Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas says he is impressed by the approach of new coach Jose Mourinho ahead of their Primera Division campaign.

THROUGHOUT Liverpool’s season-long ‘blip’, one of Rafael Benitez’s buzzwords has been ‘character’ and for those that doubted whether his players were with him as insipid display followed poor performance, last night provided the response.

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

NO Ronaldinho. No Kaka. No Pato. If it was any other country arriving without three of their franchise names you’d feel cheated but this is Brazil and the ‘Seneçao’ never lose their allure.

AC Milan 1 Celtic 0

Alex Ferguson took a calculated gamble in the San Siro tonight by naming Nemanja Vidic in the Manchester United starting line-up to face AC Milan in their Champions League semi-final.

WHEW! Say what you like, but the patrons certainly don’t lack for entertainment and drama at the Theatre of Dreams.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson made three changes to his side for this Champions League semi-final first leg match at Old Trafford.

AC MILAN coach Carlo Ancelotti insists he has no special plans to deal with the potential threat of Cristiano Ronaldo in tonight’s Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford.

AC MILAN coach Carlo Ancelotti admits an injury to Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand will play into his team’s hands for the Champions League semi-final.

Brazilian goalkeeper Dida has been included in AC Milan’s 25-man squad for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

SATURDAY night’s 1-1 draw between Roma and Milan in Rome lived up to its billing as a possible dress rehearsal for the Champions League semi-final.

Celtic defender Stephen McManus is hoping for a family affair when the Hoops take on AC Milan in the second leg of their Champions League clash on March 7.

PORTO have thrown Champions League Group G wide open as they notched up an impressive 3-1 victory in Hamburg to boost their chances of qualification and end any lingering hopes that the German side still had.

AC Milan 1 Red Star Belgrade 0

Brazil right-back Cafu will not be calling time on his international career just yet.

Brazil 0 France 1

Heavyweight Samba star Ronaldo has warned Brazil’s rivals his appetite for goals and glory has not been satisfied just yet.

Brazil captain Cafu admits fewer things in his career give him more pleasure than breaking records.

Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic’s message to his players when they step out to face Brazil in their World Cup second round match on Tuesday will be simple and to the point.

Brazil captain Cafu’s record-breaking exploits may not have had the same publicity as Ronaldo’s but the 36-year-old skipper admits that collective success for the world champions is more important than individual landmarks.

Brazil manager Carlos Alberto Parreira admits tomorrow’s game against Japan is little more than a run-out for his players – but insists the match that follows will shape the favourites’ World Cup destiny.

THEY made us wait.

Brazil captain Cafu could be given a 10-month prison sentence if he is found guilty of falsely obtaining an Italian passport.

BRAZIL coach Carlos Alberto Parreira appeared exasperated yesterday as he faced a barrage of questions over why his first team had lost to the reserves in a 40-minute practice match ahead of the World Cup.

Brazil midfielder Edmilson has been ruled out of the World Cup.

Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has been rewarded for a good season at club level with an expected place in Brazil’s 23-man squad for the defence of the World Cup.

Robbie Fowler starts up front as Liverpool travel to Upton Park tonight.

BARCELONA will wipe out one of their bitterest memories in European competition if they can knock AC Milan out of the Champions League when the teams meet in the second leg of their semi-final tonight.

Brazilian international Cafu has signed a one-year contract extension with AC Milan.

PHILIPPE SENDEROS is an intelligent young man with the luxury of being able to hit back at his critics in five languages.

AC Milan 0 Barcelona 1

AC Milan: Dida, Stam, Kaladze, Nesta, Serginho, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko, Gilardino. Subs: Kalac, Cafu, Maldini, Rui Costa, Vogel, Ambrosini, Amoroso.

TONIGHT’S Champions League clash with Bayern Munich is just the start of what is likely to be a make-or-break week for AC Milan.

COACH Felix Magath trusts the Bayern Munich medical department to perform another minor miracle by getting goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn fit for tonight’s Champions League game against AC Milan.

BRAZIL midfielder Edmilson has been ruled out of the World Cup.

TONIGHT Milan host Schalke 04 at the San Siro in a crucial Group E game. The sides drew 2-2 in Gelsenkirchen in their first clash and, with PSV Eindhoven hot on their heels, both will be keen to avoid defeat.

A GALVANISED AC Milan travel to Eindhoven determined to defend top spot in Group E when they take on PSV tonight.

Tonight's Champions League teams.

WITH the Italian, French and English leagues looking increasingly like a one-horse race, it’s refreshing to see that the competition elsewhere is hotting up.

Four England players have made it on to the shortlist for FIFA’s world player of the year award.

PLAYERS from the Premiership featured strongly in the inaugural MasterCard FIFPro World XI Player Awards, announced in London.

Chelsea 1 AC Milan 1