Wigan Athletic v Manchester United

Four points from United's next two league games, at Wigan on Wednesday evening and at home to Arsenal on Saturday, will guarantee a third successive title – only the fifth time in English football history that a title hat-trick has been achieved – and a record-equalling 18th league championship.

Should the domestic formalities be concluded this weekend, United could look forward to a Champions League final encounter with Barcelona in Rome, where victory would make them the first club to retain the Champions League in its present form and also emulate Ajax, who in 1973 became the last team to retain both their domestic and European crowns.

When Ferdinand celebrated his first Premier League title with United in 2003, 12 months after completing a £30 million transfer from Leeds, the defender might have been justified to believe that his Old Trafford career would continue to follow a similar path to glory.

But Arsenal's 'Invincibles' and the Roman Abramovich revolution at Chelsea shifted the balance of power from Manchester to London and left many doubting United's ability to overhaul their rivals in the capital.

Ferguson kept faith with his young team, however, and he also urged his frustrated players to trust his confidence in the future. And with more success now seemingly just around the corner, Ferdinand admits that he would have been a fool to doubt his manager.

"Four seasons ago, everyone was saying we were finished and that we were a spent force," Ferdinand said.

"I can remember people booing Ryan Giggs. That is how mad it was.

"But the manager calmed us down, told us to take our time and trust him. He assured us it was a transitional period and the results since have proved that.

"You just have to trust the manager. He has been so successful, so not to have done that would have been crazy and the players have stood by everything he has done.

"I never once thought this [success] might not happen again or that it was the end of an era.

"In terms of the league and Europe, we have not won anything yet, but we are in a great position to do so."

Ferdinand and United have fond memories of their last visit to Wigan. On the final day of last season, a 2-0 victory at the JJB Stadium secured United's 17th title and prompted a trophy parade in front of their 5,000 travelling supporters.

But the title cannot be won at Wigan this year. Nothing can be confirmed until Arsenal visit Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime, but with only one of United's 10 Premier League titles being won in front of their own supporters – against Tottenham in 1999 – Ferdinand admits he is determined to finish the job on home turf.

"I have not played a football match to win the league at Old Trafford," Ferdinand said. "I have won it at away grounds and been in my house when another team has lost, so it would be nice to win it at Old Trafford.

"But in all honesty, I would win it anywhere. I would win it on the grass outside the training ground if I had to."

Ferguson is expected to stick with Cristiano Ronaldo to the starting line-up on Wednesday night, despite his reaction to being substituted against Manchester City on Sunday.

United have privately dismissed renewed reports in Spain that the player has agreed a deal to sign for Real Madrid this summer as groundless, with senior figures at Old Trafford understood to regard the latest speculation as tedious.

Ferdinand is facing a late fitness test on a calf injury before Ferguson selects his team to face Wigan. With Jonny Evans also doubtful with a hamstring strain, John O'Shea is on standby to deputise in central defence.

With Arsenal due at Old Trafford less than 72 hours after the Wigan game, Ferguson admits that he will rotate his squad again to keep his players fit and fresh in the build-up to Rome.

"It's a hard game and we have only had three days to prepare following the game against Manchester City," Ferguson said. "I'll freshen my team up and will make two or three changes again.

"We need to do that, to keep the squad playing. I've got a big squad, so I will use it.

"Steve Bruce has built a very powerful, athletic team at Wigan and, although they had a bad start to the season, they came back with great rattle and got themselves into a European position.

"They may have tailed off a bit from that, but Brucey has still done a great job. There has been progress."

Team details

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Rafael, O'Shea, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Anderson, Park, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov, Macheda.
Wigan Athletic (from): Kingson, Melchiot, Figueroa, Edman, Boyce, Bramble, Scharner, Valencia, Koumas, De Ridder, Cattermole, Brown, Watson, N'Zogbia, Kapo, Mido, Rodallega, Sibierski, Pollitt.

Chelsea v Barcelona: John Terry vents fury at referee for mistakes

إستبعاد شادي وأمير وانضمام طلعت لقائمة الأهلي استعداداً للترسانة

أعلن الجهاز الفني لنادي الأهلي بقيادة المدير الفني البرتغالي مانويل جوزيه عن قائمة الفريق التي ضمت 18 لاعباً استعداداً للقاء الترسانة المؤجل من الأسبوع الـ27 للدوري المصري. وشهدت القائمة مفاجآت بالجملة بخروج أمير عبد الحميد وأسامة حسني لأسباب فنية وخروج وائل جمعة وحسين علي وأحمد حسن "دروجبا" وشادي محمد قائد الفريق للإصابة إلي جانب سيد معوض ومعتز بالله إينو وأحمد فتحي للإيقاف. وقام الجهاز الفني بضم ثلاثي الشباب مصطفي صلاح "عفروتو" وشهاب الدين أحمد ومصطفي طلعت للمرة الأولي

Chelsea 1 Barcelona 1: Match report

How sad. Sport is supposed to be a celebration of man’s achievements, of the leadership of John Terry, the relentless running of Frank Lampard, the mesmerising dribbling of Lionel Messi and the spectacular finishing of Michael Essien and Andres Iniesta, last night’s scorers. Instead, this tie will be remembered for Tom Henning Ovrebo’s inability to tell right from wrong.

To lose sight of one clear-cut penalty, a foul by Dani Alves on Florent Malouda inside the box, can be considered a misfortune. To lose sight of a second spot-kick, a shirt-tugging offence by Eric Abidal on Didier Drogba, can be considered carelessness.

But to miss a third offence, a blatant handball by Gerard Pique, had Chelsea fans and players talking openly of a conspiracy against them. (Of the fourth claim, Samuel Eto’o had no chance to move his arm, and had his back to the ball, when Michael Ballack’s volley hit him).

In the anguished-filled minds of many at Chelsea they were robbed of a place in the Rome final with Manchester United because Uefa wanted to break the Premier League’s stranglehold. Nonsense, of course. Uefa’s president, Michel Platini, may have issues with the English, may have been spotted singing along with the Barcelona anthem at the first leg, but Ovrebo’s errors were honest ones. No conspiracy. Just ineptitude.

The Norwegian just had a shocking game, one that will inevitably trigger a debate over whether referees from less competitive leagues should be given such high-profile, high-speed games. The fourth official, Brage Sandmoen, failed to control the anarchy that swept the dug-out for 10 minutes, although the players were ultimately responsible.

Chelsea surrendered some of the moral high ground when a barefooted Drogba went hunting for Ovrebo at the final whistle. No amount of nausea over the unfairness of the situation can condone Drogba’s disgraceful reaction, the Chelsea striker railing manically at Ovrebo, accusing the Norwegian of all manner of calumnies and shouting accusations about cheating into a TV lens, forcing Sky to apologise. Drogba deserves whatever punishment Uefa throws at him.

The sour grapes swirling around Drogba’s mouth, intoxicating him, destroying his composure, was in stark contrast to his manager, Hiddink, who remained a dignified figure despite his frustration, despite being knocked off his feet by jubilating Catalans stampeding down the touchline to their fans like a herd of David Pleats.

Ovrebo’s ineptitude must still not be allowed to cloud admiration for Barcelona’s resilience, for sticking to their rich passing traditions even when Abidal was dismissed for bringing down Nicolas Anelka. For half-an-hour, Barcelona played with 10 men, still passing and probing as if they had a full complement.

If Hiddink winces with one regret, Ovrebo apart, it will be that he did not stretch Barcelona more. He removed the hobbling Drogba after 72 minutes and sent on the more defensive Juliano Belletti. If only Hiddink had enjoyed some wide options to call on. He could have inserted John Obi Mikel into the centre and pushed Essien on.

But the Dutchman can hold his head high today. So can Terry, a colossus at the back. So can Lampard, who ended the game with his shirt stained with sweat and blood still seeping from a mouth wound. So can Ballack, who made clearance after clearance, his reputation damaged only when losing it with Ovrebo at the end. William Shakespeare could have written a book on Ballack’s semi-finals for clubs and country and it would definitely be a tragedy.

All’s ill that ends ill. Yet Chelsea had started well. Essien’s ninth-minute strike was so sensational, so dripping with technique that the visiting stylists from Catalonia would happily have claimed it as their own. Barcelona were undone by a swift attack, Ashley Cole exploiting more poor positioning by Dani Alves, the attack-obsessed right-back who seems to believe defending is for lesser souls. Cole pushed on, slipping the ball down the inside-left channel towards Lampard, ubiquity in blue.

His shot struck Yaya Toure, rebounding out towards Essien. What a response! What a goal! As the ball dropped from the warm night sky, Essien caught it left footed on the volley, the ball arcing through the air, crashing off the underside of the bar and crossing the line: 81 minutes to go, could Chelsea hold on? Tension mounted, Chelsea knowing one mistake would give Barcelona the away-goal edge.

Soon the ball was moving as if bewitched between the magical feet of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. Yet Barcelona were all possession without penetration. Until the cruel denouement it appeared that Hiddink had again done his homework, setting up Chelsea to give numbers in midfield spiced with a counter-attacking threat. Essien and Ballack anchored, allowing Anelka, Lampard and the busy Malouda to support Drogba.

And so the penalty claims came and went. Drogba went to ground, indicating Abidal had been pulling his shirt. He had. Play on. Then the hapless Alves tried to learn the defensive trade on the hoof, the Brazilian clearly clipping the heels of Malouda just inside the box. Outside said Ovrebo, which was exactly where a few Chelsea fans wanted to take him. “We don’t get penalties now that Mourinho’s gone," fumed one Chelsea fan.

Chelsea were looking good on the counter. Drogba went through on goal after 52 minutes but Victor Valdes saved. Abidal’s party soon ended, the left-back departing for clutching the shirt of Anelka, who eventually fell over. Pique then handled Anelka’s flick. Play on.

Brutal. Barcelona’s clincher stemmed from a mistake by Essien, who lost possession to Messi and Iniesta, arguably the player of the tie, did the rest with a magnificent 20-yarder. Chelsea hearts were broken, their mouths filled with bile over how cruel and unfair football can be.

الأهلى يبحث عن الثقة والصدارة فى موقعة الشواكيش

برغبة قوية فى الفوز لاستعادة الثقة المفقودة والصدارة، يخوض الفريق الكروى الأول بالنادى الأهلى مباراته أمام الترسانة فى التاسعة مساء اليوم على أرض ملعب ستاد الكلية الحربية، والمؤجلة من الجولة السابعة والعشرين لبطولة الدورى العام.

يسعى الجهاز الفنى للأهلى بقيادة مانويل جوزيه للحاق بالإسماعيلى على القمة من خلال حصد نقاط المباراة الثلاث ومساواته فى الرصيد على أن يتم الحسم من خلال المباراتين المتبقيتين لكل منهما، فالأهلى سيلعب أمام حرس الحدود وطلائع الجيش، والإسماعيلى أمام الاتصالات والترسانة.

ويربك حسابات جوزيه اليوم تقدم الإسماعيلى عن فريقه بثلاث نقاط، مما يشكل ضغطاً على اللاعبين. وحث المدير الفنى لاعبيه على الفوز، والتمسك بلقب البطولة، وعدم التفريط فى النقاط الثلاث حتى تستمر المنافسة على اللقب. وشدد جوزيه على ضرورة تعويض الجماهير، واستعادة الثقة المفقودة وعودة كبرياء البطل.

وعلى الرغم من النقص العددى الذى يعانى منه الفريق فى ظل غياب سيد معوض وأحمد فتحى والمعتز بالله إينو للإيقاف، الأول للطرد فى لقاء إنبى، والثانى والثالث لحصولهما على الإنذار الثالث. ويجهز مانويل جوزيه مفاجأة بالاعتماد على أحمد على فى مركز المساك،

وينتظر أن يخوض الفريق اللقاء بكل من رمزى صالح فى حراسة المرمى، وأمامه أحمد السيد ومحمد سمير وأحمد على (شادى محمد) وجيلبرتو ناحية اليسار، وأحمد صديق فى اليمين، وحسام عاشور ومحمد بركات وأحمد حسن فى الوسط، وفلافيو ومحمد أبوتريكة فى الهجوم.

وحاول حسام البدرى مساعدة اللاعبين على الخروج من أحزانهم واستعادة تركيزهم فى الدورى، وأعد أحمد حسن مأدبة غداء للاعبين فى منزله، وحثهم على التمسك بالبطولة، وتعاهد الجميع على الفوز فى المباريات المتبقية من عمر الدورى.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، يدخل الترسانة اللقاء، وليس لديه ما يبكى عليه بعدما باتت فرصته فى البقاء بالدورى الممتاز شبه معدومة، بعد تجمد رصيده عند ٢٣ نقطة فى المركز قبل الأخير، وأمامه مباراتان غاية فى الصعوبة أمام الإسماعيلى وبتروجيت فى الجولتين المتبقيتين.

من جانبه، أكد يحيى السيد، المدير الفنى للفريق، أنه سيخوض المباراة أملاً فى تقديم عرض مشرف يليق باسم الترسانة، وقال: «رغم صعوبة موقفنا فإننا سنلعب كرة قدم نظيفة حتى آخر دقيقة من عمر الدورى»، مشيراً إلى وجود بصيص من الأمل فى البقاء فى حالة تحقيق فريقه الفوز فى المباريات الثلاث المتبقية.

وأضاف أنه لقن لاعبيه خطة لقاء اليوم التى تعتمد على التمركز السليم فى وسط الملعب واستغلال المساحات الشاسعة التى ظهرت فى أداء الأهلى خلال مباراته الأخيرة أمام كانو بيلارز بطل نيجيريا،

ولفت إلى أن صفوف فريقه مكتملة باستثناء عمرو سماكة الذى سيغيب للإصابة، ومن المنتظر أن يخوض الشواكيش اللقاء بتشكيل يضم كلاً من رافائيل جواوا فى حراسة المرمى وأمامه محمد الريس وإبراهيم البهنسى وعمرو الدسوقى وهانى السيد وإسلام طاهر وطارق السيد وعبدالرحمن محيى وحيدر أبوبكر وعاهد عبدالمجيد.

المصري اليوم