England move above Brazil to fourth in Fifa rankings

England have moved above Brazil to fourth in the Fifa world rankings, despite their recent run of poor form.

Fabio Capello's England side only reached the last 16 of last summer's World Cup and have not won their last two qualifying matches for Euro 2012.

Spain are top of the rankings, followed by the Netherlands and Germany.

Republic of Ireland (31st), Scotland (61st) and Northern Ireland (62nd) also climb the rankings but Wales stay in 114th place.

It is the first time England have been as high as fourth since 1997, after they reached the semi-finals of Euro 96.

However, Capello and his side have come under criticism after a poor World Cup and only managing a 2-2 draw against Switzerland at Wembley earlier this month - a result that the Italian coach blamed on fatigue.

Spain's haul of 1,871 points keeps them top and they are 210 points ahead of the Netherlands, who they beat in the World Cup final in South Africa last year.

Germany's 1,417 points moves them up to third, while England tally 1,146 points.

Brazil (1,130), Italy (1,059), Portugal (1,046), Croatia (1,033), Mexico (1,007) and Argentina (979) complete the top 10.

Fifa ranking points are accumulated according to results, the importance of the matches played and the strength of the opposing teams.

A team's total number of points is representative of a four-year period, calculated by the average number of points gained over the past 12 months and the average gained from older games, though that points total depreciates yearly.

Since they were knocked out of the World Cup by Germany just over a year ago, England have won five matches, including three qualifiers; drawn three, which includes two competitive games; and lost once - to France in a friendly.

Brazil qualify for World Cup

Brazil qualified for its 19th consecutive World Cup, leaving Argentina to join Portugal and France with difficult paths to reach next year's tournament.

Defending champion Italy and European champion Spain maintained their leads in Europe, while England and Germany won friendlies ahead of qualifiers on Wed-nesday. And in Africa, Cameroon boosted their chances with their first victory in the final round of qualifying.

Luisao put Brazil ahead in the 24th minute at Rosario, Argentina, and Luis Fabiano scored in the 30th and 67th. Jesus Datolo scored in the 65th for Argentina, which will be under pressure to remove coach Diego Maradona.

Brazil lead South American qualifying with 30 points, three ahead of Chile and Paraguay and eight in front of Argentina with three matches remaining. The top-four teams advance to the World Cup while the No. 5 nation goes to a play-off against the No. 4 nation in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Brazil became the seventh nation to join host South Africa in next year's 32-nation field, following Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and the Netherlands.

Argentina lost a home qualifier for the first time since a 5-0 defeat to Colombia in 1993.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the FIFA player of the year, is in danger of missing the World Cup after Portugal needed a last-minute goal by Liedson for a 1-1 draw against Denmark. Nicklas Bendtner gave the Danes the lead in the 41st minute.

Group One

Denmark lead Group One with 17 points, four ahead of Hungary, which lost 2-1 at home to Sweden when Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in injury time. Sweden are third with 12 points and Portugal have 10 heading into Wednesday's game against Hungary. The top team qualifies from each of the nine European groups and the best eight second-place teams go to play-offs.

France likely will have to win a play-off for a World Cup berth after a disappointing 1-1 tie with Romania at Saint-Denis.

France looked in control after Thierry Henry's 48th-minute goal, but defender Julien Escude turned the ball past his goalkeeper Hugo Llorisslid while attempting to intercept a cross seven minutes later.

"The objective is to qualify, no matter how we get there. I'm not in the habit of giving up," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "There's still everything to play for, nothing is finished yet. It will go down to the last game."

Les Bleus are second in Group Seven with 14 points, four behind Serbia heading into their meeting at Belgrade on Wednesday.

The Czech Republic played to a 2-2 draw at Slovakia, which could qualify for their first major tournament. Substitute forward Milan Baros headed in his 34th international goal in the 84th minute for the Czechs.

Slovakia heads Group Three with 16 points, two ahead of Northern Ireland. The Czechs are fifth with nine.

At Tblisi, Georgia captain Kakha Kaladze - who plays for AC Milan - headed two own goals in the 57th and 67th, giving Italy a 2-0 victory over Georgia.

Ibrahimovic 'better than Ronaldo'

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho insists his striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a better player than Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is a good player but he is certainly not the best," said Mourinho.

"He deserved the Golden Ball award because his team won the Champions League and the Premier League. But, for me, Ibrahimovic is the best."

Mourinho also said he is not chasing Chelsea's Dider Drogba, but admitted he will let striker Adriano leave Inter.

The 26-year-old Brazilian forward has been linked with a move to Chelsea or a return to his home country, and is apparently now free to leave in the January transfer window.

"(Club president) Massimo Moratti and I want him to stay," said Mourinho.

"However, if he asked me to leave I would not oppose it. He has 10 years of football left to play."

He added: "I have never hidden my special relationship with Didier but I do not need another striker as I have Hernan Crespo, Julio Cruz, Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"But Drogba is more than a player for me, he is a part of me, an extension of the coach on the pitch."

With Italian champions Inter set to face Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions league next February, Mourinho has begun talking up his players.

And the former Chelsea boss believes his fellow Portuguese, Ronaldo, "is certainly not the best" player in the world.

"When I think how a player should be, names like Kaka, Ibrahimovic and (Lionel) Messi come to mind," said Mourinho.

"Messi is great and in two or three years' time he will win the Golden Ball (Ballon d'Or) award."

Ronaldo careful to avoid Fergie "hair-dryer" in Japan

Cristiano Ronaldo studiously avoided talk of Real Madrid after Manchester United booked their place in Sunday's Club World Cup final.

Spanish media reports claiming United had agreed to sell Ronaldo to Real prompted a furious response from Alex Ferguson after his side's 5-3 win over Gamba Osaka on Thursday.

While the United manager insisted he "wouldn't sell a virus" to Real, Ronaldo kept his own counsel, perhaps mindful of Ferguson's famous "hair-dryer" treatment.

"I don't want to talk about Real Madrid," the Portuguese winger told reporters after scoring one of United's five goals in their semi-final win in Yokohama. "I am happy here."

Ronaldo admitted that United would need to play better against Ecuador's LDU in order to become the first British side to win the Club World Cup.

"LDU are a great side and the final will be much more difficult," said the Ballon d'Or winner. "The second game is always harder. It would be amazing to be world champions.

"The lads want the treble (English, European and world champions) and we're delighted to be in the final. But we know we have to play better on Sunday."

LIME GREEN

Ronaldo, wearing lime green boots, gave United a 2-0 lead with a header on the stroke of halftime but was overshadowed by substitute Wayne Rooney's late double strike.

"Wayne did brilliantly tonight," said Ronaldo, who dazzled the crowd of 67,000 with his trademark stepovers. "He was hungry to score and got two fantastic goals."

Ferguson's side won the Club World Cup's forerunner, a one-off match between the champions of Europe and South America, with a 1-0 victory over Brazil's Palmeiras in 1999.

United were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Argentine side Estudiantes in 1968 when the Intercontinental Cup was played over two legs.

Ferguson was still fuming after the game about the latest rumours from Madrid, which came after last weekend's 2-0 defeat by arch-rivals Barcelona.

"Real Madrid will blame anybody but themselves for their problems," said the Scot. "I said to (chief executive) David Gill last summer, when we sold Gabriel Heinze, you can bet your life in January it will all start up with Ronaldo again.

"We know their game. We've just got to ignore it. If we keep worrying about what Real are going to say then we're not going to concentrate on our own programme of difficult games coming up."

Ferguson says Ronaldo can emulate Pele and Maradona

Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo has the potential to become as great a player as Pele or Diego Maradona, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said on Saturday.

"The expectations are always so high with Cristiano because of his rise in the last two or three years since we got him as a young kid," Ferguson told a news conference on the eve of his side's Club World Cup final against Ecuador's LDU .

"He scored 42 goals last season -- his goal-scoring is the one area which for a wide player Cristiano is absolutely superb.

"Pele scored in a World Cup final as a 17-year-old and Maradona played for his country at 17. Cristiano was 18 so the signs are the same."

Ferguson's lavish praise comes during the latest war of words between United and Spanish giants Real Madrid over the future of the Ballon d'Or winner.

"His ability with two feet is tremendous," purred Ferguson. "You would never associate it with a Portuguese winger but he is absolutely magnificent in the air.

"He's 23 now and still a very young lad but there's a lot of things in his favour to go on and prove himself as a legend."

Ronaldo was among the scorers in United's 5-3 win over Japan's Gamba Osaka in Thursday's Club World Cup semi-final but was overshadowed by two goals from substitute Wayne Rooney.

Bolton 0-2 Chelsea

Nicolas Anelka returned to haunt his former club with the opener as Chelsea returned to winning ways in impressive fashion at the Reebok Stadium.

The Frenchman put Chelsea ahead when he headed home Jose Bosingwa's cross after nine minutes, and Deco wrapped up the points with a superb scissors-kick.

The Blues had chances for a third, but Bolton responded valiantly late on.

Gary Cahill wasted their best chance, though, as Chelsea set a new record of 11 straight top-flight away victories.

It surpassed the record set by Tottenham in 1960 and Chelsea will be encouraged by the omens as Spurs went on to win the league in the 1960-61 season.

And Luiz Felipe Scolari will know that if Chelsea can replicate their away form at Stamford Bridge they will be in with a shout come next May, for this was a fine win that keeps up the pressure on leaders Liverpool, who also won.

The hosts came into the match on the back of four wins in five matches but, with Chelsea unbeaten at Bolton since 1997, the Trotters could have done without Kevin Davies missing a header when unmarked from Gavin McCann's corner.

It was a chance the striker would normally expect to get on target and he was made to pay when, barely a minute later, Chelsea were ahead.

Bosingwa was the creator, the right-back clipping a perfect cross into the area for Anelka to head in off the post to mark his first match against Bolton since his £15m departure with a goal.

Bolton responded but, apart from a Matthew Taylor long-ranger and a series of uncharacteristic flaps at crosses from Petr Cech, rarely threatened.

And on 21 minutes Deco showed the hosts how it is done in emphatic style, the Portuguese playmaker latching on to Michael Ballack's flick with a superb scissors-kick that flew into the corner.

Given the Blues' ruthlessness away from home, the second goal was the last thing Bolton needed. Chelsea were able to soak up pressure and hit the hosts on the break, with Deco guilty of a poor miss when he shot wide when through.

However, Bolton refused to give in and, to their credit, caused the odd moment of panic in the Chelsea box.

Twice the visitors had strong appeals for a penalty waved away, first when John Terry appeared to block Johan Elmander's shot with his arm - though it was by his side - and then when the same player handled Davies's header.

Both would have been harsh, though, and it was Cahill that missed the Trotters' best chance, diving on to Davies's flick-on only for Cech to beat his header away from goal.

It proved the Trotters' final chance and their brave second-half display was, ultimately, to no avail, Chelsea seeing out their first win in three matches.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chelsea assistant first-team coach Ray Wilkins:
"It was a great win for us. When we needed to fight, we fought, and when we could we played good football and made some very good chances, so we're delighted.

"We're not too concerned about the record, all we're worried about is silverware so this was all about three points.

"Of course our away form is exceptional but no-one here is worried about our home form. That will come, I'm sure."

Bolton manager Gary Megson:
"You can always take positives out of a game once you sit and analyse it but at this moment in time I'm disappointed - not just with the result, but with the way we played in the first half.

"We always try to push on against teams and take the game to them - get in their face, to use a players' expression - but we just weren't intense enough in the opening half.

"Ultimately, it has cost us because you can't expect to give a team like Chelsea a two-goal lead and get away with it. Yes, we did better in the second half, but by then it was too late."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Andrew O'Brien, Samuel (Smolarek 80), Davies, McCann, Nolan, Muamba (Gardner 46), Taylor, Elmander.
Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Riga, Shittu, Basham, Obadeyi.

Booked: Davies, Andrew O'Brien.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa (Ivanovic 89), Terry, Alex, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Kalou (Ferreira 83), Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Anelka.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Sinclair, Mineiro, Stoch, Woods.

Booked: Ballack.

Goals: Anelka 9, Deco 21.

Att: 22,023

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).

Alexandre Gaydamak ready to sell Portsmouth

Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak has put the club up for sale.

The 32-year-old Franco-Russian businessman cited growing business commitments for his decision.

He told the Sunday Mirror: "I have come to realise over a period of time that I can no longer invest the time required to oversee the running of the club."

However, Gaydamak said he will not sell to anyone without a guarantee they will commit to funding a new stadium and training ground for the club.

Gaydamak became co-owner of Portsmouth, alongside then-chairman Milan Mandaric, in January 2006.

He bought out Mandaric at a cost of about £32m to solely take the helm at Fratton Park in July that same year, and set out his strategy to find a new stadium and training facilities for the club.

Gaydamak insists he will now seek assurances that any potential buyer will ensure those ambitions become reality.

He said: "As regards the new stadium and training ground it is sensible to re-evaluate things in the current market, but I stress that it is imperative that they go ahead.

"And until I find a buyer who will give me cast iron assurances that this will be the case, I will remain at the club.

"I have already rejected two offers for the club because I didn't feel the buyers' motives were in the best interests of the club's long-term future.

"Making money from the sale of the club does not interest me. Finding the right buyer is far more important."

FIFA satisfied with meeting of the sports ministers of the European Union

Following the meeting of the European sports ministers that took place in Biarritz, France on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 November, to which the Olympic and sporting movement was also invited, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter said: "I am satisfied with the coming together of viewpoints and the strong support for the notions of specificity, autonomy and self-regulation of sport that was demonstrated by the 27 European ministers during the meeting in Biarritz. The unanimous support of the ministers and their desire for dialogue point towards a bright future for the Olympic and sporting movement."

The unity and desire for structured dialogue with the European authorities shown by the Olympic and sporting movement, led by Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, who made an impressive speech at the meeting, coupled with the backing given among others by the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, the International Ice Hockey Federation, the International Basketball Federation, the International Rugby Board and UEFA, give cause for great satisfaction at the progress of the discussions.

A private meeting between the FIFA President and the European Commissioner Jan Figel allowed both parties to allay certain doubts regarding the application of the specificity and autonomy of sport.

Blatter is equally delighted by the unanimous agreement voiced by the 27 European sports ministers on the need for dialogue and discussion of the "6+5" rule while respecting its compatibility with EU law.

The 27 European sports ministers issued the following joint statement with regard to the "6+5" rule: "... the ministers express their interest in and want to encourage further discussions on the initiatives of international federations to encourage the teams of professional clubs in each country to develop the presence of athletes capable of qualifying for national teams, in compliance with EU law, to strengthen the regional and national rules of professional clubs."

The FIFA President also spoke about the measures being taken by FIFA to protect minors and training clubs. These met with the appreciation of the European ministers.

Forum mulls enhanced EU sports role

The first European Sports Forum, held last week in the French town of Biarritz, kicked off a renewed EU-level stakeholder dialogue between the sector and the European Commission in view of a future EU competence on sport.

Around 200 representatives of European sports organisations, national sport confederations, National Olympic Committees and international sports stakeholders took stock of the implementation of the 2007 White Paper on Sport and discussed grassroots sports financing.

The Commission noted declining solidarity in sports funding as a result of increased internationalisation and competitiveness of professional sport, launching an independent study into the financing of grassroots sport in the EU 27 in early 2009.

The study will examine the sources of sports financing, covering national regulatory aspects that have an impact on funding streams related to the application of EU law, such as national monopolies on gambling.

A significant part of the forum was dedicated to the specific nature of sport. Here, the discussions mainly focused on football's disputed '6 5 rule' , proposed by FIFA to limit the number of foreign players in club competitions. The EU executive and the European Parliament argue that such a rule would constitute discrimination based on nationality and break Community law, which guarantees freedom of movement for workers.

EU sports ministers, an an informal meeting connected with the forum, asked the Commission to consider the matter of 6+5 and come up with a solution. Ministers also echoed a previous call from the European Parliament and the sports movement for EU executive to provide sports organisations clearer legal guidelines on the application of EU law.

Positions:
Several sports stakeholders told EurActiv that it was "a pity" that the forum's programme was dominated by long presentations and speeches, leaving no time for real discussion or dialogue between stakeholders.

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter welcomed EU sports ministers' support for "the need for dialogue and discussion of the '6+5 rule' while respecting its compatibility with EU law".

"Sport does not aspire to put itself above the law," UEFA President Michel Platini told the ministers, "but it is specific. Sport is not an economic activity like any other. Football is a game rather than just a product or a market. It is a spectacle rather than just a business".

Platini urged Europe to change its stance, arguing "sporting equity and competition balance cannot be submitted to arbitrary market laws". Europe must "take inspiration from sport, instead of imposing on sport unsound ideological models which have been pre-manufactured elsewhere," he said, calling on the European Commission to provide more legal certainty and adopt guidelines allowing professional football to remain within European law without compromising its autonomy.

Mogens Kirkeby, president of the International Sport and Culture Association, warned that general economic stagnation would lead to a decrease in the overall financial resources available for sport. "A strong international and national focus on the elite sport after the Olympic Games, will create a competition on the available resources within the sport sector and it will put grassroots sport under economic pressure," he said.

Kirkeby thinks that more sectors must be inspired and encouraged to contribute financial resources to grassroots sport. "The starting point for such involvement of other public and private financial partners is the instrumental abilities [such as contribution to health or social integration] of grassroots sport," he added.

Echoing Kirkeby's concerns about the imbalance in attention and funding given to elite and grassroot sport, Enrique Sanchez-Guijo Acevedo, president of the European Paralympic Committee, said there was no doubt that competitive sport was "a very complex reality and that it merits profound analysis".

However, he underlined that elite sport is nourished by grassroot sports. "We cannot take the risk of over-talking about elite sports while losing sight of its essential backbone: base sports," he said.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins Golden Ball award

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Ball awarded to the European Footballer of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the fourth Manchester United player to take the honour and the first since fellow winger George Best in 1968.

Ronaldo's brilliant scoring form helped him beat Barcelona striker Lionel Messi into second place, while Liverpool forward Fernando Torres was third in the poll results announced overnight by France Football magazine.

Ronaldo dominated the voting, tallying 446 points. Messi had 281 points and Torres had 179.

That gave Ronaldo two points more than Kaka won last year's award with.

Ronaldo was second last year with 277, while Messi was third with 255. Kaka, Milan's Brazilian playmaker, was eighth this time with only 31 points.

Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions last season as United won the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

The 23-year-old Ronaldo adds the Ballon d'Or award to the FIFA Pro World Player of the Year trophy he won in October, and the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Writers awards.

He also becomes the first Premier League player to win since former Liverpool forward Michael Owen in 2001, and the first Portuguese player since winger Luis Figo won it with Real Madrid in 2000.

France Football's award was decided by an annual poll of football journalists with a short list of 30 players.

Following Portugal's disappointing showing at the European Championship in June, Ronaldo underwent an operation to his troublesome right ankle injury in July that then kept him sidelined until September 17.

Rooney’s 100th seals derby

Manchester United overcome a late surge from City to prevail 1-0; Cristiano Ronaldo is sent off for a hand ball

Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for the third time in his Manchester United career as Wayne Rooney’s 100th goal in club football sealed a 1-0 victory for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men against Manchester City at Eastlands on Sunday. Rooney’s goal — his first in seven games — settled the 150th meeting between the Manchester neighbours and cemented United in third spot in the Premier League.

But United were forced to play the final twenty-one minutes with ten men after Ronaldo was dismissed for handling the ball from Rooney’s corner — his second booking in the space of nine minutes.

With five other players booked, United now face an FA fine for failing to control their players, but Ferguson will not be concerned by that having sealed a crucial victory. City hadn’t landed back in Manchester until early on Friday morning following their UEFA Cup tie against Schalke in Germany, and United went into this game with the advantage of having had an extra two days to prepare.

The extra freshness within the United ranks showed in the first half as the European champions dominated possession and created the best chances. Not for the first time this season, though, Ferguson’s team failed to capitalise on their early dominance and, just as happened at Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal earlier this campaign, United struggled to kill off their bitter rivals.

The visitors could have gone ahead as early as the eighth minute when City keeper Joe Hart fumbled a Rooney shot, but Darren Fletcher failed to convert the loose ball from six yards.

Late goals send Milan through in UEFA Cup

Late goals from Ronaldinho and Filippo Inzaghi salvaged a 2-2 draw for AC Milan against English FA Cup winners Portsmouth and took the seven times European champions into the last 32 of the UEFA Cup on Thursday.

Milan were trailing 2-0 until Brazilian Ronaldinho curled in a superb freekick after 84 minutes and then Inzaghi, who had hit the woodwork three times, showed fine control to slot home the equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time.

Carlo Ancelotti's side top Group E with seven points from three matches and are guaranteed a place in the knockout phase with a game to spare.

Former winners CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Ligue 1 strugglers St Etienne joined Milan as the first four teams to qualify for the last 32.

Portsmouth, roared on by the majority of a fervent 20,000 crowd shoehorned into the south coast club's Fratton Park home, had stunned Milan with second-half goals from Younes Kaboul and Nwankwo Kanu.

Kaboul powerfully headed home Glenn Johnson's inviting cross after 62 minutes and 11 minutes later Nigeria striker Kanu, whose FA Cup final winner in May secured Portsmouth's place in Europe, hooked in another Johnson cross from close range.

Ancelotti sent on Ronaldinho and Pato for Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko and it was the former who got Milan back into the game with an unstoppable swirling freekick past David James.

With time running out, a hopeful ball into the danger area was taken down with aplomb by Inzaghi who then found the bottom corner of the net.

Kaka targets English switch amid Man City link

AC Milan playmaker Kaka wants to play in the English Premier League and has been speaking to fellow Brazilians Robinho and Elano about Manchester City.

City's wealthy Abu Dhabi owners have been linked with a move for 26-year-old Kaka.

"I like very much the Premier League," the world player of the year said ahead of Thursday's UEFA Cup match at Portsmouth. "It's a very tough championship, but there are a lot of big players and a lot of big teams, so now I think it's the best championship in the world."

"So, one day maybe, I don't know when, but it would be great to play in England."

Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan broke the British transfer record to sign Robinho in September when the member of the United Arab Emirates' royal family led the Abu Dhabi United Group's purchase of City.

When asked about a move to City, Kaka said: "I have a lot of friends that are playing there, so I watch some games. I speak with Robinho and Elano sometimes about Manchester City."

Inter Milan meets Napoli in Serie A after midweek loss in Europe

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has publicly accepted the blame for his team's home loss to Panathinaikos. Now, he must motivate his players for Sunday's Serie A match against Napoli or risk increasing his culpability.

"I accept the blame for this defeat and now we have to look forward," Mourinho said Wednesday after his team lost 1-0 to Panathinaikos in the Champions League group stage.

After a slow start, Inter has opened a three-point lead over city rival AC Milan in the Serie A, but the team has won only its first of five games in the Champions League. Despite Wednesday's loss, Inter qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Mourinho will be looking to make sure his team's lackluster Champions League performances aren't transferred to the Serie A.

Napoli, four points behind Inter to be tied for third, has been one of the biggest surprises after finishing eighth last season, 35 points back from Inter. Napoli has seen several games slip away this year in the last minutes otherwise it could be even higher.

Last week, Cagliari scored in the final minute of injury time to draw a game that Napoli had controlled almost from the start. Coach Edoardo Reja berated his players, saying their youth was also partly to blame for a similar result against AC Milan earlier.

Mourinho, for his part, is likely to continue experimenting until he finds a winning combination. He has had a different starting lineup in each of Inter's 13 league games this year. On Wednesday, he started with two wingers and then later fielded three strikers.

Also Sunday, AS Roma hosts Fiorentina. Roma started slowly, dropping to just one point clear of relegation, but the team has played well lately including a 3-1 Champions League win at CFR Cluj and a 3-0 victory at Lecce last weekend in the Serie A.

Captain Francesco Totti scored in both games and appears to be finding form after injuries hampered his start to the season.

"I said this was a quality team and I have been proven correct," Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said. "The crisis is over. In the game against Cluj, I saw some things in the team that give me reason to hope. We can still improve very much."

Roma is 16 points behind Inter with a game in hand, but Totti and teammates are expected to find a demoralized Fiorentina after it was eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday.

AC Milan, which travels to Palermo, plays Portsmouth later Thursday in the UEFA Cup.

Juventus hosts Reggina on Saturday looking to rebound from last week's loss to Inter and an uninspired 0-0 draw with Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champions League. Juventus had already qualified for the last 16 with two games to spare.

Also, it's: Atalanta vs. Lazio; Cagliari vs. Sampdoria; Genoa vs. Bologna; Siena vs. Torino; Udinese vs. Chievo Verona; and Lecce vs. Catania.

Portsmouth 2-2 AC Milan

Filippo Inzaghi struck a late equaliser to break Portsmouth's hearts and send AC Milan into the Uefa Cup's last 32.

Inzaghi hit the post and the bar early on, while Peter Crouch was guilty of missing three excellent chances.

Younes Kaboul headed in Glen Johnson's pin-point cross to put Pompey ahead and Kanu doubled the lead from close range.

Inzaghi hit the woodwork again with a diving header, before Ronaldinho scored with a superb free-kick and Inzaghi's toe-poke snatched a draw.

Talk before the game had been that Milan were not relishing the prospect of a wintry evening at Fratton Park.

And it looked like Portsmouth were going to pull off a famous victory until Inzaghi's late, late intervention.

Not that anyone could really begrudge the striker his reward for a performance of real menace.

The former Italy international almost opened the scoring when he latched on to Andriy Shevchenko's free-kick, sending a left-footed shot against the foot of the post.

Inzaghi hit the woodwork again when he raced on to Gennaro Gattuso's pass and lofted the ball over David James and against the top of the bar.

In between those chances for Milan, Crouch should have done better when volleying horribly off target after being picked out by Kanu's cross into the box.

It was to be the story of the night for Crouch, who later headed back into the box with the goal gaping, sent a diving header wide and mistimed an overhead kick.

Pompey, though, were at least creating chances and certainly did not look overawed.

Following a slick passing move, they fashioned another opening, but the angle proved too tight for Glen Little to get his volley on target.

Aside from a couple of long-range efforts from world player of the year Kaka, Milan were unable to threaten.

And it was no great surprise when Pompey broke the deadlock though Kaboul, who rose between two Milan defenders to thump home a header.

Nine minutes later, the home side doubled their lead - and again it was Johnson who was the provider, this time sending in a cross for Kanu to convert.

But rather than folding, Milan came back strongly, with Inzaghi denied once again by the frame of the goal from a diving header.

On came Ronaldinho, who quickly made an impression when he curled in an exquisite 25-yard free-kick to give Milan a lifeline.

Luca Antonini went close with a low, skidding shot as the visitors searched for an equaliser, which they got when Inzaghi struck after his sublime first touch set him up to earn his side a vital point.

It was a hugely disappointing end for Pompey and their fans, but the club still has hopes of making the last 32.

They need to pick up points from their remaining games against Germany's Wolfsburg - away next Thursday - and Holland's Heerenveen to join Milan in the group's top three.


Portsmouth manager Tony Adams:

"The boys are feeling flat in there. They thought they had won it. But I'm proud of them tonight.

"This was the best performance I've seen from us in a long time. And we can still say we are four games unbeaten now, including against Milan.

"We are struggling to put teams to bed, but they (Milan) have some excellent players. If you switch off, they punish you.

"We can work on picking teams up from set plays but it was a fantastic free-kick. But I was very entertained by my players tonight.

"We've given ourselves a chance but we will still have to get over this. The boys are really upset they didn't hang on to win."

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti:

"Ronaldinho's free-kick changed the face of the game but we almost lost hope. The reaction had to be good and it was, but you don't often get the opportunity from 2-0 down.

"We were a little lucky. We played quite well in the first half but it became a bit more difficult in the second half after they took the lead.

"Inzaghi deserved his goal. He was unlucky to twice hit a post but we still had to get the break to recover.

"(Portsmouth's) performance did not surprise me. I think they can still go through to the third round in the UEFA Cup with us."


Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Kaboul, Distin, Belhadj, Little (Mvuemba 66), Diop, Hughes, Traore, Crouch, Kanu (Davis 81).
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Hreidarsson, Pamarot, Wilson.

Booked: Hughes.

Goals: Kaboul 62, Kanu 73.

AC Milan: Dida, Zambrotta, Favalli, Senderos, Antonini, Gattuso (Seedorf 65), Emerson, Flamini, Kaka (Alexandre Pato 74), Inzaghi, Shevchenko (Ronaldinho 74).
Subs Not Used: Kalac, Kaladze, Pirlo, Bonera.

Booked: Antonini.

Goals: Ronaldinho 84, Inzaghi 90+2.

Att: 20,403

Ref: Serge Gumienny.

Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi likely to race for Toro Rosso, says co-owner

Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi is likely to replace Germany's Sebastian Vettel at Toro Rosso next season, the Formula One team's co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz said on Monday.

Vettel, 21, has moved on to the main Red Bull Racing team following the retirement of Britain's David Coulthard and several drivers are queueing up to take his place at the race-winning team.

France's Sebastien Bourdais has also yet to be confirmed for 2009, leaving another possible vacancy.

"One will very likely be Buemi," Mateschitz told the autosport.com website. "The line-up will be confirmed before the last test in December."

The 20-year-old Swiss was the Red Bull reserve driver this year and tested with Toro Rosso in Barcelona this month.

He would be Switzerland's first Formula One driver since Jean-Denis Deletraz raced without success for the Pacific Ford team in 1995.

"I am young and I learn quickly. I think that all teams now try to have an experienced driver and a young driver, as you see for example, at Renault," Buemi told the official Formula One website (www.formula1.com) after the Barcelona test.

"The immediate past has shown that the young guys don't need too long to deliver results...Young drivers have shown that they can deliver almost straight away."

Vettel won the Italian Grand Prix for Toro Rosso in September to become Formula One's youngest race winner.

Red Bull take over Toro Rosso F1 team

Red Bull have taken back total control of the Toro Rosso Formula One team, the energy drink company said on Tuesday.

The company said in a statement that they had re-acquired co-owner Gerhard Berger's 50 percent holding "subject to approval by competition authorities".

Austrian Berger, a former Ferrari and McLaren driver with 10 Formula One wins to his credit, had controlled Toro Rosso jointly with Red Bull's billionaire founder and compatriot Dietrich Mateschitz since 2006.

Mateschitz, who already owned the Red Bull Racing F1 team, bought the struggling Italy-based Minardi outfit at the end of 2005 and renamed it. Toro Rosso means Red Bull in Italian.

Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso out-performed Red Bull this year, winning the Italian Grand Prix in September with 21-year-old German Sebastian Vettel.

"Red Bull will now run Toro Rosso alone...as well as remaining a partner of Berger Logistik," said Mateschitz, referring to Berger's family-owned haulage firm which is half-owned by Mateschitz's company.

Toro Rosso's future had been in doubt, with Mateschitz saying in March that Red Bull wanted to sell their stake before 2010 when the current regulations require all teams to build and design their own cars.

The 2008 Toro Rosso and Renault-powered Red Bull cars were both designed by Red Bull Technology under the guidance of former McLaren technical director Adrian Newey.

It was not immediately clear what had brought about Mateschitz's change of heart, although there has been talk recently of relaxing the 'customer car' rules, at a time when teams are under pressure to cut costs.

Toro Rosso have yet to announce their 2009 driver line-up, with France's Sebastian Bourdais saying last week that the team needed money and were looking for a driver who could bring funds with him as well as talent.

Arsenal beat Kiev to reach last 16

Arsenal edged into the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday with a game to spare after an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev at the Emirates.

Substitute Nicklas Bendtner struck three minutes from time to keep Arsenal top of Group G and eliminate Kiev who ended with 10 men after midfielder Olexandr Aliyev lost his cool in the final minutes and pushed referee Alain Hamer.

Kiev, needing a win, should have taken advantage of an injury-hit Arsenal whose season has been coming off the rails in recent weeks with consecutive league defeats and the sacking of William Gallas as club captain.

Until Bendtner's 87th-minute goal, the visitors had enjoyed the best chances of a disappointing game with Ismael Bangoura denied by the woodwork in the first half and Artem Milevskiy shooting straight at Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia late on.

Victory lifted Arsenal to 11 points with one game to play at second-placed Porto on December 10 when a draw will guarantee them top spot of the group.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger recalled Gallas, who was dropped at the weekend following comments he made about the team, and the Frenchman was at the centre of the night's key moments.

After receiving a good reception from the home fans he almost became the villain after 38 minutes when he gifted the ball to Kiev dangerman Bangoura who curled a shot against the near post when a pass to a team mate would have been the better option.

Holders United lead rush into knockout phase

Holders Manchester United advanced to the knockout phase as all eight qualifiers from the first four Champions League groups were decided with a round to spare on Tuesday.

United progressed with a goalless draw at Villarreal, the fourth in a row between the two clubs, which was also enough to send the Spaniards through from Group E.

Group F was also decided as Bayern Munich beat Steaua Bucharest 3-0 with two goals from Miroslav Klose and Olympique Lyon edged to a 2-1 win at Fiorentina to go through.

A seventh-minute goal by Raul was enough to give Real Madrid a 1-0 win at Bate Borisov to send the nine-time champions through from Group H alongside Juventus, who had already qualified and who drew 0-0 at Zenit St Petersburg.

Arsenal left it late at the Emirates as an 87th-minute goal by Nicklas Bendtner secured the 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev that sent the Londoners through from Group G along with Porto after they won 2-1 at Fenerbahce with two goals from Lisandro.

Barcelona and Sporting had already qualified, leaving six slots up for grabs from the remaining groups.

Anorthosis Famagusta dream of last 16

Cypriot underdogs Anorthosis Famagusta will reach the Champions League last 16 later on Wednesday if they beat Werder Bremen at home and Group B leaders Inter Milan defeat Panathinaikos.

The competition newcomers can seal their shock progression with a game in hand and will be confident after holding the Germans to a 0-0 draw in Bremen in their first group game.

Inter, who drew 3-3 at Anorthosis last time out, need just a point at the San Siro to go through but coach Jose Mourinho is keen to finish top of the group following Saturday's morale-boosting 1-0 Serie A win over Juventus.

Last season's runners-up Chelsea can ensure a place in the knockout stages with a victory at Bordeaux but they will be wary after the 3-1 defeat at AS Roma in their last Group A game.

Roma visit Romania's CFR Cluj, who beat the Italians 2-1 away in their group opener, but neither can progress just yet.

Liverpool will have inspirational midfielder Steven Gerrard back from injury for the visit of Marseille while fellow Group D leaders Atletico Madrid host PSV Eindhoven. Wins would put both sides through while draws for both would also suffice.

Sporting entertain Barcelona in Group C with the two clubs already through to February's last 16. A victory for Barca in Lisbon would make sure they finish top of the group.