Soccer Sports News & Betting

Liverpool cuts ticket prices amid credit crunch. The global financial crisis might have pushed Liverpool to freeze construction of a new stadium, but the American-owned club said Thursday that ticket prices will be cut to help fans feeling the pinch.

The British government will cut the basic sales tax Monday from 17.5 to 15 percent to in an attempt to kick-start the economy.

While incorporating the Value Added Tax reduction, Liverpool said it is going further by taking 1 pound ($1.5; 1.2 euros) off Anfield game tickets to match cuts made a day earlier by crosstown rival Everton.

“We recognize these are very difficult times for many people and wanted to help with a reduction for our supporters beyond the cut in VAT,” Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said.

Tickets in the popular Kop stand have dropped to 36 pounds ($56, 43 euros) for matches against top opposition like Chelsea, while seats elsewhere in Anfield are now 38 pounds ($59, 45 euros).

With upcoming matches against West Ham and Hull sold out, the change comes into effect when the Reds host Bolton on Dec. 26.

The global credit squeeze has led co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. to stop building work on a new 60,000-seat stadium on land adjacent to Anfield. An area of the building site has been reclaimed as a car park for Anfield visitors.

“The current situation in the financial world has made it prudent to delay it for an immediate period of time until the money market eases up,” Gillett said.

Thursday’s UEFA Cup Results.
(Home teams listed first)

Group A

Paris Saint-Germain (France) 2, Racing Santander (Spain) 2

Schalke (Germany) 0, Manchester City (England) 2

Group B

Olympiakos (Greece) 5, Benfica (Portugal) 1

Galatasaray (Turkey) 0 Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine) 1

Group C

Sampdoria (Italy) 1, VfB Stuttgart (Germany) 1

Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) 0, Standard Liege (Belgium) 1

Group D

NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands) 0, Tottenham (England) 1

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) 0 Spartak Moscow (Russia) 1

Group E

Portsmouth (England) 2, AC Milan (Italy) 2

Braga (Portugal) 2, Wolfsburg (Germany) 3

Group F

Hamburg (Germany) 0, Ajax (Netherlands) 1

MSK Zilina (Slovakia) 0, Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) 0

Group G

FC Brugge (Belgium) 1, Saint-Etienne (France) 1

Rosenborg (Norway) 0, Valencia (Spain) 4

Group H

Deportivo La Coruna (Spain) 3, Feyenoord (Netherlands) 0

CSKA Moscow (Russia) 2, Lech Poznan (Poland) 1

Lampard rues sending off as Chelsea draw.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard felt his sending off in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Bordeaux in the Champions League was a harsh decision from Belgian referee Frank De Bleeckere - but one he should have avoided.

Lampard red-carded for a second caution in the 86th minute, three minutes after Bordeaux midfielder Alou Diarra’s header canceled out Nicolas Anelka’s cool finish in an even tussle at Stade Chaban-Delmas.

“I thought it was harsh. It was probably my fault because I think the ref was wanting to give out cards all night, so I gave him the opportunity to do it again,” said Lampard, who was also cautioned in the first half. “It was never going to be an easy game, conditions, the Bordeaux team - massive game for them - so we have to get stuck in.”

De Bleeckere also showed yellow cards to John Terry, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, and three of Bordeaux’s players.

“I should have stayed on my feet considering the ref was giving out so many cards,” Lampard said, referring to his second caution for a foul on Bordeaux midfielder Fernando.

Anelka’s 14th goal of the season, set up by Lampard’s clever first-time pass, seemed to have the Blues coasting to victory in the 60th, but a late surge forced a corner in the 83rd minute and Diarra headed home.

“One-nil up, felt pretty comfortable actually,” Lampard told reporters. “A set-piece done us, which is a shame really. We’ve been pretty tight on set-pieces this year, and we let the geezer get away and he scored.”

AS Roma went to the top of Group A with nine points after winning 3-1 at CFR Cluj.

Chelsea has eight and Bordeaux seven going into the final round of games when Roma hosts the French team and English Premier League leader Chelsea is at home to Romania’s Cluj.

Bordeaux qualifies with a win in Italy, while Chelsea is favorite to beat Cluj.

“We’ve got to believe in ourselves to beat Cluj at home, and there’s no doubt about that,” Lampard said. “The group’s proved to be tough, obviously since the Roma away game and then coming here. Two tough games for us and we haven’t got the results we wanted. Now we have to produce at home, which we believe we will do.”

Despite Anelka’s form, Chelsea’s attack lacked sharpness days after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Newcastle.

Lampard accepts there has been a slight dip in form, but nothing to unduly worry coach Luiz Felipe Scolari heading into Sunday’s clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

“Newcastle, we battered them and couldn’t score, before that we won 3-0 at West Brom, so I think it’s hard to go through a whole season performing at the top, top level,” Lampard said. “It’s probably fair to say in the last week or two, we haven’t been in the top, top level. But that’s how football is.

“Today we got a draw when we maybe could have got a win. But looking back at this game, it was a very tough game.”

Bordeaux ties 1-1 with Chelsea in Champions League. Alou Diarra headed in a corner with seven minutes remaining to give Bordeaux a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday and keep alive its chances of reaching the next round of the Champions League.

Chelsea appeared to be cruising to qualification on Nicolas Anelka’s 60th-minute goal, but Bordeaux won a corner and Yoann Gourcuff delivered it perfectly for Diarra to beat Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech with a hard header.

“It is a bad goal, because we are training hard every time with this,” Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “We are strong when we attack and we have free kicks for us.

“I think it is the first time since I coach Chelsea that we received a goal from a corner.”

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc felt his game plan to contain Chelsea worked well.

“I am very satisfied with the individual and collective performance of my team, and they should be, too,” Blanc said. “We had to reduce the space for them so they don’t monopolize the ball. That took a lot of effort, both mentally and physically and I think we were close to perfect in this domain.”

England midfielder Frank Lampard, who had created Anelka’s goal with a quick pass that split open Bordeaux’s sluggish midfield, was sent off in the 86th for a second yellow card after a wild lunge on Fernando.

“It’s a red card, one player I miss for the next game,” Scolari said. “The last five minutes, they have more pressure because they have 11 players and they have 10.”

The draw means Chelsea has eight points in Group A, one ahead of Bordeaux. AS Roma leads the group with nine points, but Bordeaux can qualify if it beats Roma away, while Chelsea next hosts last-place CFR Cluj.

“We need to beat Cluj at home. If I don’t think the team doesn’t have the quality to beat Cluj at home, better I go back to Brazil,” Scolari said. “The qualification is in our hands. Now we need to win the last game.

“I think Chelsea with these players, Chelsea have 75 percent chance to beat Cluj at home. Maybe we are not (finishing) first in the group.”

When Lampard’s instinctive pass had sent Anelka racing through on goal, the quick France striker stroked the ball past goalkeeper Matthieu Valverde for his second goal in this season’s Champions League - adding to the league-leading 12 he already has in the Premier League.

Scolari left Didier Drogba out of his starting lineup, but he replaced Anelka after his goal.

But Scolari refused to comment on speculation linking Drogba with a move to Inter Milan, which is coached by former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Drogba is reported to have met with members of the Italian club earlier this week.

“I spoke (speak) only about the game,” Scolari said.

Anelka started alone in front of a five-man midfield, which included Michael Ballack but saw Deco suspended and John Mikel Obi sitting just in front of the back four led by captain John Terry.

The early exchanges were even at Stade Chaban-Delmas.

Anelka slipped past Franck Jurietti in the third minute but Joe Cole’s pass was too strong. Fernando’s long shot tested Cech and Marouane Chamakh’s pass split Chelsea’s defense, but Yoan Gouffran could not get to the ball quickly enough.

Matthieu Chalme then burst past Ashley Cole and into the penalty area, forcing Cech into another save in the 20th minute of a lively opening.

Moments later, Gourcuff had to be restrained by his teammates as squared up to Terry following a clumsy foul by the England defender. Referee Frank De Bleeckere showed Terry a yellow card, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Gourcuff then robbed Ballack of possession and produced a dragback and spin combination before hitting a swerving shot that Cech stopped.

Chelsea showed signs of cracking and Ashley Cole got a yellow card in the 30th when he was again beaten by Chalme, and Lampard was cautioned for an earlier foul.

Anelka’s habit of hanging off the last defender saw him flagged for offside several times, while Gouffran cut inside Terry in the 53rd, but his pass across goal was intercepted.

Roma beats CFR Cluj 3-1 in Champions League.
Matteo Brighi scored twice and Francesco Totti added a third to give AS Roma a 3-1 victory over CFR Cluj in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Brighi gave the visitors the lead in the 11th minute, taking a pass from Totti and tapping the ball in from close range.

Totti made it 2-0 by curling a free kick over the wall and into the top right corner from 20 meters in the 23rd, after Gabriel Muresan had fouled Roma striker Julio Baptista who fell awkwardly and was taken off on a stretcher.

Yssouf Kone pulled one back for Cluj seven minutes later, taking a pass from Alvaro Pereira and scored with a header past Roma goalkeeper Alexander Doni.

Brighi’s second goal came in the 64th with a low shot from 11 yards (meters) after taking a pass from Rodrigo Taddei.

“We knew it was a difficult match because it was very cold and Cluj plays well at home,” Brighi said. “We managed to open the score and not receive a goal straight away. We were lucky but I think we also played well.”

The win gives Roma nine points atop Group A and leaves Cluj in last place with four points and without a chance of reaching the knockout stage. Chelsea has eight points after drawing 1-1 with Bordeaux, which has seven points with one round remaining.

“We created a surprise with our first goal,” Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said. “After Cluj’s goal we proved we are a team with personality. Our passes were fluid and we showed our willingness for a good fight. We will continue to fight to get points in game with Bordeaux.”

Cluj is unlikely to catch Bordeaux in the last round to clinch a UEFA Cup spot, and coach Maurizio Trombetta conceded that the team’s European dream had ended.

“Unfortunately it has,” he said.

Cluj opened strongly and created several chances in the first half. Midfielder Sebastian Dubarbier passed the ball to Eugen Trica in the 19th, but his left-foot shot went just wide of the post.

Juan Culio, who scored both goals in Cluj’s surprising 2-1 win at Roma in September, sent a free kick wide in the 28th and then set up Kone with a pass in the 39th, but his shot was off target.

Despite being eliminated, Cluj chairman Iuliu Muresan said he was satisfied with the team’s performance.

“We reached our limits, we even went beyond them,” Muresan said. “There was a lot of enthusiam here. The victory over AS Roma will remain in our history, and we come out of this European championship league stronger.”

The game was played in frigid temperatures of minus 7 C (19 F) in front of 20,000 fans at the Constantin Radulescu stadium.

Panathinaikos beats Inter 1-0. Josu Sarriegi scored a second-half goal Wednesday to give Panathinaikos a surprise 1-0 win over Inter Milan, which still advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Sarriegi tapped in a loose ball in the 69th minute following a corner kick.

The loss leaves Inter with eight points, one more than Panathinaikos and two more than Anorthosis Famagusta, which drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen. Inter is assured of advancing because it has the head-to-head advantage over Panathinaikos and Anorthosis.

Panathinaikos needs only a draw in the final game against Anorthosis to ensure a spot in the last 16.

“The players fought like lions and we had a bit of luck, you need that as well,” Panathinaikos coach Henk Ten Cate said. “I think all-in-all we deserved this. We lost the ball easily and that’s something we have to improve, but we have to have more confidence. What I tell my players: play with your heart and believe that you can beat anyone.”

Inter had its best chance in the 11th when Adriano hit the post on a sharply angled shot.

The Nerazzurri created little else after Adriano’s opportunity until the final minutes of the game when coach Jose Mourinho had four strikers on the field and his team laid siege to the Panathinaikos goal.

“Panathinaikos deserves this win and we deserved to lose,” Mourinho said. “We played a terrible game. In the first half we basically didn’t create anything, we didn’t fight for the lose balls. I think the players were tired, that’s the explanation I prefer.”

Mourinho had said Tuesday that his main worry for the Panathinaikos game was a drop in concentration by his players after they secured a key Serie A win over Juventus on Saturday.

“I take responsibility for the loss because the loss is always the responsibility of the coach,” said Mourinho.

Inter could not break through the Panathinaikos defense as the Greek squad played most of the game with nine players defending its goal.

“You have to look at the competition and the qualities of the other team,” Ten Cate said. “Our defenders were fantastic. They controlled Ibrahimovic and Adriano, who are world class players.”

With Inter needing just a draw to ensure it would advance and Panathinaikos seemingly content to leave San Siro on a frigid evening with at least one point, neither side played particularly inspired until Inter fell behind. Neither goalkeeper had to make a save in the first half.

Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was again unable to convert his Serie A success to the Champions League. The Swede scored 15 league goals last season and seven so far this year in 13 matches, but is without a Champions League goal for 12 months.

If the Panathinaikos-Anorthosis match ends in a draw Inter will win the group even if it loses to Bremen. For its part, Panathinaikos would qualify after losing the first two games.

“We had zero points after two games, but I told my players we still had four games and that they had to believe that we could win,” said Ten Cate. “We proved that a Greek team can win when it plays away from home. Greek teams often don’t have a high self-esteem, but we proved it can be done and that they should be more confident.”

Atletico beats PSV 2-1 to advance to last 16.
Atletico Madrid reached the knockout stage of the Champions League on Wednesday with a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven in a match played in an empty stadium.

Simao Sabrosa and Maxi Rodriguez scored first-half goals to lead Atletico at the Vicente Calderon stadium, which was without 55,000 spectators after UEFA ordered the Spanish club to play the game behind closed doors because of prior crowd trouble.

Danny Koevermans scored for PSV in the 47th minute.

Atletico shares 11 points with Liverpool, which beat Marseille 1-0, to lead Group D on goal difference with one match remaining. Marseille and PSV have three points.

“I was definitely worried that the team wouldn’t find the necessary start and do the things it had to with normal concentration, like realizing that it wasn’t a friendly match but a Champions League game,” Atletico coach Javier Aguirre said. “I don’t think too many people would have picked us to advance coming in but here we are.”

PSV defender Carlos Salcido failed to clear a cross from the right and Simao was there to score in the 14th. Another poor clearance in the 28th allowed Maxi to score from a volley inside the area.

Koevermans scored his fourth in five games from a goalmouth scramble as Atletico’s defense continued to struggle with defending leads in close games. Atletico allowed an injury-time equalizer from the penatly spot in its last league encounter and against Liverpool three weeks ago.

PSV trails Marseille on goal difference and must post a better result than the French club in its final group match against Liverpool to have any chance of finishing third to clinch a UEFA Cup spot. Atletico can clinch the group win with a win at Marseille.

“We go in on the right foot, with a game in hand, to know we are one of the best 16 teams in Europe and its something we deserve at this club, after many years,” Aguirre said.

The match was played before an empty stadium because of crowd disturbances linked to racist behavior during Atletico’s 2-1 victory against Marseille on Oct. 1. Aguirre also served out his two-game suspension for insulting one of the French team’s players.

A single souvenir stand was set up along the stadium selling football scarfs to commemorate the game. A congregation of Atletico fans, braving the freezing weather, gathered outside to lend their voices in support, with the singing heard from within the stadium throughout the game.

“To go out on the street and stay out in the cold without seeing the game while staying animated throughout like that … I think the players noted that and felt that,” Aguirre said. “The public is an indispensable asset for us.”

PSV, which remained without a win on Spanish soil after a seventh loss in 11 trips, stuck with the same lineup that triumphed in the league over the weekend.

Atletico got the quick start it wanted after PSV goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson couldn’t get to the loose ball in the box for Simao to slot in the opener.

Isaksson tipped Raul Garcia’s powerful header over the goal in the 27th to set up a corner that rebounded off defender Francisco Rodriguez to land straight in the path of Maxi.

A roar was let out over the loudspeakers after Atletico’s goals, accompanied by a video showing regular celebration scenes from the stands.

Simao dribbled past Salcido in the 33rd and found Sergio Aguero in the area but the Argentine striker rushed his chip over the goal.

Edison Mendez drove a free kick straight at Atletico goalkeeper Gregory Coupet in the 35th and Dano Lazovic shot high in the 45th as PSV slumped under the two-goal deficit.

“In the first half they took advantage of our errors,” PSV coach Huub Stevens said. “In the second half we played without errors and in the end we tried for a better result but just couldn’t get it.”

Koevermans was there to bury Edison Mendez’s flick from inside the penalty area and give the Dutch side hope to start the second half.

Florent Sinama-Pongolle should have added an insurance goal three minutes after coming on for Aguero in the 66th but Isaksson stepped up to block his clear chance. Coupet then denied Jeremie Brechet as PSV countered.

Brechet was clear in front of goal in the 81st but the French defender headed Mendez’s cross over.

Stevens said the missing fans didn’t affect his team’s performance.

“That played no influence on the game,” Stevens said. “It was very cold weather to play in, but nothing more than that played a part.”

Shakhtar routs FC Basel 5-0 in Champions League. Jadson scored a hat trick Wednesday to help Shakhtar Donetsk beat FC Basel 5-0 in the Champions League and secure a place in the UEFA Cup.

Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon have already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition from Group C.

Jadson scored in the 32nd minute, and Willian made it 2-0 five minutes after the interval. Jadson then scored two goals in eight minutes and second-half substitute Yevgen Seleznyov completed the rout in the 75th.

Shakhtar beat Basel in the group stage opener 2-1 on Sept. 16 but lost the next three matches to be out of contention for the spot in the next round.

The home side dominated the game from the start under pouring rain and low temperature at the Olympiysky stadium.

Jadson had his first chance after four minutes but goalkeeper Franco Costanzo tapped his shot from inside the box over the crossbar.

The Brazilian midfielder opened the scoring on Shaktar’s sharp counter attack down the left flank. Fernandinho sent a high cross into the box which was headed back by Olexiy Gai toward Jadson, who sent a low shot from 16 meters (yards) into the left side of the net .

Willian, one of four Brazilians in Shakhtar’s lineup, made it 2-0 after a solo effort down the left flank, curling a shot inside the far post.

Basel defender David Abraham failed to score from a goalmouth scramble in the 66th, and Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov made several saves to keep the visitors scoreless.

Jadson added the third goal in the 65th, after Darijo Srna’s cross found him unmarked in front of the empty net.

In the 72nd minute, Willian broke into the box and passed back to Jadson who sent a high shot into the right side of the net to complete his hat trick.

Shakhtar has six points from five game, trailing second-place Sporting by three points. Basel is last with one point.

It was Basel’s second 5-0 defeat in the Champions League this season, after being routed by Barcelona on Oct. 22.

Shakhtar next will play at Barcelona and Basel will host Sporting on Dec. 9.

Barcelona trounces Sporting 5-2. Lionel Messi scored one goal and set up another Wednesday to lead Barcelona over Sporting Lisbon 5-2 in the Champions League.

The win secured the top spot in Group C for Barcelona. With one game to play, the Spanish club has 13 points, four more than Sporting, which is also through to the last 16.

Thierry Henry, Gerard Pique and Bojan Krkic also scored for Barcelona, which got an own-goal from Marco Caneira. Miguel Veloso and Liedson scored for Sporting.

Barcelona outplayed the hosts from the outset, and Messi was in sparkling form, scoring early in the second half before being substituted.

Henry and Pique put Barcelona ahead with a pair of first-half goals within three minutes. And after Messi was replaced in the 57th, Barcelona eased off the pace, letting Sporting grab two goals in two minutes.

An own-goal in the 67th by Caneira, deflecting a shot from Pedro Rodriguez, extended the visitor’s lead to 4-2, then Krkic sealed it with a penalty in the 72nd after Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio was sent off.

Xavi Hernandez almost scored in the seventh when he hit the bar from a free kick.

Messi ran rings around the Sporting defenders and in the 14th he sped down the right flank before crossing for Henry to score.

Barcelona extended its lead three minutes later when Pique connected with a cross from Hernandez and the ball went in off Sporting’s Anderson Polga.

Messi got his fifth goal in the competition in the 50th when he picked up a free kick from Daniel Alves as the defense was caught napping.

Home fans at the Jose Alvalade Stadium jeered their team and applauded Messi’s dribbling.

Veloso hit a hard free kick to pull one back in the 65th, then Liedson went face-to-face with goalkeeper Victor Valdes and scored the second.

After Barcelona went up 4-2, Sporting goalkeeper Patricio was sent off for bringing down Krkic, who converted the penalty kick.

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.”

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UEFA probe attack on Gerrard by Marseille fan.

UEFA will launch an investigation after an object was thrown at Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard by a Marseille fan during Wednesday’s Champions League match.
It is believed a cigarette lighter hit Gerrard in the chest as he was taking a corner toward the end of the first half, having headed in the 23rd-minute goal that clinched the 1-0 victory in Group D and a place in the knockout phase.

Sven Johannessen, the UEFA delegate at the match, said it would be mentioned in his report and the one by referee Olegario Benquerenca.

Police would also have to look into the incident, but Liverpool was likely to escape punishment because the object was thrown from the end designated for Marseille supporters.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez praised his midfielder’s restraint.

“Gerrard was really good in that incident, maybe the UEFA delegate will notice what happened. Steven did well not to react,” Benitez said.