Marseille, United in Champions League goalless draw

Manchester United's striker Wayne Rooney (C) controls the ball in front of Olympique Marseille's Senegalese defenders Leyti N'Diaye (L) and Souleymane Diawara (R) during the Champions League football match Olympique de Marseille versus Manchester United at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France. The match ended 0-0.

Manchester United and Marseille shared the spoils, but no goals, as the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie ended in a drab and forgettable 0-0 draw here on Wednesday.

With Marseille fearful of conceding an away goal and United rusty in attack the game was reduced to a war of attrition in which ponderous passing and stout defending were the order of the day.

The game's best chance saw Darren Fletcher draw a smart save from Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda with a low drive and it was one of few highlights on a night when the teams succeeded only in cancelling each other out.

In the absence of a knockout blow in the first leg, a goal for Marseille in the return match on March 15 will put them in a commanding position to reach the last eight for the first time since they won the tournament in 1993.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson conceded that the result left the outcome delicately balanced, but he took solace from the fact his side still have their fate in their own hands.

"This sort of result can be dangerous if you concede a goal at home," said the 69-year-old Scot. "But it's simple because if we win, we go through.

"It was a disappointing game but they (Marseille) were desperate not to concede a goal.

"But I also expected more of us offensively, as we didn't make the most of our chances when we got into good positions."

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was delighted that his team had delivered on his wish not to concede an away goal.

"I am very happy with my players because they have done their best tonight as Manchester United showed what a good team they are," said Deschamps, who captained Marseille to the 1993 trophy.

Olympique Marseille's goalkeeper Steve Mandanda (R) grabs the ball in front of Manchester United's striker Wayne Rooney (C) during their UEFA Champions League football match Marseille vs Manchester at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France. The match ended 0-0.

"Maybe we will have an opportunity to score in the second leg. It is not a bad result for us but it is a good one for United," he added.

Deschamps's side started the game in cautious fashion, allowing United to take the initiative.

The visitors appeared keen to test former United player Gabriel Heinze's ageing legs in the Marseille left-back position and Nani was regularly sought out with searching passes into the space behind the Argentine.

Fletcher's chance arrived in the eighth minute as he tested Mandanda with a skidding effort from the edge of the box, while Souleymane Diawara showed alertness to block from Wayne Rooney.

The good positions that Marseille did manage to adopt were squandered due to a reluctance to shoot at goal, testament perhaps to the absence through injury of in-form striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.

A miscued overhead kick by Brandao was all they could muster in the first 45 minutes, while United's own momentum faded after a bright start.

The hosts enjoyed a more promising spell early in the second period, with Edwin van der Sar called into action by a Brandao header before Andre Ayew thrashed a half-volley across goal and wide from the left-hand side.

The hosts' flurry of attacking endeavour roused the notoriously demanding Stade Velodrome crowd but United -- who conceded just one goal in the group phase -- defended calmly and were not unduly troubled.

A moment of inattention from Rod Fanni gave Dimitar Berbatov a sight of goal at the other end but Diawara intervened smartly to get in the way of the Bulgarian's shot.

Deschamps introduced Mathieu Valbuena, freshly recovered from a knee injury, with 11 minutes to play but the France winger's first touch spoke of weeks on the sidelines as he tamely let the ball roll out of play.

Mandanda saved at Nani's feet to keep the Premier League leaders at bay before the fans' patience was finally rewarded by the final whistle.

Bayern beat Inter Milan in Champions League

Bayern Munich's midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (L) fights for the ball with Inter Milan's Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta during their Champions League football match at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Bayern won 1-0.

Mario Gomez scored a last minute winner to put Bayern Munich firmly in control of their last 16 Champions League tie against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

The Germans' 1-0 success meant that all three remaining Italian teams in the competition lost their second round home legs and all face the prospect of crashing out at this stage with tougher away games still to come.

For Bayern it also went some way to exacting revenge for their Champions League final defeat to Inter in Madrid back in May.

Gomez said his goal was rich reward for Bayern's positive approach to the game.

"That was certainly my most important goal in the Champions League," he said.

"When you score a goal just before the end, which seals an away win, that is, of course, very nice.

"We fought for everything, everything at the back, everything up front and we were rewarded at the end."

Inter coach Leonardo said that despite the defeat his side are still in a good position to progress.

"Of course it's a bad defeat but the only thing that changes is your mood, it doesn't change the game in Munich where we'll go and try to win," he said.

"Nothing is compromised. It's hard to lose in the last minute but we played well."

Bayern almost handed Inter a dream start with some shocking defending in the second minute as Andrea Ranocchia was left alone eight yards out to meet a Wesley Sneijder free-kick but he flicked it wide.

Inter Milan's Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o (R) fights for the ball with Bayern Munich's defender Philipp Lahm during their Champions League football match at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Bayern won 1-0.

The Germans had two quick chances but Lucio blocked a Franck Ribery shot and centre-back partner Ranocchia got in the way of a Thomas Mueller effort.

With the Inter defence backing off Luiz Gustavo tried his luck from 25 yards but it flashed just wide.

And moments later he had a crack from 30 yards that took a wicked deflection and almost looped into the top corner.

It wasn't all Bayern as brilliant work from Samuel Eto'o down the right saw him beat Holger Badstuber and feed the ball inside to Esteban Cambiasso six yards out but Thomas Kraft got out well to block his hurried shot.

Eto'o was skinning Badstuber every time and Bayern coach Louis van Gaal acted in the first half, bringing on Brazilian Breno to marshall the speedy Cameroon captain.

Bayern came closest to a first-half goal when an inviting inswinging cross from Arjen Robben on 24 minutes found Ribery stealing across his marker to flick a header onto the bar.

Another great move from Bayern saw Robben slip the ball between two defenders for captain Philipp Lahm, whose cross picked out Gomez but he spooned his effort into the night sky.

On 33 minutes a snap-shot on the turn from Eto'o forced Kraft into a diving one-handed save.

Robben created the chance of the match for Mueller two minutes after the restart but from inside the six yard box the young German somehow flicked his header wide of the far post.

And then on a lightning counter after Inter gave the ball away in midfield, Robben ran across the defence and hit the outside of the post with a right-footed effort.

Bayern were next to give the ball away in a perilous position and after Kraft saved from Eto'o, Cambiasso blazed the follow-up over the bar.

Robben also sent a rasping effort over the bar up the other end while Mueller almost found Gomez with a chip over the top.

With 10 minutes left Inter had a sniff of goal but Kraft stood up to Houssine Kharja's cross-shot while a deflected Sneijder free-kick then landed on the roof of the net.

From the resultant corner Thiago Motta headed straight at Kraft from eight yards and an Eto'o shot was also deflected wide as the hosts suddenly started to push for a winner.

But then in the last minute Julio Cesar, who hadn't made a save of note all night, failed to hold a skimming drive from Robben and Gomez tapped home the rebound.

Anfield advantage to lift Liverpool in Europa League

Liverpool host Sparta Prague at Anfield in the Europa League quarter finals on Thursday with Danish international Daniel Agger (pictured, left) predicting a more attacking display after his side's drab 0-0 draw in the round of 32 first leg in Prague last week.

Liverpool and Manchester City are counting on the comforts of home to secure their passage into the Europa League quarter finals on Thursday.
Liverpool host Sparta Prague at Anfield with Danish international Daniel Agger predicting a more attacking display after his side's drab 0-0 draw in the round of 32 first leg in Prague last week.
City's tie with Aris Salonika is identically poised ahead of the Greek outfit's visit to Eastlands, with Roberto Mancini's men approaching the game in high spirits after their 5-0 FA Cup drubbing of Notts County.
Elsewhere Serie A highflyers Napoli travel to Villarreal after another goalless stalemate in the first leg, while former European kings Ajax are in the driving seat for their trip to Anderlecht after winning last week's first bout 3-0.
Agger believes home advantage can see Liverpool through to a last 16 match-up with either Portugal's Sporting Braga or Lech Poznan of Poland.
"We will approach Thursday like we do every home game," he told liverpoolfc.tv.
"Try to get forward and keep the ball, playing attacking football, and at Anfield if we play well, it will be difficult for every team.
"So we've got a good chance, but it's not easy, it's never easy in the knockout stages."
Agger is well aware of the power of Anfield having scored in Liverpool's semi-final at the stadium against Chelsea to help the Reds on their way to a penalty shoot-out win and a date with AC Milan in the 2007 Champions League final,
"It was so important, we lost 1-0 away, but we knew we had a good chance back at Anfield," Agger recalled.
"The fans and the crowd in the home tie was unbelievable."
The Danish defender believes the arrival of Kenny Dalglish as Roy Hodgson's successor has been the making of a team that has conceded just once in their last six outings under the Liverpool legend.
"You have to look at the team which is exactly the same (as under Hodgson). Kenny came in with new ideas, and they made us really happy about playing football.
"That has been the main reason why we've improved defensively because we're keeping the ball going forward."
Napoli's former Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena in contrast believes Villarreal could come unstuck by playing at home.
"Villarreal will have to leave themselves a little more exposed compared to in Naples," he told uefa.com.
"We know our strengths, so we will try to use them by scoring, and the fact that away goals count double could work in our favour. It's a great advantage for us that we didn't concede at home."
Villarreal's Joan Capdevila warned Napoli to expect a tough night at the Stadio San Paolo.
"We weren't really happy with the result because 0-0 away from home is not ideal in Europe," the Spanish World Cup winner said.
"If they score in the return, we could get knocked out, so we'd much rather have come away from the first leg with an away goal. The second leg will be very different at El Madrigal, though.
"You'll see a much more attacking Villarreal and I think it'll be a very open game, with lots of goalscoring chances."
In Glasgow, last year's finalists Rangers greet Sporting Lisbon with the disadvantage of having conceded a late away goal in last week's 1-1 draw.
Rangers captain David Weir commented: "To lose a goal as late as we did after managing to get in front and improving as the game went on, obviously the overall feeling is disappointment.
"I'm sure they will feel they have the upper hand now but I still think we have every chance in the tie."
In Holland Eindhoven mayor Rob Gijzel has taken "emergency" measures for the visit of French side Lille at PSV after violent clashes between fans and police last week in France before the 2-2 draw.