BARCELONA secured their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League and a probable showdown with arch rivals Real Madrid after completing home and away victories over Shakhtar Donetsk last night.

A MATCH which began with Inter Milan scoring one of the great Champions League goals ended with their Champions League ambitions all but dead as Schalke twice came from behind in the San Siro to claim a sensational advantage in last night’s quarter-final.

ARGENTINA striker Diego Milito is set to return to Inter Milan’s starting line-up when they host Schalke 04 tonight in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas will both start for Arsenal against Barcelona in the Champions League match at the Nou Camp tonight.

Tottenham v Inter Milan

IT may have been a chastening evening on the pitch but the news was better away from it with confirmation that Giovanni Trapattoni will be back on his feet in good time for the opening Euro 2010 qualifier in Yerevan.

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has been suspended for three months by the Italian Football Federation due to irregularities in the transfer of Diego Milito and Thiago Motta from Genoa last summer.

Lionel Messi is starting for Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final against Germany today.

DEFENDER Martin Demichelis and substitute Martin Palermo succeeded where Argentina’s multi-talented strikeforce had failed as they scored the goals to break Greece’s resilience and end their World Cup hopes at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane last night.

Greece 0 Argentina 2

JOSE MOURINHO is expected to officially inform Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti today of his intention to join Real Madrid.

Jose Mourinho is expected to officially inform Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti in the next 24 hours of his intention to join Real Madrid.

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has warned Real Madrid and other clubs that Diego Milito is not for sale.

ITALIAN newspapers hailed a special moment of history after Inter Milan sealed an unprecedented treble with victory in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich on Saturday night.

OPINIONS varied in the Bayern Munich camp over how critical the absence of winger Franck Ribery was to their 2-0 Champions League final defeat to Inter Milan on Saturday night.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL: Inter Milan 2 Bayern Munich )

HALF TIME: Inter Milan 1 Bayern Munich 0

The Italian media paid tribute to Inter Milan today after their season-ending victory over Siena secured the Nerazzurri a fifth straight Serie A crown.

Inter Milan 1 Roma 0

“THE Translator” returned to the Nou Camp last night, inflicting a staggering 3-2 aggregate defeat upon Barcelona after playing with only 10 men for over an hour and generating simmering controversy before bringing Inter Milan to the brink of their first European crown since 1965.

MARIO BALOTELLI is to be given one more chance by Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho after he left a blemish on an otherwise successful evening at the San Siro.

AN ARGENTINIAN whose surname begins with M settled last night’s Champions League first leg semi-final encounter at the San Siro. And it wasn’t Lionel Messi.

Inter Milan 3 Barcelona 1

The Champions League semi-final first leg between Inter Milan and Barcelona is about to kick-off at the San Siro Stadium.

EVEN the self-titled “Special One” cannot claim that it was Jose Mourinho magic that steered Inter Milan into the semi-final of the Champions League last night.

INTER MILAN coach Jose Mourinho is sweating on the fitness of midfielder Wesley Sneijder ahead of tonight’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at CSKA Moscow.

INTER MILAN will take a slender one-goal advantage into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with CSKA Moscow next week after Diego Milito earned them a 1-0 win at the San Siro last night.

Inter Milan 1 CSKA Moscow 0

INTER MILAN striker Samuel Eto’o believes CSKA Moscow could present his side with a more challenging encounter than in the previous round against Chelsea.

There were no manic celebrations. In fact, Jose Mourinho disappeared down the tunnel before the final whistle.

JOSE MOURINHO, who once made Chelsea great but was brutally discarded for his troubles, returned last night to destroy his former club’s Champions League hopes and leave them facing a serious inquest over whether those glory days will ever be repeated.

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has picked three forwards on his return to Stamford Bridge to face his former club Chelsea in the Champions League last 16.

WHEN Diego Milito did a hand-brake turn inside John Terry before firing home the first goal, José Mourinho sat motionless on the touchline.

CHELSEA grabbed a vital away goal as former boss Jose Mourinho and his Inter Milan side came out on top in a pulsating Champions League first-leg at the San Siro last night.

JOSE MOURINHO, the man for whom all the field’s a stage, has finished Act One of his latest production with a narrow advantage over Chelsea and the fascination now is to see what twists and turns he has planned for what should be a dramatic finale at Stamford Bridge in three weeks’ time.

Inter Milan 2 Chelsea 1

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC’S second-half equaliser earned Champions League holders Barcelona a hard- fought draw from the first leg of their last-16 tie against Stuttgart last night.

Gabriel Milito moved a step closer to his first competitive appearance for Barcelona in over 18 months after being included in Pep Guardiola’s squad for Wednesday’s crucial Champions League encounter with Dynamo Kiev.

HOLDERS Barcelona moved two points clear at the top of their Champions League group last night after producing a classy display to defeat erstwhile leaders Inter Milan at the Nou Camp.

Inter Milan 1 Lazio 2

Diego Milito’s agent claims he is in discussions with Premier League clubs over a move to England for the Genoa striker.

Manchester United suffered a double blow with Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic ruled out of this Champions League semi-final second leg match.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has kept faith with the majority of the squad that played in last week’s goalless Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United for Tuesday’s return encounter.

BARCELONA took a significant step towards the semi-finals of the Champions League with a hard-fought win over Schalke in Gelsenkirchen.