of injury team even the tie up after Dirk Kuyt had given the home side the lead three minutes before the half time break.

Liverpool had chances to extend their one goal lead in the second half but they will have to score in the second leg next Wednesday to stand a chance of progressing to the final. Chelsea may have taken the lead in the first half when Didier Drogba was brought down on the edge of the Liverpool penalty box by Jamie Carragher. It looked like a foul on the edge of the box and a resulting red card for Carragher but the referee waved away appeals from Drogba.

Liverpool’s first chance of the half fell to their talisman Fernando Torres, a neat ball from Steven Gerrard found Torres who shot straight at Chelsea keeper Petr Cech. Liverpool did take the lead when Kuyt tackled Frank Lampard on the edge of the Chelsea box, a mistimed shot from Javier Mascherano found Kuyt who slotted the ball past the on rushing Cech.

The second leg takes place next Tuesday will the ball firmly in Chelsea’s court thanks to Liverpool’s John Arne Riise’s putting the ball in is own net.

Kevin Ellison whacks the ball in the Referee’s face

It doesn’t get much better than this, ball + big bald LeagueTwo player + Ref = Ball in the face ref down. You don’t get this in the Premiership!

Lampard and Gerrard ready for the battle of Britain III

Chelsea’s Frank Lampard is back for the Champions League semi-final clash with Liverpool on Tuesday, while the reds should welcome back captain Steven Gerrard from a neck injury.

Lampard has missed the last two games due to his mothers illness. Gerrard had a neck problem which forced him out of the weekends action but the midfielder was able to train today.

The two sides meet in the semi-final of the European Cup for the 3rd time in four years, with Liverpool securing wins in both previous meetings. Arvan Grant is confident that his team can progress third time round with his team not thinking of getting revenge. While Liverpool boss Benitez seens no difference in the Blue’s under Grant from the Mourinho team “There’s no difference between this year’s Chelsea and last year’s. I think it’s more or less the same. It could be they have less spirit than under Jose Mourinho.”

The difference this time around could be the first leg will be played at Anfield and the second at Stamford Bridge, the Reds will be looking to take a lead into the second leg. The game kicks off at 19:45 Tuesday, with the second leg being in a week on the Wednesday.

McLeish - Dont write us off yet

Birmingham City supremo Alex McLeish has reacted quickly to the speculation that his side are destined for the drop out of the Premier League by stressing that “we knew it would come down to the last three games”.

The Blues suffered a derby day demolition yesterday, after Aston Villa ran out five one winners to condemn City to a nervous couple of weeks.

Birmingham now find themselves occupying the final relegation place in the Premier League and are currently one point behind Bolton and Reading. With Liverpool next up, things are looking rather bleak for the Scot.

Yet, the fixture will be sandwiched between the Champions League semi final clash with Chelsea – possibly an ideal time to face the Reds. Following on from this Birmingham travel to relegation rivals Fulham, before entertaining Blackburn on the last day of the season.

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