AS Roma vs Juventus Report

AS Roma

1 vs 0

Juventus

Played
February 16, 2013 2:45 PM EST
Stadio Olimpico — Roma
Referee:‬ G. Rocchi‎

Roma 1-0 Juventus: Champions shocked by Totti thunderbolt

The Giallorossi skipper delivered a decisive blow with a blistering 25-yard drive that gave the capital club its first Serie A win of 2013.

Roma ended a run of six Serie A matches without a win by stunning league-leading Juventus1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

Francesco Totti scored the only goal of the game in the 58th minute, with the Giallorossi captain finding the top left corner of Gianluigi Buffon's goal with an unstoppable 25-yard drive.

Juventus tried to rally in the remaining half hour but a blunt Bianconeri outfit was unable to force an equalizer, meaning Napoli can now cut the lead at the summit of the standings to just two points should the Partenopei defeat Sampdoria at home on Sunday.

Despite its woeful recent form, Roma began in a sprightly fashion, with Pablo Osvaldo looking particularly lively up front. The volatile forward threatened twice inside the opening 10 minutes, cutting inside Leonardo Bonucci early on only to shoot straight at Buffon, before then being forced too far wide by the Juventus skipper to get a shot away, after being slipped through by Erik Lamela.

Juventus, despite its Champions League exertion in midweek, also played their part in what was an open start to the game, with Andrea Pirlo nearly opening the scoring with a clever free kick that could very easily have found its way into the bottom right corner of Maarten Stekelenburg’s goal had the Dutchman not got down so swiftly to parry the ball to safety.

The pace of the game then dropped and the atmosphere became increasingly tetchy. Daniele De Rossi levelled Stephan Lichtsteiner with a desperately late lunge on the Swiss wingback before Totti elected to run his studs down the leg of Pirlo, leaving the playmaker with a nasty gash on his knee.

The halftime break removed some of the mounting tension from the game, allowing both sides to rediscover their attacking instincts. First, Osvaldo hooked the ball just wide after sliding to get on the end of Totti's through ball, and then, just moments later, Mirko Vucinic whizzed a volley just past Stekelenburg's right post.

The game-breaking goal arrived just before the hour mark and in sensational fashion. Miralem Pjanic tried his luck with a free kick but it was blocked by the Bianconeri wall. The ball only went as far as Totti, though, and he unleashed a blistering, first-time shot that gave Buffon absolutely no chance. 

Juventus pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but it was Roma that looked the more likely to score next, and it was only a combination of poor finishing and wonderful defending that prevented the captial club from doing so. De Rossi erred after being teed up by Osvaldo, before Lichtsteiner threw his body in the way of an effort from Marquinho.

Mario Balotelli - Goal Amazing Free-Kick Milan vs Parma 2-0 15.2.2013

Mandzukic Super Goal Last Night

Roma vs Juventus Preview

Roma - Juventus Preview: Andreazzoli targets first win against in-form Bianconeri

The Giallorossi are yet to taste victory in the league in 2013 and face a tricky test against the Italian champions, who can go eight points clear at the top of Serie A

PROBABLE LINEUPS

ROMA Stekelenburg Marquinhos, Burdisso, Dodo Lamela, Bradley, De Rossi, Marquinho Pjanic, TottiOsvaldo

JUVENTUS Buffon Barzagli, Bonucci, Caceres  Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, AsamoahVucinic, Matri

Antonio Conte's side are looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they travel to the capital to take on a stumbling Roma side who are still getting used to life under interim coach Aurelio Andreazzoli. 

Having emerged unscathed from the emphatic 3-0 victory away at Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday night, the Juventus coach has no new injury concerns, although Federico Peluso and Claudio Marchisio are suspended.

Kwadwo Asamoah could return to the starting XI after returning from international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana, while Leonardo Bonucci is also available having served his two-match domestic suspension.

Having both found the net in the Bianconeri's last two matches, Mirko Vucinic and Alessandro Matri are once again expected to lead the line, and Nicolas Anelka could make his Serie A debut from the bench. Paolo De Ceglie and Luca Marrone are also pushing for starts.

Andreazzoli made numerous changes to Zdenek Zeman's favoured starting lineup in the 3-1 defeat to Sampdoria and is faced with several injury concerns for Saturday.

Alessandro Florenzi did not take part in Thursday's training session as he is suffering from flu, and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and Daniele De Rossi could face late fitness tests on their respective knee and thigh injuries.

The Giallorossi are already without Leonardo Castan, Federico Balzaretti and Mattia Destro for the clash against the Italian champions, so Andreazzoli will be hopeful that his star players can make a quick recovery.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Juventus thumped the Giallorossi 4-1 in the reverse fixture earlier this season, with Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Alessandro Matri and Sebastian Giovinco getting on the scoresheet.

• These two sides are Serie A’s top scorers, with 100 goals shared evenly between them. However, Romahave conceded the second-most in the division (45) whilst Conte's side have the best defensive record (16).

• Roma have lost four of their last six Serie A matches and are currently 10 points behind arch-rivals Lazio who occupy the final Champions League spot.

• Roma have only been able to secure one victory in their last 15 Serie A encounters against Juventus, back in February 2004.

• Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and Erik Lamela are tied as the Giallorossi's top league goalscorers with 11 goals. Fabio Quagliarella leads the Old Lady's charts with seven.

• Mirko Vucinic (pictured, right) moved from Roma to Juventus in 2011 for a reported fee of €15 million. The Montenegrin has scored 19 goals in 62 games since joining.

Maradona defends Messi from Argentina critics

Despite the numerous accolades won by Messi at club and personal level, the Barcelona star only boasts an Olympic gold medal with national side Argentina.

Although Messi has yet to win a major title with his country, Maradona told Fox Sports that the 25-year old's commitment to the cause should never be questioned.

"Now everyone wants to be Messi's friend. When he was not scoring goals or singing the national anthem they called him Spanish. They are all turncoats," he declared.

"When we were knocked out of the World Cup he was the one who cried the most. Tell that to the idiots who said he didn't play for the shirt. I was in a room and you could hear Messi crying, only Messi."

Messi's Barcelona team-mate Cesc Fabregas trains alongside the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or winner daily, but the former Arsenal man admitted an admiration for Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil.

"I admire him [Ozil] a lot. I can relate to him because he plays in that roaming attacking midfield role that I played in at Arsenal and I think we would play well together," Fabregas stated.

"I can relate to him, we're very similar."

Iniesta makes football look easy, gushes Roura

Chille forward Alexis finally  opened his account for the season by grabbing the opener in the sixth minute, with Lionel Messi's 35th league goal of the campaign making it 2-0 soon after.

David Villa and substitute Cristian Tello stretched the lead in the second half before Getafe substitute Alvaro Vazquez's late consolation, and there was still time for Iniesta and Gerard Pique to add their names to the scoresheet to round off an enjoyable afternoon for the Catalan club.

Roura, overseeing first-team affairs with head coach Tito Vilanova still in New York undergoing cancer treatment, was delighted to see Alexis get off the mark and purring with superlatives for Spain midfielder Iniesta.

"We're very pleased with his work and attitude," the Barca number two said of Alexis. "He's been a bit unlucky lately and I think he scored a great goal. That goal gave him a lot of confidence.

"(Iniesta) played at an extremely high level. He plays with such ease. He makes football look so easy. This is what makes him great."

The match kicked off at 1200 local time - the first time Barca have played so early in La Liga - and Roura was delighted to see 85,610 fans in attendance and thrilled with how his team responded.

"The players were at an extraordinary level," Roura said of his men, many of whom had clocked up considerable air miles on international duty for Spain's midweek friendly against Uruguay in Qatar. 

"They played with a lot of intensity from the first minute.

"It was an unusual time to play but we had a party in the stadium.

"(A full stadium) is important for the spectacle."

The win lifted Barcelona 12 points clear of Atletico Madrid and restored their 16-point advantage over third-placed champions Real Madrid.

Iniesta, who was involved in Barca's first three goals before scoring the fifth, was typically modest in his post-match analysis.

"It's good that we all contributed, but in the end the best thing is that the team won and that we played well," he said on www.fcbarcelona.com.

"There are seasons that I've played almost every match. I try to stay at the same level and I try to improve.

"It was a great morning for football. It was spectacular."

Pique too was more than content with how Barca responded to the challenge of their first early kick-off.

"We felt great on the pitch," the centre-back said. "A lot of people were able to make it to the stadium and the atmosphere was fantastic.

"It wouldn't be an inconvenience if we had to play at the same time in the future.

"We have a very complete team. A few players that don't usually enjoy a lot of minutes (on the pitch) got to play today and they proved that they are at a good level. This gives us tranquility.

"We're lucky that we get to enjoy Andres (Iniesta), and we have to take advantage of the fact that he plays for Barca."

Pinto signs Barca contract extension

The 37-year old are back-up to Victor Valdes, follows in the footsteps of team-mates Lionel Messi, Xavi and Carles Puyol who have also penned contract extensions in recent weeks.

Fabregas eyeing Champions League success

The Blaugrana successfully navigated past the group stages of the Champions League to book themselves a berth in the last-16 of the tournament where they have been drawn to take on Italian giants AC Milan.

Fabregas, who moved to Arsenal early in his budding career and blossomed as a player with the Gunners, made the move back to his boyhood club in 2011 and has since helped the Catalan giants to success in the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

And the 25-year-old outlined his intention to lead Barcelona to success in the Champions League this season, but warned his side not to underestimate a Milan side underachieving in their domestic league.

"I'm very eager to win the Champions League, and to win it with Barça would be the best present any footballer could hope for," Fabregas was quoted as saying by the official Barcelona website.

"The next two weeks are extremely important. It will be very complicated but we have to have the same confidence that we've had up until now.

"The match against Milan is key because we want to go to Wembley. We believe that they will be a very difficult rival because of the players they have and because of their history. 

"If we aren't at 100% we will not go through to the next round." 

Fabregas, who has failed to hold down a regular spot in the first-team, was recently linked with a move back to Arsenal at the end of the season, but the Spain international insisted he was not looking to leave the club and claimed he intended to retire at Barcelona.

"I've come back to Barça to stay for the rest of my career," Fabregas declared. 

"If it were up to me, and if everything goes well, I'll fight as hard as I can to retire here."

The centre-midfielder also hailed the contributions of team-mate Sergio Busquets and pinpointed the 24-year-old as an integral cog of the Barcelona midfield.

"He's vital for the equilibrium of the team," Fabregas explained. 

"Sometimes it's hard to appreciate what he does, but he does a tremendous amount for the team. 

"In the past few years he's been getting the credit he deserves, especially here. 

"I believe he's indispensable for the present and the future of this club."

Barcelona will take on Granada in the La Liga on Saturday before their trip to Milan next Wednesday.

Messi: I'm lucky to play alongside Iniesta

Messi is currently having a phenomenal season having scored 35 goals in 23 league games this season but he paid tribute to team mate Iniesta, who has created 13 goals in his 17 La Liga appearances this eason.

"Andres does everything well. He's getting better and better as the years go by: he's won it all and I'm extremely lucky to play alongside him," Messi told Revista Barca.

"I enjoy watching what he does on the pitch, whether in matches or in training sessions - he's a joy to behold."

Barcelona's recent change of coach from Pep Guardiola to Tito Vilanova didn't affect their winning ways and Messi insists that the success is down to the idea that pervades the club at all levels.

"It isn't about a specific coach. It's based on an idea, a top-down line of thinking that all the coaches follow. That's always been the way the academy has been run."

Xavi lays down the challenge to team-mates

The Catalans take their 12 point lead atop La Liga to Granada on Saturday before a midweek UEFA Champions League last-16 first leg against AC Milan.

Following that, Barca host Sevilla in the league on Saturday before playing again on Tuesday in the second leg of an explosive Copa del Rey semi-final tie with Real Madrid. Just four days later - the two arch rivals square off once again but this time in La Liga.

And all this with manager Tito Vilanova still absent from the touchline as he continues to battle against cancer.

Hernandez remains in frequent contact with Vilanova via mobile phone, but he stressed that the players are fully committed to the work being carried out by assistant coach Jordi Roura as they look to finish the season strongly on multiple fronts.

"We're missing Tito but everything's carrying on the same," he told Sport.

He added: "We're feeling very comfortable and we're enjoying ourselves. What's most important is the team we have, the staff, the assistants, this generation of players and the good atmosphere.

"You can win or lose but you have to compete until the end."

Hernandez also accepted the tag of 'favourites' to progress in the Champions League past seven-time winners Milan, who have suffered elimination on the two previous occasions they have come up against Barca in the knockout phase.

"We accept we are the big favourites for the Champions League," he said.

"Having so much expected of us is a lot of pressure but at the same time we accept the challenge."

However, Xavi did have a word of caution for his team-mates ahead of their Copa del Rey second leg with Real Madrid at Camp Nou with the tie evenly poised at 1-1.

"Looking at the first leg, it's obvious that we should have scored one or two more goals. Against Real Madrid, if you don't kill off the game, they end up coming back," he said.

"We've got 90 minutes at home and we hope to build on the 1-1 draw in the Santiago Bernabeu."

Meanwhile, Barca striker David Villa has been discharged from hospital a day after he was re-admitted because of continued pain from kidney stones. He remains out of Saturday's La Liga game against Granada.

Galliani: Milan are having a great season

The Rossoneri faced a raft of changes at the start of the season following the departure of veterans like Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Pippo Inzaghi and Clarence Seedorf while key duo Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic left for PSG.

After a rocky start which saw them win three of their first 10 league games of the season, Milan have bounced back  to form in November and won eight of their last 10 league games. 

Galliani insists that they should be proud of their campaign so far considering the changes they had to face.

"I think we're having a great season," he said.

"Things could have gone a whole lot worse after completely changing the squad with 12 new players. Instead, I'm proud of what club are doing.

"The two defeats at the start of the season against Atalanta and Sampdoira weighed us down. But if you look at the results of the last 16 games, we've won 34 points, which means we'd be top ahead of Juventus.

"I can look at the positives. We have a young team and we finished the Cagliari game with one player born in 1994, two in 1992, and two from 1990."

Mario Balotelli's arrival at San Siro has coincided with Stephan El Shaarawy's drop in form, but Galliani is confident that the duo can play together.

"There is no incompatibility," he continued. "One is a central striker, and the other a wide attacker. El Shaarawy needs to catch his breath - that's normal.

"Balotelli is a star and it's to everyone's advantage that he's back in Italy."

AC Milan will play Parma this weekend before hosting Barcelona in the Champions League last-16 tie next Wednesday.

El Shaarawy needs time to gel with Balotelli

AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri believes Mario Balotelli could become a world-class player if he continues to impress on his return to Serie A.

Tuesday 12th February 2013

The 20-year-old has lost form of late and the duo were even criticised by national coach Cesare Prandelli for not linking up properly in Italy's 1-1 draw with Holland last week. 

Many Italian football observers also hold the view that the two players are too similar in their playing styles and needlessly get in each other's way. The Rossonerri were also less than convincing in their draw at Cagliari over the weekend despite fielding an attacking trio of Balotelli, El Shaarawy and Mamadou Niang. 

Moreover, El Shaarawy, Milan's leading goalscorer, has suffered something of a barren patch as he has scored just once in the past seven Serie A games.

The former Genoa forward called for patience in evaluating his partnership with Balotelli as he told the Milan channel: "The criticism we are getting seems a bit too much. We've only played two games together and we need time to settle." 

"I know that we need to improve in some areas of our game, but it is not true that we can't work together.

He also confessed to having fitness problems although no major injuries have plagued him this year. 

"I have had problems with my knees for two or three seasons now," he added.

"I can handle the problem, but every now and then it causes me annoyance."

The two star strikers have yet to score goals within the same game for both club and country and could get a chance to do so in their next game against Parma on Friday. 

Donadoni not expecting any "presents" from Milan

AC Milan will not be distracted by next week's high-profile meeting with Barcelona when they take on Parma, according to the visitors' head coach Roberto Donadoni.

The rossoneri has been surged back into contention for a Champions League place following a disappointing start to the season, thanks in part to the immediate impact made by Mario Balotelli, who has scored three goals in two games since returning to the San Siro.

Balotelli should line up against Parma given the fact he is cup-tied for the first leg of Milan's Champions League knockout encounter with Barcelona on Wednesday, with Italy striker Stephan El Shaarawy among those likely to be rested, but Donadoni knows the Gialloblu will have their work cut out regardless.

He told fcparma.com: "I don't expect that Milan will be thinking about Barcelona already. We shouldn't think that Milan will give us any presents.

"If you stop Balotelli, El Sharaawy, Robinho and (M'Baye) Niang are still there. Thinking only about playing against one player would limit us and the opponent also has to worry about what we're doing."

It will be another emotional return to the San Siro for Donadoni who played most of his illustrious career with Milan, the graceful midfielder enjoying his halcyon days under Arrigo Sacchi in the late 1980s.

"I don't know how many times I have gone back as a coach," he added. "It was my home as a player but some years have passed since then.

"I remember the last match I was there when the Milan fans chanted my name, it made me happy and even more proud that I'd worn the shirt for so many years."

Parma could face their former defender Cristian Zaccardo, who moved to the San Siro in January but is yet to feature.

The Gialloblu are missing goalkeeper Antonio Mirante and midfielders MacDonald Mariga and Daniele Galloppa through injury but right wingers Aleandro Rosi and Marco Marchionni return from suspension in a bid to seal the club's first three-point haul of the new year.

Milan dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Cagliari and head coach Massimiliano Allegri is determined to make amends as soon as possible.

"We have to understand that tomorrow's [Friday] game is one of those that has to be won," he told acmilan.com.

"We've conceded too many goals from dead-ball situations and we have to improve. We'll work on it in training but we've conceded too many headed goals."

Midfielder Massimo Ambrosini serves a one-match suspension while defenders Daniele Bonera and Bartosz Salamon miss out through injury alongside Dutch midfielder Nigel De Jong.

Niang: I want to become important for Milan

AC Milan's M'Baye Niang is desperate to carve out a successful career for himself at the club.

Thursday 14th February 2013

By FOX SPORTS staff

The French player moved to AC Milan from Caen in the summer, but has only recently begun forcing his way into manager Massimiliano Allegri's plans.

Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Niang admitted that it took him awhile to get used to his new life in Italy.

"There's a different mentality here in Italy than back home in France. You have to be more professional here, I have to solely focus on football and be careful what I do off the pitch. Adriano Galliani got angry with me after a few incidents and he helped me realise that I had to change," Niang stated.

"Milan are my big chance and I cannot just throw this away. I have to make the most of this opportunity and become an important player for Milan."

The Serie A side face a tricky Champions League Round of 16 tie against Barcelona, but club CEO Galliani insisted that he was not overly concerned about the Rossoneri's chances.

"It’s bizarre, we’ll have met them six times over two seasons," Galliani remarked.

"Barcelona have long been Europe’s finest team, but we are quite relaxed about the tie."

AC Milan's next league tie sees them take on Parma at the San Siro at the end of the week.

Stramaccioni distraught with Milito injury

Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni's happiness at defeating Cluj was tinged with the news that Diego Milito has been ruled out for the season with an injury.

Friday 15th February 2013

By FOX Sports Staff

After the game, the club's medical department ruled that Milito, who suffered an injury within the game, had suffered significant damage to his ligaments after enduring an awkward fall early on.

It means that Inter will have to do without the Argentinean who has been their topscorer this season in the Serie A.

However, the 33-year-old was replaced by Rodrigo Palacio and the substitute managed to do the job on the night with two goals that has put Inter in a commanding position.

Stramaccioni, though, could not focus on the positives from the game and outlined how integral a part Milito plays within the team.

"Unfortunately, this injury rather ruined the night," Stramaccioni told reporters after the match.

"It is a lesion to the anterior cruciate ligament, damage to the collateral ligament and capsule. It is a terrible injury and totally new compared to the problems he had in the past.

"There's a one per cent chance of this happening, but it happened to Diego. We now just need to know when he'll have the operation.

"It's awful news, as we all care for him as a person as well as a player. I am personally very close to him and feel so sad right now."

The injury necessitated a reshuffling of the pack with new signing Mateo Kovacic forced to play as a deep-lying playmaker. His manager was pleased with the 18-year-old's performance within the position.

"Kovacic is clearly a player with great quality and everyone can see why we invested in him.

"He immediately realised what I wanted from him, to be a deep-lying playmaker. He is a humble lad and it's up to me to help him settle.

"We can play with different systems, but I think we played very well today [Thursday].

"I think with hard work we are taking steps forward and must continue."

Inter next take on Fiorentina in the Serie A and visit Florence on Sunday.

Bojan wants to score against Barcastruggled to emerge from the youth ranks at Barcelona and left the club to join Roma in 2011 in order to further his career. It brought an end to a 12-year stint at the Camp Nou with the forward realising that it would be nigh-impossible to break into a first team consisting of worldclass players of the likes of Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Lionel Messi. In Italy, he has achieved mixed success over the past two years and has scored just 10 goals from 49 league outings. Nevertheless, he remains a determined player keen on impressing for the Rossoneri, having joined the squad on a single-season loan. To prove the point, he has declared his willingness to score against his former employers when they visit the San Siro for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie on Wednesday. However, the 22-year-old also dismissed talk of wanting to vindicate himself in the eyes of the Barcelona coaching staff. “I have wanted to play and score against Barca, but not out of anger or bitterness, which I do not have, but in order to help my team-mates, he told RAC1. “Would it be a point of vindication? Yeah, but for the importance of the game. “If there is nothing wrong then I will not think that celebrating a goal at San Siro would be a lack of respect, I suppose I would celebrate, but at the Camp Nou it may be different, depending on the moment, I prefer not to think about it.” The Spaniard also agrees with various media reports that state that Villa could be beginning to get frustrated at the lack of playing opportunities available at the Catalan outfit. “I fully understand what is happening to Villa. He was used to being the reference point for his team, always scoring the goals, but this is difficult for him, he has to adapt to another position because he is next to the best player in the world," Bojan added. Meanwhile, Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Bojan's former team-mate, continues to believe in the forward's potential and backed him to eventually return to the club of his youth. The midfielder did something similar as he left Barca as a youngster and joined Arsenal, only to make a return to the Camp Nou in 2011. "I hope Bojan will return one day," Fabregas told Marca. "When he was here before, he was too young to stand out. "But I think now he has matured enough to do well at Barcelona." The two sides will play the first leg at the San Siro next Wednesday with the return leg slated to take place on March 12.

Bojan stated that he would not hesitate to score against former side Barcelona in order to boost AC Milan's chances of winning the encounter between the two sides next week.

Bojan, 22, had previosly struggled to emerge from the youth ranks at Barcelona and left the club to join Roma in 2011 in order to further his career. 

It brought an end to a 12-year stint at the Camp Nou with the forward realising that it would be nigh-impossible to break into a first team consisting of worldclass players of the likes of Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Lionel Messi. 

In Italy, he has achieved mixed success over the past two years and has scored just 10 goals from 49 league outings. Nevertheless, he remains a determined player keen on impressing for the Rossoneri, having joined the squad on a single-season loan.

To prove the point, he has declared his willingness to score against his former employers when they visit the San Siro for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie on Wednesday. However, the 22-year-old also dismissed talk of wanting to vindicate himself in the eyes of the Barcelona coaching staff. 

“I have wanted to play and score against Barca, but not out of anger or bitterness, which I do not have, but in order to help my team-mates, he told RAC1. 

“Would it be a point of vindication? Yeah, but for the importance of the game.

“If there is nothing wrong then I will not think that celebrating a goal at San Siro would be a lack of respect, I suppose I would celebrate, but at the Camp Nou it may be different, depending on the moment, I prefer not to think about it.”

The Spaniard also agrees with various media reports that state that Villa could be beginning to get frustrated at the lack of playing opportunities available at the Catalan outfit. 

“I fully understand what is happening to Villa. He was used to being the reference point for his team, always scoring the goals, but this is difficult for him, he has to adapt to another position because he is next to the best player in the world," Bojan added.

Meanwhile, Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, Bojan's former team-mate, continues to believe in the forward's potential and backed him to eventually return to the club of his youth. The midfielder did something similar as he left Barca as a youngster and joined Arsenal, only to make a return to the Camp Nou in 2011. 

"I hope Bojan will return one day," Fabregas told Marca. "When he was here before, he was too young to stand out.

"But I think now he has matured enough to do well at Barcelona."

The two sides will play the first leg at the San Siro next Wednesday with the return leg slated to take place on March 12. 

Inter, Anzhi grab wins; Newcastle unlucky to draw

Inter Milan and Anzhi Makhachkala scored wins in their last-32 first leg ties but Newcastle could not come away with a positive result and saw two goals disallowed.
Rodrigo Palacio scored twice following his early entrance as a substitute to put Inter Milan in control of their tie against Cluj.

Palacio, a 10th-minute replacement after a serious-looking injury to Diego Milito, scored 10 minutes after that and added a late second in a 2-0 win.

Anzhi Makhachkala recovered from a goal down to defeat Hannover 3-1 although the Russian side will hope they will not be made to rue Samuel Eto'o's missed second-half penalty.

Hannover took a 22nd-minute lead through Szabolcs Huszti but Eto'o drew Anzhi level soon after and Odil Ahmedov put the hosts ahead immediately after half-time.

Eto'o then spurned the chance to make it 3-1 in the 57th minute when his spot-kick was saved by Ron-Robert Zieler, but Anzhi were still able to secure a two-goal lead to take to Germany for the second leg thanks to Mbark Boussoufa.

Viktoria Plzen confirmed themselves as one of the dark horses in this year's Europa League after shocking Napoli 3-0 in the first leg of the last-32 tie at San Paolo on Thursday night.

Plzen beat defending champions Atletico Madrid to top their group and are now heavy favourites to progress past the high-flying Italians after late goals from Stanislav Tecl and Frantisek Rajtoral built on Vladimar Darida's first-half opener.

Liverpool conceded two goals in less than three minutes to Zenit St Petersburg to leave their Europa League campaign hanging in the balance.

Despite having failed to properly test goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev with a number of chances the Reds seemed to be managing to hold on in the sub-zero Petrovsky Stadium.

But with 20 minutes remaining Hulk powered home a brilliant 30-yard strike before substitute Sergei Semak converted from close range moments later.

Levante put aside their poor domestic form to claim an impressive 3-0 victory over 10-man Olympiacos that leaves them within touching distance of a place in the last 16.

The Spanish outfit out had lost five of their last six in league and cup prior to Thursday night but goals from Pedro Rios, Jose Barkero and Obafemi Martins earned Juan Ignacio Martinez's men a notable scalp against a side who were playing in the Champions League group stages before Christmas.

Oleg Gusev missed a second-half penalty as wasteful Dynamo Kiev played out a 1-1 draw with Bordeaux.

The Ukrainian hosts dominated the contest and took a deserved lead through Lukman Haruna, but that was cancelled out within minutes by Ludovic Obraniak.

Goals by Toby Alderweireld and Ricardo Van Rhijn guided Ajax to a 2-0 victory over 10-man Steaua Bucharest at the Amsterdam ArenA.

Oscar saved Chelsea, interim boss Rafael Benitez and striker Fernando Torres from embarrassment with an 82nd-minute winner atSparta Prague.

Oscar Cardozo's second-half strike was enough to ensure Benficawill take a slender advantage back to the Estadio da Luz againstBayer Leverkusen.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce held BATE Borisov to a goalless draw in their Europa League first leg in Belarus despite playing all bar the first three minutes with 10 men after Raul Meireles was sent off early on.

Two goals for Lazio from Libor Kozak as well as three penalties forBorussia Monchengladbach saw a breathless match end with the 10-man Italian club in pole position ahead of the second leg.

Martin Stranzl's penalty put the Bundesliga side ahead before Sergio Floccari and Kozak turned the pendulum Lazio's way.

Stranzl then missed his second penalty, which also saw Andre Dias dismissed following his second yellow card, before three goals in six minutes brought a pulsating 3-3 draw to an end.

Atletico Madrid look to be heading out after they were beaten 2-0 at home by Rubin Kazan.

Gokdeniz Karadeniz put the Russians ahead after six minutes before Pablo Orbaiz doubled their advantage in added on time.

Juande Ramos' chances of becoming only the second manager to win the Europa League for a third time may have to wait another year after his Dnipro side were beaten 2-0 by Basel at St. Jakob-Park.

Ramos had won the trophy twice before at Sevilla and a third triumph would put him level with Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni.

However a first-half goal from Valentin Stocker and a second-half strike from Marco Streller ensured the Swiss side head into next week's second leg at the Dnipro Stadium in control.

Gareth Bale scored two sensational free-kicks as Tottenhamgained the advantage over Lyon with a thrilling last-gasp 2-1 win at White Hart Lane.

Samuel Umtiti looked like he had earned a draw for Lyon when he smashed home a stunning half-volley equaliser in the 55th minute, but once again Bale came to the rescue for Spurs.

A last-minute goal from Glynor Plet gave Genk a precious away goal as they held Stuttgart 1-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Christian Gentner had fired the hosts ahead before half-time, but Plet struck in stoppage time to level the scores and give his team the advantage heading into the return match in Belgium next week.

Thursday's Europa League Last-32 first leg results

Tottenham 2-1 Lyon

Sparta Prague 0-1 Chelsea

Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 Liverpool 

Newcastle 0-0 Metalist Kharkiv

Anzhi Makhachkala 3-1 Hannover 

Napoli 0-3 Viktoria Plzen 

Inter Milan 2-0 Cluj

Levante 3-0 Olympiacos

Dynamo Kiev 1-1 Bordeaux

Ajax 2-0 Steaua Bucharest

Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Benfica

BATE Borisov 0-0 Fenerbahce 

Borussia Monchengladbach 3-3 Lazio

Atletico Madrid 0-2 Rubin Kazan

Basel 2-0 Dnipro

Stuttgart 1-1 Genk 

Barca's Villa on the mend from kidney stones

Barcelona striker David Villa has been discharged from hospital a day after he was re-admitted because of continued pain from kidney stones, his club have confirmed.
The 31-year old went to hospital for the first time to have the stones removed on Monday and was released a day later, only to return on Thursday to be kept under observation.

The club confirmed in a statement on their official website on Friday that the Spain international had now left hospital.

He remains out of Saturday's La Liga game against Granada.

Bayern loom as Wenger prepares for Blackburn

Arsenal could have the confidence to go on and win the Champions League if they can knock out Bayern Munich in the last 16, according to manager Arsene Wenger.

The gunners host Blackburn in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, just a few days before the first leg of their European clash against Bayern at the Emirates Stadium.

Bayern were runners-up to Chelsea last season and are currently 15 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, having not lost since October 28. They have returned from the winter break with four straight league wins.

Wenger feels should his men come through such a challenge, then just like Chelsea, confidence would grow of a first European Cup triumph.

"You go into the period at the end of February and March when every game will define your season," said Wenger.

"We have a big game on Tuesday against Bayern. If we get past them, then why should we not go further and win it?" Wenger said on Friday.

"It looks at the start that (winning) the FA Cup is more reachable than any other competition, but you don't really know how difficult it will be.

"If you compare it to the Premier League certainly, we have more chances to do it because we are too far away in the Premier League."

Despite the obvious draw of next week's prestigious European fixture, Wenger maintains his side will be fully focused to see off the challenge of Blackburn and secure safe passage into the quarter-finals of the world's oldest knockout competition.

"The FA Cup is an important target for us. We always take it very seriously, we're on a good run and we want to continue the run," said Wenger, whose side have closed back up on the Barclays Premier League top four after back-to-back victories.

"We are the favourites, they're the outsiders, and have nothing to lose.

"However, if you look at who is in the squad, many of their players have Premier League experience, that is why they are dangerous."

"I always have to convince you that we take the competition seriously," he said.

"In 16 years I don't think we had (many) upsets against lower division teams, that shows that we take the competition seriously.

"We prepare for the game like a final every time, and that's why we have done reasonably well until now.

"We will take the game seriously again, and with a huge desire to win it."

Arsenal have fitness concerns over England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who went off at Sunderland last week as a precaution over a thigh problem.

Wenger said: "I will not take a risk. [That is because of] the rest of the season in mind and what happened to him before."

Captain Thomas Vermaelen should be back from his ankle problem, but fellow defender Laurent Koscielny (calf) will be assessed.

Ivory Coast forward Gervinho could be back in contention following the African Nations Cup.

"We will play a team who has a good chance to go through with experienced players," said Wenger.

"We only have big names in our squad, so it will be a team of big names, for sure."

One name not on the team-sheet, however, will be Andre Santos after the Brazilian full-back returned to his homeland on loan with Gremio.

Wenger maintains Santos could yet feature for the Gunners again.

"Santos moved because he'd lost a bit of confidence and he needs to play," said Wenger, who swooped for Spain international Nacho Monreal on deadline day.

"He is a very good football player, but didn't get enough games.

"Santos is more at ease in my opinion on the left of midfield, where there is a lot of competition.

"He will be back at the end of July, and of course he can have a future at Arsenal, but that depends as well on the ins and outs during the summer."

Wenger is continually asked whether he would rather end a trophy drought which stretches back to the 2005 FA Cup, or secure qualification for the Champions League once again. His answer is always the same.

"The basic target is the Premier League," he said.

"The real consistency of the team is the quality and the quality is judged over 38 games. That is why I believe the real assessment of the quality of the team is the Premier League

Scholes to miss further United fixtures

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson expects Paul Scholes to be missing for another fortnight with a knee injury.

The united veteran has been struggling with the problem and sat out the midweek trip to Real Madrid.

And Ferguson revealed Scholes will not be available for Monday's FA Cup tie with Reading.

"It is a knee injury, which has been bothering him a bit," said Ferguson.

"We have tried another treatment during the week.

"He will probably be back in another couple of weeks."

Ferguson confirmed his squad had come through their midweek exertions without a problem, but that there would be changes to his starting line-up against Brian McDermott's progressive team.

"I will make some," he said.

"We want to get to the quarter-finals and we do expect to qualify."

Ferguson also had words of praise for David de Gea, who produced possibly his best performance for United in the 1-1 Bernabeu draw with a string of fine saves.

"He is maturing," said Ferguson.

"Very few goalkeepers go into the first team at 20. Gianluigi Buffon and Petr Cech are two examples of those who did but it is not always the case.

"Peter Schmeichel didn't join us until he was 27, and he gave us eight great years."

FA Cup Weekend Team News

A round-up of team news ahead of this weekend's FA Cup fixtures.

Arsenal will chesck on fitness of captain Thomas Vermaelen (ankle), midfielder Jack Wilshere (thigh) and defender Laurent Koscielny (calf). Full-back Carl Jenkinson is suspended after being sent off in last week's Barclays Premier League win at Sunderland. Ivory Coast forward Gervinho could be back in contention after returning from the African Nations Cup. Left-back Kieran Gibbs remains out with a thigh injury.

Blackburn will be without Josh Morris and DJ Campbell as both are cup-tied. Lee Williamson could make his debut after the midfielder signed on a free transfer. Star striker Jordan Rhodes broke his nose against Ipswich but was fit to feature in the midweek draw with Brighton. David Dunn's calf injury leaves him sidelined along with Joshua King, Grant Hanley (both hamstring), Leon Best and Dickson Etuhu (both knee).

Oldham vs Everton

Matt Smith, who netted twice in the 3-2 defeat of Liverpool, could return from a shoulder injury. Fellow forward Robbie Simpson has made his comeback from a hamstring injury. Three loan players - Reading midfielder Jordan Obita and strikers Chris Iwelumo and Lee Barnard, from Watford and Southampton respectively - have been given the go-ahead to play. Teenage defender Glenn Belezika is training with the youth team following a four-month absence with a fractured ankle.

Everton manager David Moyes should have defender Sylvain Distin fit again. Distin pulled out of Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Manchester United just before kick-off through illness, but is poised to return. Striker Victor Anichebe is a doubt with a knock sustained at Old Trafford, while the game looks set to come too soon for right-back Seamus Coleman who has been out with a thigh injury.

Man City vs Leeds

Manchester City captain and defender Vincent Kompany (calf) is again unlikely to be risked in the tie with Leeds. Striker Carlos Tevez is available after personal issues and defender Matija Nastasic (knee) could also return but midfielder Gareth Barry is unlikely to feature because of an unspecified problem. Back-up goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon could be given another chance, in keeping with previous cup ties, but defender Micah Richards (knee) remains sidelined.

Leeds goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown could start with manager Neil Warnock set to keep faith in cup competitions rather than use regular number one Paddy Kenny. Warnock has no major new injury or suspension worries, but could rest players who are nursing knocks. Recent signings Steve Morison and Stephen Warnock started in Tuesday night's defeat at Middlesbrough and are both available, while striker El-Hadji Diouf and midfielder Rudy Austin are hoping to return to the starting line-up.

Chelsea vs Brentford

David Luiz, Demba Ba, Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel are available for Chelsea after missing the Europa League win at Sparta Prague. Luiz was suspended, Ba ineligible and Moses and Mikel rested, after winning the African Nations Cup with Nigeria, while John Terry and Ashley Cole were unused substitutes. Cole had a cold and Terry was not risked after a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, but the captain is in line to return in defence against the Bees. Oriol Romeu (knee) is a long-term absentee.

Brentford manager Uwe Rosler has no fresh concerns. Long-term absentees striker Farid El-Alagui (knee) and midfielder Kevin O'Connor (ankle) miss out. Toumani Diagouraga and Marcello Trotta are expected to return for the Bees after starting on the bench during the 2-0 win over Stevenage in midweek.

Man Utd vs Reading

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he will make changes for the tie with Reading. Javier Hernandez, Ashley Young and Nani are amongst the most obvious candidates to come in, with skipper Nemanja Vidic also primed for a recall. Paul Scholes (knee) definitely misses out.

Reading manager Brian McDermott will fully utilise his squad for the tie at Manchester United. Forwards Adam Le Fondre and Noel Hunt are back in contention after coming off the bench in last week's Barclays Premier League defeat at Stoke. Striker Jason Roberts (hip) and goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (shoulder) continue their rehabilitation.