The early match on Saturday saw Man City demolish Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with JT and Bridge providing the sideshow.
While both teams tried to come out and be nonchalant about the ongoing saga between John Terry and Wayne Bridge, it was rather obvious that the fans were all zoomed in on the pre-match handshake ritual.
Did the two players shake hands and move on?
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What started out as a normal Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Arsenal at the Brittannia Stadium on Saturday night ended with blood and tears.
An enjoyable yet physical game in the first-half saw Stoke take an early lead before Arsenal came storming back to level matters before the break.
In the second-half, the Gunners went in search of the winner, only to have youngster Ramsey sprawled on the ground in agony after Ryan Shawcross went charging in with a late tackle which was reminiscent of the Eduardo tackle by Birmingham's Martin Taylor.
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Team news for the three Barclays Premier League matches to be played on Sunday.
Tottenham vs Everton
Everton defenders Sylvain Distin and John Heitinga are available to face Tottenham on Sunday after sitting out the Europa League defeat by Sporting Lisbon.
Philippe Senderos (hip) and Tim Cahill (calf) are both doubtful for the Barclays Premier League match at White Hart Lane.
Phil Jagielka is in contention after having his first outing since April on Thursday, but Marouane Fellaini and Tony Hibbert remain sidelined.
Tottenham pair Wilson Palacios and Vedran Corluka are hoping to recover from a virus.
Jermain Defoe has a tight hamstring while Peter Crouch has taken a knock to his ankle and both will require a check - but David Bentley should be fit despite tightness in his groin.
Aaron Lennon (groin) is out, Ledley King is struggling with a thigh complaint, while Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and Carlo Cudicini (wrist/pelvis) are long-term absentees.
Teams:
Tottenham (from): Gomes, Alnwick, Corluka, Walker, Bale, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Bassong, Kaboul, Dervite, Huddlestone, Jenas, Palacios, Bentley, Kranjcar, Modric, Defoe, Crouch, Gudjohnsen, Pavlyuchenko, Rose.
Everton (from): Howard, Nash, Baines, Yobo, Distin, Heitinga, Neville, Senderos, Jagielka, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Pienaar, Bilyaletdinov, Gosling, Rodwell, Donovan, Yakubu, Anichebe, Vaughan, Saha.
Liverpool vs Blackburn
Blackburn are without captain Ryan Nelsen for Sunday's Barclays Premier League trip to Liverpool.
The New Zealand international suffered a knee injury in last week's defeat of Bolton and could be out for three to four weeks.
Christopher Samba is likely to take his place having served a suspension while Brett Emerton (Achilles) is also available again. David Dunn is pushing for a recall having had a run-out in the reserves this week.
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has been ruled out after breaking a metatarsal in his right foot in Thursday night's Europa League victory over Unirea Urziceni in Bucharest.
His absence causes problems for manager Rafael Benitez as fellow centre-back Sotirios Kyrgiakos serves the final game of a three-match suspension.
Jamie Carragher is likely to revert to his usual role in the centre, meaning Philipp Degen or youngster Martin Kelly could come in at right-back.
Glen Johnson is close to full fitness after a knee problem, but he is not in contention yet. Midfielder Maxi Rodriguez returns to the squad having been ineligible for the trip to Romania.
Teams:
Liverpool (from): Reina, Degen, Agger, Carragher, Insua, Gerrard, Lucas, Aquilani, Benayoun, Riera, Rodriguez, Ngog, Kuyt, Torres, Cavalieri, Pacheco, Spearing, Darby, Babel, Aurelio, Kelly.
Blackburn (from): Robinson, Grella, Olsson, Salgado, Givet, Pedersen, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Roberts, Diouf, Andrews, Kalinic, Dunn, Chimbonda, Reid, Di Santo, Brown, Samba, Emerton, Jones.
Sunderland vs Fulham
Bobby Zamora is doubtful for Fulham's Barclays Premier League trip to Sunderland on Sunday.
The 15-goal striker limped out of Thursday night's Europa League success at Shakhtar Donetsk with an Achilles tendon injury.
Boss Roy Hodgson will consider making changes after a gruelling trip to Ukraine and can welcome back defender Nicky Shorey and forward Stefano Okaka, who were both cup-tied.
But Hodgson's small squad is stretched with Paul Konchesky (ankle) still struggling and Andrew Johnson, Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil (all knee) sidelined.
Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole will return from suspension.
The 21-year-old missed last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal after being sent off at Portsmouth. David Meyler, who was dismissed during the same game, still has two more matches to serve.
Manager Steve Bruce is otherwise only without Andy Reid (hamstring) and Jordan Henderson (ankle), and they could both be back in business within 10 days.
Teams
Sunderland (from): Gordon, Fulop, Bardsley, Hutton, Turner, Ferdinand, Mensah, Kilgallon, Da Silva, Cattermole, Cana, Zenden, Richardson, Malbranque, Campbell, Bent, Jones, Benjani, Liddle, Noble.
Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Zuberbuhler, Baird, Kelly, Shorey, Stoor, Konchesky, Hangeland, Hughes, Smalling, Gera, Duff, Murphy, Greening, Davies, Etuhu, Riise, Nevland, Elm, Okaka, Zamora, Marsh-Brown.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was unable to celebrate his side's win at Stoke after Aaron Ramsey suffered an horrific injury.
Ramsey was injured in the second half in a tackle with Ryan Shawcross, who was sent off and left the pitch in tears after seeing the extent of Ramsey's injury.
"I'm proud of our game because it was an unbelievable battle from the first minute. We needed to be tough and resilient to win," Wenger said.
"I'm very proud and of course very sad because of what happened. We know it's a bad injury. We have to transfer him to London tonight to see if he needs emergency surgery.
"We don't know how long he will be out but it's certainly long term.
"I'm not very happy with the tackle. We know what we are expecting, a battle everywhere, but we have now lost three players on horrendous tackles and I refuse to believe it's always coincidence.
"I don't believe it when you are hit as many times as we are. I just believe in what I see and when you see a player getting injured like that it's not acceptable. Commitment is right, but that is not right.
"All the questions I get in press conferences about we don't fancy the physical side of it, that's the result."
The game was level at 1-1 when the incident occurred but Arsenal somehow regrouped and scored a late penalty through Cesc Fabregas and an injury-time third from Thomas Vermaelen.
"We could see the team was shocked but this team is very strong mentally and we will do it for Ramsey as well because he deserves it," Wenger added.
Fabregas himself added on Sky Sports 1: "In five years I've seen three of them, Abou (Diaby), Eduardo and now Aaron. What can I say. It's difficult.
"You could say we are not protected enough. We are sometimes victims. I'm not complaining, football is like that.
"There are things that are a little too much but three times in five years is a little bit too much."
As for the rest of the game, Fabregas added: "We learned from when it happened to Eduardo, we lost a lead that day.
"It's very difficult to stand up but we showed character and knew if we won today we still had a lot to say (in the title race)."
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy took a swipe at John Terry after his side's 4-2 victory over Chelsea.
The build-up to the game had been dominated by the first on-field meeting between Terry and Wayne Bridge following the Chelsea captain's alleged affair with the mother of Bridge's young son.
Bridge made a point of refusing to shake Terry's hand before the match but had the last laugh as two goals each from Carlos Tevez and Bellamy secured a vital win for City as the home side had Juliano Belletti and Michael Ballack sent off.
Bellamy told Sky Sports 1: "You guys (the media) make a lot more of it you know. I know what JT is like and nothing surprises me about it, so I'm not going to comment on that. I think everybody in football knows what the guy is like, but that's off the field.
"On it he's an outstanding player. He's a great captain for Chelsea. It's always going to be difficult when you play him and his team."
The Wales striker admitted the result was a big boost for City's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League
He said: "Today was a big, big result for us because we have come away from the last month, we haven't been playing particularly well and it showed in the first half when we got going with the counter-attack with Carlos up there, especially on his own, which was difficult.
"I thought we got closer to him in the second half and we've got players that can score goals."
City boss Roberto Mancini paid tribute to Bridge's recent performances for the club, and praised the way his team-mates had rallied round him during his personal troubles.
He said: "Wayne Bridge has been playing well and this team has a fantastic spirit and for this reason we won this game.
"It was a difficult game because Chelsea is a fantastic team and has played for many years in the Champions League."
Manchester United vs Aston Villa in the 2010 Carling Cup Final. What will be the colour of the ribbons on the trophy?
Sir Alex Ferguson will seek to add another piece of silverware to an already bulging trophy cabinet while Martin O'Neill will attempt to outsmart the United tactician.
Both managers will rely on their key players to deliver the knockout blow at Wembley with James Milner the likely Villan star and who else but Wayne Rooney on the opposite end.
With so many English stars on show, Frank Malley is adamant that this will do English football a world of good.
Villa trio of Carlos Cuellar, Richard Dunne and Stiliyan Petrov are all ready to turn the tables on their more experienced rivals to ensure that Ferguson cannot add to his impressive trophy-haul.
Tension is building up towards the big match as fans from the two clubs clash in the heated debate as to who will be hoisting up the first trophy in English football this season.
Finally, we relieve the road to Wembley for both teams. The Villans tore Blackburn Rovers apart in the semi-finals with a 7-4 aggregate while United stamped their authority over their cross-town rivals, Manchester City to progress into the final.
If all that is not enough to whet your appetite for Sunday's showdown, we take it up a notch with some retro classics with five of the best League Cup Finals.
There were wins for Liverpool, Panathinakos and Valencia while Everton and Roma were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday.
Last season's UEFA Cup winners, Shakhtar Donetsk, were dumped out of the rebranded Europa League by Fulham.
The Londoners drew 1-1 in Ukraine to complete an impressive 3-2 aggregate win. Brede Hangeland headed them in front on the night before Jadson hit back following superb work from Douglas.
The one negative note for Roy Hodgson was the needless late sending-off of captain Danny Murphy for a petulant kick at Darijo Srna.
Juventus stood firm as Italy's only representatives by holding Ajax to a goalless draw at the Stadio Olimpico to complete a 2-1 aggregate victory in the round's most eye-catching tie.
The home side came the closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Mohamed Sissoko hit a post with a header but they did not need a goal to progress to the last 16.
Ajax lacked incision in attack as they failed to trouble Juve goalkeeper Alex Manninger.
Panathinaikos claimed a notable scalp, the Greek side completing a second 3-2 win over Roma. Djibril Cisse scored twice, the first a penalty, either side of Sotiris Ninis' strike in the final five minutes of the first half.
John Arne Riise and Daniele De Rossi scored Roma's goals before Pana's Kostas Katsouranis collected a second yellow card in the last minute.
Everton were eliminated after Sporting scored three times in the final 26 minutes to turn around a first-leg deficit.
Miguel Veloso beat the offside trap to start the fightback before Pedro Mendes' deflected strike and Matias Fernandez's late clincher sent the Lisbon side through.
Everton's city rivals Liverpool survived a scare against Romanian side Unirea Urziceni. Leading 1-0 from the first leg, the Reds were pegged back by Bruno Fernandes' header before Javier Mascherano's superb strike and further goals from Ryan Babel and captain Steven Gerrard saw them through.
They will face Lille, after Adil Rami's late header saw the French side past Fenerbahce. Emre Belozoglu's first-half strike would have seen Fener progress on away goals, with the tie locked at 2-2, but Rami popped up four minutes from time to reward Lille's pressure.
Valencia overturned a first-leg deficit to see off Club Brugge in extra time. Juan Mata needed only 13 seconds to level the tie from Luis Miguel's cross, but the Mestalla had to wait a further 96 minutes for Pablo Hernandez's 20-yard winner.
The same player then forced two superb saves from keeper Stijn Stijnen before adding a late third from close range.
Hamburg saw off PSV Eindhoven on away goals after a dramatic finish. PSV trailed 1-0 from the game in Germany but took the lead courtesy of goals from Ola Toivonen and Balasz Dzsudzsak.
But Mladen Petric and Piotr Trochowski put Hamburg back on top and Danny Koevermans' last-minute header was not enough for the hosts.
Diego Forlan's last-minute winner saw Atletico Madrid past Galatasaray, a 2-1 win on the night sealing a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.
Simao's opener was quickly cancelled out by Kader Keita's header but, after Gala's Caner Erkin was sent off for two bookings within a minute, Jose Antonio Reyes set up Forlan to stave off extra time and settle the tie.
Claudio Pizarro's hat-trick earned Werder Bremen a 4-1 win to turn around a first-leg deficit to FC Twente. Naldo scored the Bundesliga side's other goal, with Luuk de Jong on target for Steve McClaren's side.
And Wolfsburg completed a good night for Germany, also winning 4-1 on the night to complete a 6-3 aggregate rout of Villarreal.
Edin Dzeko, Christian Gentner and Grafite were on the mark, while Lopez Angel's own goal helped the Wolves on their way. Joan Capdevila scored for the Spanish side.
Anderlecht produced a superb second-leg display to beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0, and 5-1 on aggregate.
Romelu Lukaku's strike gave them a fourth-minute lead which was extended by Mikel San Jose's own goal, with second-half strikes from Mbark Boussoufa and Jonathan Legear putting the gloss on the result.
Marseille beat Copenhagen 3-1 for the second week in succession, Bakari Kone scoring twice after Hatem Ben Arfa had opened the scoring for the evening. Ailton scored Copenhagen's late consolation.
Rubin Kazan held Hapoel Tel Aviv to a goalless draw in Israel to preserve their 3-0 first-leg lead, while Standard Liege progressed 3-2 on aggregate after their second leg away to Salzburg also ended in stalemate.
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Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0-0 Rubin Kazan
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Anderlecht 4-0 Athletic Bilbao
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has continued his war of words with the Italian media after suggesting dishonesty is prevelant in Serie A.
Mourinho was quoted as saying: "I came to Inter as an honest man and Italy will not change me."
Last week, the Inter coach was handed a three-match touchline ban after his protests during the 0-0 draw with Sampdoria, in which Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba were sent off.
"I heard some say that we need to calm down the way we talk about football," said Mourinho.
"That is how you Italians created a story that as a professional in football and as a person gave me incredible shame.
"Now we're supposed to bury our heads in the sand like ostriches. It's with this silence that the Italians ended up in Calciopoli.
"I was working in Portugal, but what happened here made me ashamed to put food in my children's mouths by working in football.
"I came to Inter as a honest man and I will leave here as a honest man. Italy will not change me."
Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain has hailed Barcelona as the best team in the world.
The Argentine also told AS that Lionel Messi is the world's best player. Higuain, who is enjoying a great season so far for Real, thinks the Whites are the best team in history but Barca are currently the best in the world.
"People like who they like, but for me Messi is the best in the world," Higuain told AS.
"He has won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player awards and at the moment is the world's best. Although Madrid are the best team in history, currently Barcelona are the best team in the world. It is hard for me to say that."
However Higuain also thinks Real have the depth in their squad to compete with Barca this season.
"We are very hopeful of claiming the Champions League trophy in the Bernabeu. It gives us special motivation that the final is in our own stadium. It would be heartbreaking for us if we were not to progress to the quarter-finals and on to the final."
The Argentine hotshot also spoke of the challenge of getting a first-team place this season.
"I had to fight a lot and it was never easy. Last season I was the leading scorer, but I began this season on the bench and had to fight to earn a place in the starting XI. The reason I have been able to earn it is because I have confidence in myself to do well."
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will be out for at least a month after tearing a calf muscle in the Champions League defeat by Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Cech was carried off on a stretcher in the second half after damaging his calf when collecting a cross.
The Czech Republic international underwent further scans on the injury today and the club have now confirmed that Cech will be out for up to a month.
It means he will miss Saturday's clash with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge and the return leg against Inter Milan on March 16.
A spokesman for Chelsea said: "Today's scans confirm that Petr Cech suffered a tear in a calf muscle in the Inter game. He is expected to be out for three to four weeks."
It is a bitter blow for Chelsea as they continue to battle for glory in the Barclays Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Former Arsenal striker Gilberto Silva has admitted he misses "everything" about Arsenal and has great memories of the club.
Silva enjoyed a fruitful stint with the Gunners that included being a member of the 2003/04 Invincibles squad that went the entire season undefeated to clinch the Premier League.
The Brazilian returns to the Emirates to play in a friendly for Brazil against Ireland and he can't wait for the trip.
I miss the good atmosphere within the team. But to be honest, I miss everything about Arsenal! The time I had at Arsenal was amazing and I miss everything. But I have great memories about Arsenal, memories I will never forget," he told the club's official website.
"For me, Arsenal was a big school, as I learned so many things at the club. I am very thankful for everything, the club, all the people at Arsenal, they were so nice to me and very helpful during my time there.
"Everyone was always smiling, always there to help me. It's impossible to point to just one thing I miss because I had a great time at Arsenal. I fitted in well with the culture at Arsenal.
"When I came to Arsenal I had on my mind that I had to start from zero again with many things in my life and my football career, and I started at this point from zero. When I started from there I think it was a chance to learn. I always had on my mind that I had so many things to learn."
The big striker feels that once Arsenal's current squad of youngsters wins their first piece of silverware, it will go from strength to strength.
"Arsenal need to achieve the first trophy to feel that they can do it, because for a player it is very frustrating when you go through a whole season and have been very close, but at the end you don't get the reward for your job," he added.
"I'm sure if Arsenal win their first trophy, they are very young and their confidence will be higher and they can win more and more. It's up to them to believe that they can do it."
In fact, the silverware could arrive as early as this season, but Silva feels that Arsenal must keep their focus if they are to win the league trophy. Some pundits have predicted that Arsenal could be the dark horses simply because their run-in is far easier than both Chelsea and Manchester United.
It [the run-in] can make a difference in the competition if you have played all the other teams at the top of the league," he explained.
"This is because if you have an easier run-in to the end of the season, your belief that you can win the title is higher. If Arsenal can win their games there is the possibility that other teams will drop points.
"But it is up to Arsenal - don't focus too much on the other teams, focus only on what Arsenal have to do to win their games. If they win their games, then we will see what happens, but the most important thing is to keep their focus."
Salomon Kalou insists Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty when he was brought down in the first half.
Chelsea outplayed Inter Milan throughout but still lost the last-16 first-leg tie 2-1 in a pulsating match at the San Siro.
Inter had taken a third-minute lead through Diego Milito only for Kalou to level in the 51st minute.
But Esteban Cambiasso restored Inter's lead four minutes later to give Jose Mourinho's side a slight edge going into the return leg at Stamford Bridge on March 16.
But it could have been so different if Chelsea had been awarded a penalty minutes before the break.
Kalou appeared to be felled by Inter defender Walter Samuel but Spanish referee Manuel Gonzalez refused Chelsea's appeals for a spot-kick.
The official was surrounded by Chelsea players at the half-time whistle and Kalou is adamant it was a clear penalty.
"It was a penalty but the referee decided it wasn't so there is not a lot you can do about it," he said.
"I felt him touch my right leg but the referee told me that I did not have control of the ball any more when he touched me.
"But I was about to shoot and if he touched me on the back of the leg it should be a penalty or he should have booked me for diving."
Chelsea will still be wondering how they lost a match in which they were far superior in all departments.
But the English club were boosted after the game when it was discovered that goalkeeper Petr Cech, stretchered off with what looked like a knee injury in the second-half, had in fact damaged his calf.
But Kalou believes his away goal could prove vital in the return leg in west London.
"It is a good feeling to have the away goal," said Kalou. "Now we have to work on that and try to score at the Bridge and not concede.
"Jose knew we were going to attack and keep the ball. But they scored at the right moments and that made the difference. We knew could control the game but we knew they could be dangerous on the break and that is what happened."
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho believes his side will travel to his former stamping ground full of confidence but admits it will be an emotional return.
"We can go there with a legitimate ambition to go through," said Mourinho.
"At Stamford Bridge, I don't expect anything other than people to be glad to have me back as we worked so well together.
"This time I will go back to a different dressing room, a different dugout but I know normally Mourinho is lucky at Stamford Bridge."
Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti saw enough from the match at the San Siro to be confident for the second leg.
"I think that what we saw tonight, we have the chance to turn it around," said the former coach of Inter's city rivals AC Milan.
"I think we played well. We leave without a positive result, but it's not an ugly one either.
"We will play to attack and win the second leg in the same way we did in this game.
"We tried to attack and score from the first to the last minute."
Meanwhile, Cech will undergo further assessment on his injury today after leaving the field on a stretcher.
The Czech Republic international collected a cross, rolled the ball out and then immediately signalled to the bench that he could not continue.
But initial fears that he had damaged knee ligaments were quashed by Ancelotti after the game.
"We have to wait and control his condition over the next few days," said Ancelotti.
"He has an injury on his calf. We cannot say now when he will return to the squad."
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has raked Italian wounds by bringing up the 2006 match fixing scandal in a scathing attack on the Italian game.
The Portuguese coach never has been scared of speaking his mind and, while his open and honest misdemeanour may endear him to fans of the club he represents, those on the other side often struggle to accept his apparent arrogance.
Nobody appears less comfortable with his behaviour than the Italian Lega Calcio officials who, 48 hours before Wednesday's important Champions League tie with Chelsea, banned him for the next three Serie A matches due to a handcuff gesture he made during his side's 0-0 draw with Sampdoria last weekend.
Mourinho has kept quiet since the ill-timed disclosure of his touchline ban and the Lega Calcio may have been lured into thinking that would remain the case.
But he exploded after the Chelsea game to break his silence with a damning attack on the Italian game.
"I have recently heard a new term for my pathetic Italian," he said.
"I am told that we 'have to lower the tone'. Well let's 'lower the tone'.
"You Italians have created a story that I, as a professional in the world of football, as a person who earns his living in football, was terribly ashamed of.
"Your Calciopoli was shameful. At the time I was working in Portugal, and it ashamed me to feed my family with money earned in football."
Calciopoli was the name given to one of the biggest footballing controversies in history when a number of Serie A and Serie B teams were implicated in a match fixing scandal in 2006.
A number of teams including Juventus, AC Milan and Fiorentian were alleged to have rigged games by influencing referee appointments.
As a fallout of the allegations, Juventus were relegated to Serie B while Milan and Fiorentina were docked eight and 15 points respectively in Serie A.
Little did Mourinho know back then during the worst match-fixing scandal to hit Italian and probably European football that he himself would end up earning his money directly from the Italian game.
But he will not let his own integrity be affected.
"I entered Italy honestly and I will leave honestly," he said.
"There was a penalty for Chelsea tonight."
The flamboyant Portuguese coach was referring to a foul on Salomon Kalou in first-half stoppage time which was missed by referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez.
Inter were therefore able to preserve their one-goal advantage at the interval and go on to seal a 2-1 win, putting them in the driving seat of this knockout-stage tie, but Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti refused to pin the blame on the referee.
"I know Mejuto Gonzalez is a very good referee with a lot of experience and I don't want to say anything else," he said.
"We can say that we were unlucky this evening and we hope that will be better in the future.
"I think there was a penalty in the first half, but a penalty is only when the referee whistles."
Ancelotti's return to the San Siro was therefore not quite the occasion he had hoped for.
"I am a Milan fan so, against Inter, it's always a derby," he said.
"I think we played a good game with personality and courage and with good play.
"We have to do the same in the next game against Inter."
A 1-0 win will do for the Blues at Stamford Bridge on March 16, but Mourinho is not so sure they will be able to prevent his side from scoring.
"Obviously they will think that they can turn the result around, which is normal, but we think we can win and this is important," he said.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti thinks if his team performs at the same level as on Wednesday, they can beat Inter Milan.
Ancelotti saw enough from the match at the San Siro to be confident for the second leg.
"I think that what we saw tonight, we have the chance to turn it around," said the Blues boss, former coach of Inter's city rivals AC Milan.
"I think we played well. We leave without a positive result, but it's not an ugly one either.
"We will play to attack and win the second leg in the same way we did in this game.
"We tried to attack and score from the first to the last minute."
Chelsea lost at the San Siro but got an important away goal while Sevilla secured a 1-1 draw at CSKA Moscow.
Things got off to a roaring start in Italy as on-fire Inter Milan striker cut inside Chelsea's John Terry and swung a shot past Petr Cech within three minutes of the kick-off.
The visitors responded with a vengeance befitting a side that considers itself a contender for the European crown. Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou both went close in the next few minutes before Michael Ballack was fouled some way outside the box.
Up stepped Didier Drogba - another striker in the form of his life. The Ivorian unleashed a fierce free-kick from 32 metres out which thundered into the cross bar and bounced away to safety.
That was the closest Chelsea would get to breaking through in the first 45 minutes although both Ballack and John Obi Mikel tested Cesar from outside the box. The Blues were also unlucky to be denied a penalty when Kalou went down inside the penalty area under a challenge from defender Walter Samuel.
It became a lot brighter for the London side at the start of the second half. Branislav Ivanovic fed the ball to Kalou on the edge of the area and the forward's curling strike eluded the hands of the Nerazzurri keeper. It was a howler from Cesar but a deserved equaliser for Chelsea nonetheless.
However, Inter were ahead again within four minutes. Esteban Cambiasso's first attempt struck John Terry and came back to the defender who made no mistake at the second time of asking, blasting the ball past a stunned Cech.
Lampard went close for Ancelotti's side in the 66th minute from six yards out but Cesar parried his shot clear. Chelsea continued to press forward but clear cut chances were few and far between as Inter shut shop to protect their lead.
In Wednesday's other game - Sevilla came away with a 1-1 draw at Moscow that makes them favourites to make it through to the last eight.
Negredo put Sevilla in front after stealing behind his marker and slotting in the ball from close range after Jesus Navas had crossed it into the box.
The home side enjoyed the better opportunities to score though, with Japanese striker Keisuke Honda looking the most dangerous. However CSKA were guilty were not testing keeper Andres Palop enough - with most of their strikes going wide of the target.
It took a spectacular strike from Mark Gonzalez from way outside the box to level things on the hour mark. CSKA dominated possession from there on but their profilgacy in front of goal continued to let them down. And that might prove to be decisive in the final scheme of things.
Match Reports and Reactions
Lampard: Away goal gives us a chance
Ancelotti: We can turn it around
Barcelona's wonderkid Lionel Messi has admitted his side needs to improve to beat Stuttgart in the Champions League.
The European champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Stuttgart on Tuesday night. More worryingly, they were outplayed for large parts of the game by a side that is currently placed ninth in the German Bundesliga.
According to Messi, a better performance is imperative.
Speaking to Barcelona's official website, he said: "We'll have to play better than we did on Tuesday."
Barcelona were trailing at half time, having been comprehensively outplayed and onyl a scrambled second-half goal by Zlatan Ibrahimovic secured the draw.
"I can't remember exactly what the coach [Pep Guardiola] said at half-time, but we knew we had to change things if we were to avoid a defeat.
"I don't know what went wrong. It's true that recently we've not been playing the same football we are used to, but now is the key moment and we have to get back to that level."
The Catalans host Stuttgart in the return leg on March 17.
Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband, Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, her spokesman revealed on Tuesday.
The split follows allegations that the star's husband, the England and Chelsea footballer, had again been unfaithful.
Cole flew back to Britain after fleeing to the US when reports about her husband surfaced.
Her spokesman, Sundraj Sreenivasan, said: "Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl asks the media to respect her privacy during this difficult time. We have no further comment to make."
The statement ends one of the most high-profile showbusiness marriages - the couple wed in 2006.
Until now, the Fight For This Love singer, 26, has maintained a dignified silence over reports that her husband had been with other women.
On Monday she was pictured in LA being comforted by US dancer Derek Hough, 24, whom she met when she recorded her album 3 Words. Before the scandal broke, the Girls Aloud star had spoken about one day wanting to start a family with her husband.
The marriage survived a previous allegation of infidelity, which came 18 months after the couple's highly-publicised wedding. Two women then sold stories about how they had become involved with the footballer.
Ironically, Cole's career hit new heights - becoming the nation's darling with a judging role on the X Factor - following the reports.
Fight for This Love, Cole's first solo single, was inspired by her battle to fight for her marriage. But as her relationship crumbled, her career could have been put in jeopardy if she was seen to stick by him again.
Wayne Rooney produced another match-winning performance for Manchester United as he bagged a double against West Ham.
Michael Owen scored for the first time since that hat-trick at Wolfsburg in December as the Red Devils closed to within a point of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea.
But Owen's late effort was a mere footnote compared to Rooney's contribution.
The 24-year-old has been set a conservative target of 30 by Sir Alex Ferguson. At this rate he will eclipse the 42 that helped turn Cristiano Ronaldo into the world's best player two years ago.
"My biggest concern was how we were going to maintain the scoring level," reflected Ferguson in his programme notes as he considered Ronaldo's summer exit for Real Madrid. "There you have the answer," he added. Not that anyone needed it.
Rooney has a maximum of 17 games to overhaul Ronaldo's 2007-08 tally. On present form it is well within range.
A week ago, United were engaged in that amazing Champions League encounter with AC Milan in the San Siro, which could have been disastrous but turned out to be one of the great European results.
Rooney grabbed all the headlines, just as he has been doing for most of the season as he has dragged United along in pursuit of glory.
Where the Red Devils would be without the striker does not bear thinking about. Little wonder Ferguson once again opted to stick with him against supposedly lesser opposition on home soil when probably, he could do with a rest, however minimal.
The wisdom of the selection was proved just before half-time when Rooney planted his diving header into the corner of Robert Green's goal.
Prior to that, Darron Gibson had been the hosts' main threat, repeatedly taking aim from distance, without really threatening to beat Green's blockade.
It would be churlish to exclude Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia from praise given the Bulgarian's excellent crossfield pass and an even better volleyed cross to the far post from the South American.
But Rooney was the man who had shifted into space, Rooney who had to finish. There was never any prospect of him failing.
Unlike Milan, West Ham did not reach half-time unable to believe they were not ahead.
Gianfranco Zola might have pondered how fortunate Ben Foster had been, though.
Handed his first start since November, but surely too late to earn a call-up for England's friendly against Egypt next week, Foster was in direct opposition to another member of Fabio Capello's expanded squad.
But he would have been hanging his head in shame if he had pushed a Guillermo Franco shot that looped skywards off Gary Neville into his own net rather than directly onto his line.
The loss of Anderson to a knee injury sustained when no one was near him does not auger well for a positive conclusion to the Brazilian's disappointing season.
It was Rio Ferdinand's absence that really got tongues wagging though as United officials were unable to shed any light on his non-appearance, which could cost him the England captaincy he was due to inherit from John Terry against Egypt if injury is confirmed.
Injury is the one thing Capello cannot countenance for Rooney. There would be no point in the Italian trying to put on a brave face. England would instantly be reduced from contenders to also-rans.
In a very similar manner to his opener, Rooney found himself in splendid isolation when Berbatov released Valencia with another excellent pass in the build up to the second.
Once again the cross was inviting. Once again Rooney sent it past Green.
For a player of his class, his finishes had been routine.
Less so was the strength required to bundle Green off the ball and the eye for an opportunity as Rooney fired goalwards from the touchline.
Had Julien Faubert not been stood on the line, it would have been an incredible finish to a hat-trick.
Instead, Owen grabbed the third after an inspired through ball from Paul Scholes.
It was Owen's eighth of the season, only one short of Berbatov's tally. A long way behind Rooney though. And the gap is going to get wider yet.
Rival bosses Sir Alex Ferguson and Gianfranco Zola queued up to praise another striking masterclass from Wayne Rooney.
Rooney is now on 27 goals for the season, 15 fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo managed in his legendary campaign that saw him crowned world player of the year two seasons ago.
"He has been watching my videos," laughed Alex Ferguson of Rooney's two headers.
"They were two excellent headers, although there was also some good play from Antonio Valencia."
Ferguson had in fact paid Rooney more fulsome praise in his programme notes, so it was left to Gianfranco Zola to offer a more honest appraisal of the striker's latest work.
"Everything he touches is turning to gold at the moment," said the Hammers chief.
"He is the the kind of form that means every single opportunity can become a goal.
"I thought he had a normal game. But he scored two goals and he might have had another one, which tells its own story.
"Having a player like him helps any situation. One man cannot do it all on his own. But he can make a big difference."
Michael Owen added a third, his first goal since scoring a hat-trick against Wolfsburg in December, to seal a win that took United to within a point of leaders Chelsea and put them in good heart ahead of their Wembley encounter with Aston Villa on Sunday.
"We had to win," conceded Ferguson, who is now set to recall Darren Fletcher and Rafael Da Silva amongst others.
"There will be changes on Sunday now.
"I have done that all along in the competition and I will have to look at the situation to make sure we have a fresh team."
Team News for the FA Cup replays to be played on Wednesday.
Stoke City vs Manchester City
Manchester City will be without Carlos Tevez for the fourth successive game when they travel to Stoke for Wednesday night's FA Cup fifth-round replay.
Tevez has been in Argentina on compassionate leave following the premature birth of his baby daughter, although manager Roberto Mancini has confirmed he expects the striker to return in time for Saturday's trip to Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League.
Mancini will also be without the cup-tied Adam Johnson and Patrick Vieira, who was handed a three-match suspension by the Football Association after kicking out at Glenn Whelan in last week's league encounter with the Potters.
Martin Petrov is unlikely to have recovered from his knee problem in time to feature, while Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz will undergo late fitness tests.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has confirmed Matthew Etherington is in line for a shock return.
Etherington was taken off on a stretcher in the initial tie 11 days ago amid fears he had suffered serious knee ligament damage.
But following a rapid recovery the winger will now be assessed over the next 24 hours and may undergo a late fitness test.
Pulis is without Abdoulaye Faye and Andy Wilkinson through suspension, whilst Danny Higginbotham will have a fitness test after missing Saturday's 2-1 win at Portsmouth with a back spasm.
Teams
Stoke (from): Sorensen, Huth, Amdy Faye, Higginbotham, Collins, Lawrence, Sidibe, Whitehead, Delap, Diao, Kitson, Beattie, Fuller, Tuncay, Pugh, Whelan, Simonsen, Begovic, Etherington.
Manchester City (from): Given, Taylor, Richards, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Toure, Lescott, Boyata, Garrido, Sylvinho, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Barry, De Jong, Ibrahim, Bellamy, Adebayor, Santa Cruz, Kompany.
Tottenham vs Bolton
Bolton manager Owen Coyle will hand opportunities to a number of fringe players in the FA Cup fifth-round replay at Tottenham.
Stuart Holden, Jlloyd Samuel, Tamir Cohen, Andy O'Brien, Ali Al Habsi and Mustapha Riga are all in contention to feature, while striker Ivan Klasnic could start as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.
But Coyle will be without on-loan duo Vladimir Weiss and Jack Wilshere who are cup-tied and Mark Davies, Chris Basham and Gretar Steinsson could all miss out through injury.
Tottenham will be without defender Ledley King.
King has a thigh injury while some of the first-team squad have been hit by a mild virus, but manager Harry Redknapp does not expect that to cause too many fitness problems.
Winger Aaron Lennon has suffered a setback in his recovery from a groin problem, while defenders Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker are cup-tied.
Teams:
Tottenham (from): Gomes, Dawson, Bassong, Bale, Corluka, Huddlestone, Bentley, Palacios, Modric, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe, Alnwick, Gudjohnsen, Pavlyuchenko, Dervite, Rose, Parrett, Fredericks.
Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Knight, Robinson, Gardner, Cohen, Taylor, Muamba, Lee, K Davies, Klasnic, Riga, A O'Brien, Al Habsi, Samuel, Elmander, Ricketts, Holden.
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Aston Villa have a doubt over skipper Stiliyan Petrov for Wednesday night's FA Cup replay against Crystal Palace.
The Bulgaria international, whose late goal at Selhurst Park earned Villa a replay, has picked up a virus and had to be sent home from training.
Manager Martin O'Neill has better news on the selection front from striker Gabriel Agbonlahor and central defender James Collins. Agbonlahor was forced off with a calf problem during Villa's 5-2 win against Burnley on Sunday but he has responded well to treatment and is fit.
Collins, who needed stitches in a head wound after a clash of heads against Burnley, is also available.
Palace's Neil Danns faces a late fitness check.
The midfielder has been struggling with a back injury but was able to play some part in training on Tuesday morning.
Winger Sean Scannell is set to miss out with a groin problem and defender Paddy McCarthy is a long-term absentee with a shoulder injury.
Striker Stern John, winger Kieron Cadogan and full-back Lee Hills are cup-tied.
Boss Neil Warnock, who was denied permission to bring in a loan player by the Football League, is unlikely to be able to name seven substitutes.
Warnock also wants to give at least one of his established players a rest with Palace's fight against relegation in mind.
Aston Villa (from): Friedel, Cuellar, Warnock, Collins, Dunne, Luke Young, Downing, Milner, Petrov, Ashley Young, Heskey, Agbonlahor, Carew, Sidwell, Delfouneso, Davies, Delph, Beye, Guzan.
West Brom vs Reading
Reading captain Ivar Ingimarsson is set to return for the FA Cup fifth-round replay at West Brom.
The central defender has been rested for the last two games after feeling unwell but is poised to come back into Brian McDermott's side at the Hawthorns.
He will replace on-loan Blackburn man Zurab Khizanishvili - who is cup-tied - as the Royals look to book a place in the last eight for the first time in 83 years.
Midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson and forwards Simon Church and Grzegorz Rasiak all picked up knocks in the weekend defeat at Blackpool but should be fine to start against Roberto Di Matteo's side.
Striker Shane Long sits out the third of a four-game suspension following his red card in the original tie, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Madejski Stadium.
Marek Matejovsky (abdomen) and Noel Hunt (knee) remain sidelined.
West Brom will be unable to call on new signing Ben Watson.
The midfielder, who this week signed on loan from Wigan until the end of the season, is cup-tied for the clash at The Hawthorns.
But Roman Bednar will be looking to retain his place after recovering from a back problem in time to play the full 90 minutes of Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Bristol City.
Abdoulaye Meite was an unused substitute in that clash following his recovery from an ankle injury and is again available, while Marek Cech (hamstring) could come back into the fold after his recent return to training.
James Morrison could feature after stepping up his recovery from a heel injury by playing an hour of Monday's behind-closed-doors friendly against Wrexham. But Giles Barnes, who also figured in that clash, is unlikely to be considered as he continues his recovery from an Achilles problem.
Gonzalo Jara (metatarsal) and Ishmael Miller (ankle) remain sidelined.
Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Anderson has admitted he is considering his future at the club.
Anderson's long-term future at Old Trafford has been the subject of conjecture for the last few weeks after a reported bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 21-year-old has not featured for the first team since the Carling Cup defeat to Manchester City on January 19 and was reported to have infuriated Ferguson by skipping training to return to his native Brazil.
Anderson admits he went to Brazil to consider his future as he fears his lack of regular action at United will jeopardise his World Cup chances.
"The conversations with Ferguson are private but I have explained my situation," said Anderson.
"I went to Brazil to think about my future and not to negotiate with other clubs.
"One of my dreams this season is to make the Brazil squad for the World Cup but the fact is that if I do not play for United then [the national coach] Dunga is not going to be interested in me.
"This is very hard for me because I need minutes on the field during the coming matches.
"I always had a good relation with Ferguson. He has asked me for more effort and I accept that, but I need more chances to play in the first team."
The former Porto man concedes he has yet to produce his best for United since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2007
"I have won titles in Manchester but still the people have not seen my real performance on the field," added Anderson.
"I am not a machine. It is impossible to function 100% in each match and I accept that I have not played well during some matches but those were not significant enough to stop me playing for a long time."
Anderson was left out of the squad for last week's trip to AC Milan but insists he would be happy to stay if he is afforded more first-team opportunities.
"The decision not to ask me to travel to Milan was down to the coach," noted Anderson. "I just hope I have more luck and can play in the return game.
"I am a professional footballer and my responsibility is to United. Am I happy? I would say I am optimistic. If I play more games then I will be happy. But that is normal.
"Some European clubs have asked about me but, as far as I am concerned, my future is still with United.
"I am not finished here and I'm convinced that I can offer much to this team in the decisive moments of the season."
Yossi Benayoun is confident that his return along with Fernando Torres will solve Liverpool's goalscoring problems.
There was little to cheer in Sunday's goalless draw at Manchester City apart from the duo's comeback after five weeks on the sidelines and a seventh clean sheet in their last nine Premier League matches.
With their early-season defensive frailties seemingly now sorted, attention has to be paid to what happens in the final third.
In their last two games - at home to Europa League opponents Unirea Urziceni and at Eastlands - Liverpool have been found wanting against determined defensive opposition.
It is something that has to change if Rafael Benitez's side are to regain control of the race for Champions League qualification, having slipped to sixth as a result of Tottenham's leap into fourth yesterday.
The return of two of Liverpool's most attack-minded players can only help with that and Benayoun is keen to make up for the time he has sat out with a broken rib.
"For any player the worst thing that can happen to you is to be injured so I'm just happy to be back after being out for a few weeks," said the Israel international.
"It was difficult but hopefully now I can keep working hard in training, try to improve and try to help the team.
"We know where we need to improve. We need to create more and do more up front.
"One point (against City) was not good enough but it wasn't bad either. We are still in the race for fourth place and that is the most important thing.
"We wanted to win but you have to remember that we were playing against a good team away from home.
"Hopefully the defence will keep playing well. We have got the best defence in the league - now we need to create more and then the goals will come."
Benitez will certainly be grateful to see the return of two players so integral to their bid for a top-four spot.
Benayoun was one of their better players before his injury while Torres is still the club's leading Premier League scorer despite his lengthy spell out after a knee operation, having been troubled by a nagging groin problem prior to that.
"Both players have been important in the past and hopefully both will be important in the future," said Benitez, who is also hopeful attacking right-back Glen Johnson will soon return having been out since tearing the medial ligament in his right knee during the 1-0 victory at Villa Park on December 29.
"Both have made the difference in games and hopefully it will be the same again.
"Fernando needs to improve his match fitness and Yossi has to do the same but at least we have better competition and we can manage in a different way.
"But Yossi is coming back, Torres is coming back, hopefully Glen Johnson will come back in the next week."
The quartet of contenders for fourth place are separated by a single point - although Manchester City and Aston Villa both have a match in hand on their rivals.
Benitez, who famously "guaranteed" fourth spot back in December, said it was unlikely any of the clubs would drop out of the race.
However, with most of his injured players returning, the Spaniard feels his side are best placed to make a move over the remaining two and a half months.
"I have more confidence but it depends on the players. If the players are doing well, it will be easier," he said.
"You have to think about Tottenham and Aston Villa - it is a race of four teams now so we have to do our job and not think about one team.
"We have to try to get three points in every game and then see what happens with City - but also Villa and Tottenham.
"We have to keep going until the end."
Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to help "in whatever possible way" following the storm on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
At least 42 people have been killed by floods and mudslides that devastated the holiday archipelago, where Real Madrid forward Ronaldo was born.
The 24-year-old, who moved to the Bernabeu from Manchester United in a world record £80million deal last summer, scored a brilliant free-kick opener in last night's 6-2 defeat of Villarreal, which he dedicated to the victims of the disaster.
"Nobody can be indifferent to such a tragedy, especially me," said Ronaldo on Real Madrid's official website, www.realmadrid.com.
"I was born and raised on the island. It's given me so much. This is why I want to make myself available to help in whatever possible way.
"I would like to help official bodies and organisations to minimise the effects of this great tragedy and to get over them as soon as possible."
Ronaldo has made himself available to play in a benefit match for the victims of the disaster between Portuguese champions Porto and a joint team from Madeira-based clubs Maritimo and Nacional.
Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira said: "Porto want to express their condolences for all that has happened and, as a club, do everything necessary to help Madeira."
No date has yet been set for the match.
Barcelona captain Carles Puyol admits his side could be in for a bad night if they underestimate the in-form Stuttgart.
The Catalan side face Stuttgart in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Barca make the trip to Germany having bounced back from their first league defeat of the season eight days ago against Atletico Madrid by thumping Racing Santander 4-0 on Saturday night.
That was the Catalan giants` sixth victory in seven league games, but tomorrow night they will come up against a Stuttgart who are in just as good form.
Stuttgart may still be struggling down in ninth place in the Bundesliga but they too have won six of their last seven and at the weekend thrashed Cologne 5-1 away from home with Cacau netting four of his side's goals.
When the draw was made back in December Stuttgart were in the midst of a 10-match winless run in all competitions, but it is a different story now and a wary Puyol said: "They're playing better now and they are a dangerous team.
"If we don't go there focused, we could really have a bad time," added Puyol, who scored one of his side`s goals as they beat Stuttgart 2-0 away during the group stages of the 2007/08 Champions League.
Barca have struggled badly with absentees recently and the Champions League holders will again be without Seydou Keita and Eric Abidal for tomorrow`s match.
Key duo Xavi and Dani Alves have at least made the trip to Germany, but neither has yet been given the all-clear to return to action following injuries.
Full-back Alves has been absent for a month due to a calf problem while Xavi picked up a thigh injury during the defeat to Atletico that had been expected to keep the Spain international out for around 15 days.
Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was a late withdrawal ahead of Saturday`s win over Racing with an ankle problem, has also been included in a 20-man travelling squad in the hope he will be fit to feature.
Stuttgart coach Christian Gross is likely to be without left-back Arthur Boka for both meetings against Barca after he suffered a dislocated shoulder in training prior to the Cologne match that could keep him sidelined for a month.
That was one of the few negatives on what was a memorable weekend for the Bundesliga outfit, which saw striker Cacau make a stunning return from his four-week injury lay-off.
"I was really looking forward to this game after my long break," said Cacau. "And the way the game went makes it particularly beautiful."
Looking ahead to tomorrow`s clash, the Brazilian-born Germany international told Barca TV: "We've got nothing to lose. Barca are favourites and we maybe have a 20 or 30% chance of getting through, but we will be trying to make the most of our opportunities.
"We have to get a good result at home, because when Barca play at home it is very difficult to win. I hope they may be over confident and not commit themselves completely."
Olympiacos' Jaouad Zairi is adamant Bordeaux will put their recent struggles behind them when the two sides meet.
Les Girondins have not looked at their formidable best in recent games although they still lead the way in the Ligue 1 table.
And they can at least point to wins in their last two games as evidence they are back on track.
Neither the defeat of St Etienne, nor the win against a Lorient side down to 10 men for three-quarters of the game were convincing, however, results which came after losses to Monaco and Rennes.
The wobble has led to speculation in France that Laurent Blanc's men's air of invincibility has evaporated but Zairi is not convinced ahead of the first leg of their last-16 tie.
The former Sochaux and Nantes forward told RMC: "Bordeaux have no reason to worry.
"They have a quality squad with a great coach.
"Laurent Blanc is very influential and he can achieve a lot. We are doing a lot of video analysis on Bordeaux but first we are concentrating on our own game.
"We beat Arsenal in our own stadium and we will give the maximum to win tomorrow."
Having home advantage could be significant with the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens renowned for its atmosphere.
"It's very hot, the fans are fanatical," added Zairi.
"The crowd is like our 12th man. They can turn the game around for us. The atmosphere is very impressive."
Olympiacos' Serbian coach Bozidar Bantovic, who took over following the departure of Brazil legend Zico last month, is expected to be without Diogo and Luciano Galletti but fellow South American, midfielder Dudu, could return from injury.
Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud believes his team's position has changed now they are into the knockout stages.
Les Girondins were drawn alongside European giants Juventus and Bayern Munich, as well as Maccabi Haifa, in Group A and were expected to fight it out for third spot and a place in the Europa League with the Israelis.
But Blanc's men defied the odds by finishing top with five wins and a draw from their six games.
And having played the part of underdog, Triaud believes they are now favourites going into the Olympiacos tie.
He told RMC: "Olympiacos are a respectable opponent.
"Although not that much is known about them, we know they are hard to play against, especially at their home ground.
"Overall, we were happy with the draw as we avoided the larger teams.
"I would like to think we are favourites. Although that may not be the case in Athens, over the two legs, that is reasonable."
Olympiacos drew 1-1 at Ergotelis on Saturday while Bordeaux were handed the weekend off by Ligue 1 authorities to give them more time to prepare for the trip east.
The visitors' only absentee is captain and midfielder Alou Diarra, who has a thigh injury.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists the players will not be affected by former boss Jose Mourinho's mind games.
The two teams are set to meet in the UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday night.
Mourinho faces his former club for the first time in the opening leg of the last-16 tie at the San Siro stadium and has already been ramping up the stakes with a series of interviews.
The Portuguese, who dubbed himself the "Special One" at Stamford Bridge, claims he knows all the strengths and weaknesses of the current Chelsea side because he signed most of them while in charge of the Blues.
But Cech is not surprised by Mourinho's comments and does not believe his team-mates will be fooled by his mind games.
"When Jose says these things, he always has a reason," said Cech.
"He wants to prepare for Wednesday's game in his way and give his team the advantage.
"Yes, he knows the players here and what we can do. But we also know him and the way he likes his team to play.
"But it is just words. All we are worried about is what happens on the pitch. Talking is talking, but let's see who is the best at playing.
"Of course it is exciting to face Jose again and for the Chelsea supporters it is going to be a special occasion.
"We know what a great past he had at this club and I always had a good working relationship with Jose.
"I had a brilliant time with him and his coaching staff and it is always sad when a successful manager has to leave.
"But life goes on and he is now successful with Inter Milan and we have also been successful at Chelsea.
"I have not spoken to Jose since he left. It will be nice to see him again and shake his hand. But we cannot think about the past, only the future.
"And the future for Chelsea is to beat Inter Milan and go through to the quarter-finals."
Meanwhile, Chelsea are remaining silent on reports that the club's England left-back Ashley Cole will face further disciplinary action following more weekend revelations about his private life.
All the players and staff were warned to be on their best behaviour following a meeting with Chelsea's chief executive Ron Gourlay last Wednesday.
But Chelsea were refusing to comment on whether Cole would face a dressing down by the board.
"Disciplinary issues are an internal matter and will be dealt with internally," said a spokesman on Monday.
We rate the players in the crunch encounter between Manchester City and Liverpool at Eastlands on Sunday.
By Abhishek Mehrotra
Manchester City
Shay Given - 5
Barely had to stretch a muscle in the game.
Joleon Lescott - 7
Was superb along with partner Kompany. Was particularly good in the air which was crucial since most of Liverpool's threats came via set-pieces or corners.
Vincent Kompany - 6.5
A dominant performance by the centre back. Neutralised Dirk Kuyt such that the Dutchman never got a chance on goal. Cleared with authority and protected his keeper well.
Wayne Bridge - 5
Contained Babel effectively but was not too great going forward himself.
Pablo Zabaleta - 8
One of the better players in a mediocre game. Defended magnificently and really sparkled when going forward. Was not afraid of going down the flank or right through midfield. Linked up well with both Adam Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Gareth Barry - 5
Worked well with De Jong to draw Liverpool's sting in midfield but his delivery into the box was very poor indeed.
Nigel De Jong - 6
His mandate was to keep Steven Gerrard quiet and De Jong managed that quite effectively. The Liverpool captain rarely got a chance to shoot - a testament to the Dutchman's work rate.
Stephen Ireland - 4
Was not on top of his game which was a pity given the form Adebayor was in. Found himself in space quite often and had a number of chances to shoot but his diffidence allowed Liverpool to clear the ball easily.
Adam Johnson - 6
Switched wings constantly with Wright-Phillips to keep the Liverpool backline on their toes. Got some joy on the right by repeatedly skipping past Emiliano Insua. The Reds defence was well co-ordinated though and helped their teammate keep out Johnson.
Shaun Wright-Phillips - 6.5
Was indefatigable throughout the match - attacking and defending with his usual enthusiasm. Converted defence into attack for City on numerous occasions - and drew numerous fouls from the Liverpool midfielders who struggled to keep up with his pace. However, he found it very difficult to get past Jamie Carragher - marshalling Liverpool's right flank.
Emmanuel Adebayor - 7.5
Although he was playing as an out an out striker, the Togolese actually directed play from the edge of the area. He brought down long balls superbly and spread it out to both wings with some precise passing and eye-catching flicks. It's a pity that other City forwards were not quite on top of their game.
Substitutes
Craig Bellamy - 6
Was quite threatening down the right but never found his footing on a rainy night at Eastlands. Lost possession in good areas.
Abdisalam Ibrahim - n.a
Liverpool
Pepe Reina - 7
Was very assured - especially against the height of Adebayor. Also got down brilliantly to stop a stinger from the striker. Punched the ball away with authority and his distribution was superb as always.
Daniel Agger - 6.5
Combined well with Martin Skrtel to shut out whatever little attacking threat City could muster.
Martin Skrtel - 6.5
Stood upto Emmanuel Adebayor quite well - not allowing the striker to get past him at any juncture. Did not allow the tall striker to outjump him either.
Emiliano Insua - 5
Barely offered anything going foward on the left. Was steady in defence without doing anything really spectacular.
Jamie Carragher - 6
Stood no nonsense from Wright-Phillips and did not allow the slippery winger to feed the forwards. Crossing is not his forte though and Liverpool lost momentum when the veteran chose to pass back into midfield instead of slinging it into the box.
Lucas - 3.5
Was extremely sloppy - getting caught in possession in midfield time and again. His passes were under or overhit which put the Reds in many a spot of bother.
Javier Mascherano - 6.5
Covered the sides every time Liverpool's wingers went forward. Anticipated danger very well and prevented the likes of Barry and De Jong from initiating attacks.
Ryan Babel - 4
Not quite the performance that Benitez would have been looking for. The winger was frequently bundled off the ball and never really looked confident enough to take on defenders or cut in from the right to carve out a shooting chance for himself.
Maxi Rodriguez - 4
Started the game brightly with some good movement on the flanks. Caught the mediocrity bug from the other players as the game wore on and became so ineffective that Benitez had to replace him with Yossi Benayoun.
Steven Gerrard - 5.5
Was shut out of the game very well by De Jong and Barry and never really influenced the game from open play. His dead-ball delivery was absolutely spot on though - causing a flurry of panic in the City defence.
Dirk Kuyt - 4
Did not look too comfortable playing as the lone striker. Struggled to get the better of Kompany and Lescott - rarely getting a sniff of the goal.
Substitutes
Yossi Benayoun - 5.5
Could have won a penalty with some lovely trickery right at the end. Chose not to go down however, and the chance went abegging.
Fernando Torres - 5
Barely got a touch on the ball on his return to league action.
Alberto Aquilani - n.a
Manchester United lost at Everton while Liverpool and Manchester City played out a dull draw at Eastlands.
The highly-anticipated clash between Champions League-chasing rivals City and Liverpool failed to live up to expectations.
If this was an audition for Europe's elite club competition then neither would gain entry next season as there was a distinct lack of quality on both sides.
Liverpool's Jose Reina was the only goalkeeper to make a genuine save, tipping Emmanuel Adebayor's second-half shot on the turn around his post as the importance of not losing overrode the desire to push for victory.
That result helped make it a good day so far for Aston Villa as Stewart Downing scored his first brace of Premier League goals for Martin O'Neill's side as they put a poor first-half performance behind them to beat Burnley 5-2 at Villa Park.
The Clarets took a shock 10th-minute lead through Steven Fletcher and all Villa could muster before half-time was a fortuitous equaliser from Ashley Young.
But four goals in 13 minutes after the break from Downing (two), Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor changed the picture before Martin Patterson's injury-time consolation.
Bobby Zamora fired a dramatic late winner as Fulham came from behind to beat Birmingham 2-1.
Watching England boss Fabio Capello had left before Zamora struck a magnificent free-kick in the 90th minute to claim his 15th goal in 32 starts, provoking chants of "Bobby for England" - but the Italian will have been impressed by his display.
An inexplicable own goal from Chris Baird had given Birmingham the lead before Damien Duff fired a spectacular equaliser.
Blackburn added to the woes of local rivals Bolton with a 3-0 win.
Goals from Nikola Kalinic, Jason Roberts and Gael Givet saw Rovers to what was a comfortable win in snowy conditions at Ewood Park.
The victory eased Blackburn further clear of danger - they are beginning to look safe - but Bolton remain in the drop zone after a fifth league game in a row without scoring.
In Sunday's last game Tottenham overcame a horrific playing surface and some dogged Wigan defence to register at 3-0 win at the DW Stadium.
Spurs went up courtsey of Jermain Defoe. There was an element of luck involved in the goal as the striker was clearly offside when the ball was played to him.
Harry Redknapp's men endured some uncomfortable moments before beleaguered striker Roman Pavlyuchenko struck a brace to put the result beyond doubt.
On Saturday, Chelsea stretched their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to four points courtesy of Didier Drogba's sixth brace of the season.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti's side took full advantage of nearest title rivals Manchester United's 3-1 defeat at Everton earlier in the day to move a step closer to the championship crown.
Chelsea had to wait, though, until the 40th minute before breaking the deadlock against relegation-threatened Wolves at Molineux, with Drogba capping a brilliant move involving Yuri Zhirkov and Michael Ballack.
Drogba then wrapped up the victory in the 67th minute with his 25th goal of the season, and his sixth in five matches since he returned from African Nations Cup duty.
Arsenal continue to hang on in the title race after a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium over Sunderland, who remain without a victory since the end of November.
Nicklas Bendtner's first goal for almost four months gave Arsenal the half-time lead, although Kenwyne Jones missed a glorious one- on-one chance shortly before the break to send the sides in level.
Cesc Fabregas added a second late on from the spot to ensure the Gunners remain six points behind Chelsea and two adrift of United with a game in hand on the latter.
In the relegation battle at Upton Park, West Ham are four points clear of the drop zone following a 3-0 victory over 10-man Hull.
The Hammers dominated throughout, taking the lead after just 130 seconds when Valon Behrami scored his first goal for the club for just under 13 months.
After the interval Hull then had a player sent off for the second successive away match when Craig Fagan was dismissed in the 53rd minute for a second bookable offence.
Six minutes later Gianfranco Zola's side took full advantage with Carlton Cole strengthening his claims for a place in England's World Cup squad with his ninth goal of the season before Julian Faubert wrapped up the scoring in the third minute of injury time.
At Goodison Park, United missed the chance to stay in touch with Chelsea as Sir Alex Ferguson's side suffered their sixth league defeat of the season.
United grabbed a 16th-minute lead when Dimitar Berbatov cracked home his ninth goal of the campaign with a right-foot drive off the underside of the crossbar from seven yards.
It was an advantage, though, that lasted just two minutes and 40 seconds as Edwin van der Sar was given no chance by a stunning 20 -yard left-foot swerving shot from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.
Everton's youngsters in 20-year-old Dan Gosling and 18-year-old Jack Rodwell then stole the show with goals in the 76th and 90th minutes respectively after both had come off the bench in the second half.
Salif Diao scored his first goal for more than five years as Stoke won 2-1 at Portsmouth, coming from behind to take a step nearer safety and send their rock-bottom hosts closer to relegation.
Pompey deservedly headed into the interval on the back of Frederic Piquionne's seventh goal of the season in the 35th minute, the on- loan Lyon striker tucking home a rebound after Thomas Sorensen had parried a 22-yard drive from Jamie O'Hara.
The home side's defensive fragility, however, returned to haunt them again on the hour when Robert Huth was given a free header to a Glenn Whelan corner.
After Andy Wilkinson was dismissed in the 73rd minute for a second bookable offence, 75th-minute substitute Diao then poked home the winner in the first minute of injury-time, ending a goal drought stretching back to October 2004.
Match Reports
