CSKA Sofia 1 Derry City 0

IF WE didn’t know better – and if Richard Dunne wasn’t as big as he is – we might dare to suggest that the Manchester City man’s pre-match injection on Saturday night must have been of the performance-enhancing kind.

NEVER mind playing the world champions on their own turf – Bulgaria in Sofia tomorrow will be the toughest game yet of Ireland’s World Cup campaign.

Chelsea 2 Levski Sofia 0

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho left his side short of a reserve goalkeeper after injury ruled Italian Carlo Cudicini out of the clash with Levski Sofia in the UEFA Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is without suspended captain John Terry for the final Group A match against Levski Sofia at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.

HOLDERS Barcelona travel to Levski Sofia with an outside chance of crashing out of the competition, but realistically their fate will be decided against Werder Bremen at the Nou Camp next week.

BARCELONA coach Frank Rijkaard appears to have lost some of his cool exterior and gave his players a rude wake-up call two days after their 2-2 draw with Chelsea.

Ashley Cole was left out of the Chelsea team to face Levski Sofia and replaced by Wayne Bridge as Jose Mourinho sprang a surprise in the Champions League.

Liverpool 0 CSKA Sofia 1

Liverpool 0 CSKA Sofia 1 (3-2 Liverpool on agg)

Steven Gerrard may be a major doubt for Liverpool’s Super Cup date in Monte Carlo – but boss Rafael Benitez believes his captain will still deserve UEFA’s most valuable player award if it comes his way.

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has cast doubts over whether Steven Gerrard could play for England in their World Cup double-header with Wales and Northern Ireland next month.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has cast doubts over whether Steven Gerrard could play for England in their World Cup double-header with Wales and Northern Ireland next month.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier was in bristling, defiant mood as he prepared for tomorrow’s UEFA Cup fourth-round showdown with Marseille.

Sofia 2 Liverpool 3 (Agg 2-5)

NEW father Steven Gerrard has revealed how anti-Gerard Houllier slogans daubed on Liverpool’s training-ground walls were the catalyst to the side’s night of European defiance on Thursday.

Gerard Houllier arrived for work to see slogans being scrubbed from the walls of Liverpool’s training ground and remained insistent that he can withstand the waves of abuse and criticism engulfing the club.

European Club Hockey Championships

BLACKBURN ROVERS chief executive John Williams declared the club’s UEFA Cup draw against Celtic “absolutely fantastic”.

Blackburn chief executive John Williams declared Rovers’ UEFA Cup draw against Celtic as “absolutely fantastic”.

Blackburn have went through to the second round of the UEFA Cup after defeating CSKA Sofia on away goals.

CSKA Sofia have equalised against Blackburn.

Chelsea’s shamed stars have pledged to make amends for their bitter humiliation last season in the UEFA Cup by going all the way this time in Europe’s second tier tournament.