Serbia midfielder Milos Krasic is keen to secure a move to Italy after the World Cup.

Michael Essien is ready to sacrifice his all-action style in order to do another shackling job on Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard when Chelsea look to reach the Champions League semi-finals tomorrow night.

WHEN Michael Essien smiles, and he smiles a lot, it feels like an extra floodlight has just been switched on.

Juventus 2 Chelsea 2 (Chelsea win 3-2 on agg)

Juventus playmaker Pavel Nedved has announced he will retire at the end of the season.

Chelsea 1 Juventus 0

JUVENTUS produced a stunning rearguard action to hold on for a famous 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League to take control of Group H.

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has revealed he pulled out of a move for Xabi Alonso this summer because he felt the Liverpool midfielder was “too slow”.

Arsenal 0 Juventus 1

CZECH REPUBLIC captain Tomas Ujfalusi is confident his team’s class of 2008 have enough quality to make a serious impact at this year’s European Championships. The Czechs face hosts Switzerland in the opening match today (kick-off 5pm).

KAREL BRUCKNER is a man under pressure and it shows. He spent 28 minutes speaking to the media at Sparta Prague’s Axa Arena, most of it accompanied by deep sighs and withering looks.

Newcastle 2 Juventus 0

David Trezeguet has extinguished speculation linking him with Arsenal by signing a contract extension with Juventus.

ALL derbies are equal but some are more equal than others, declared the Portuguese football paper O Jogo last week, a proposition that will be sadly familiar to Tottenham fans.

DUTCH striker Ruud van Nistelrooy scored four times as Real Madrid beat Osasuna 4-1 yesterday to move third in La Liga.

Disgraced Italian giants Juventus were held to an embarrassing draw against the 10 men of Rimini in the Turin club’s first Serie B appearance following their relegation for their leading role in the Italian match-fixing scandal.

Czech Republic 2 Wales 1

JOSE MOURINHO spent £30 million (€44 million) to add Andriy Shevchenko to his already well-staffed ranks at Chelsea during the summer, but it was the man whose place he looks like taking, Didier Drogba, that dragged the champions to victory against Blackburn at Ewood Park.

STRIKER Miroslav Klose scored twice as Germany warmed up for their crunch clash with the Republic of Ireland next month with a 3-0 victory over Sweden at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen last night.

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO claims Pavel Nedved, a reported target for Tottenham, is ready to stay with Juventus despite the club’s relegation to Serie B following a match-fixing scandal.

Alessandro del Piero claims Pavel Nedved, a reported target for Tottenham, is ready to stay with Juventus despite the club’s relegation to Serie B following a match-fixing scandal.

Tottenham are among the clubs interested in Juventus’ Pavel Nedved, according to the midfielder's agent.

AU revoir Zizou. Adeus Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and maybe Ronaldo. Goodbye Claudio Reyna. Auf wiedersehen Oliver Kahn and ciao Alessandro Del Piero.

THE resignation yesterday of Real Madrid-bound coach Fabio Capello may well have marked the start of the exodus from crisis-hit Juventus.

Pavel Nedved is considering his club as well as his international future after seeing Juventus named as one of the clubs who could face sanctions over allegations of corruption on the day the Czech Republic were knocked out of the World Cup.

Czech Republic 0 Italy 2

Ghana provided the biggest shock of the 2006 World Cup so far as they comfortably beat the world's second-ranked nation to keep alive their hopes of a place in the last 16.

Highly-rated Ghana star Sulley Muntari has issued a ’come and get me’ plea to the Premiership, with Manchester United at the top of his wish list.

PETR CECH has told Arsenal fans to expect more of the same from £8 million (€11.7m) new boy Tomas Rosicky next season.

United States 0 Czech Republic 3

Pavel Nedved admits he may join Zinedine Zidane in retiring from all football after the World Cup.

There were few surprises as Czech Republic boss Karel Bruckner named his 23-man squad for this summer’s World Cup.

JUVENTUS moved a step closer to the Serie A title as they beat Palermo but the race for the top spot will go to the final day as Milan won at Parma.

Arsenal have developed a taste for success in Europe this season and manager Arsene Wenger is confident their hunger will continue to grow.

Juventus 0 Arsenal 0 (Agg 0-2)

Juventus 0 Arsenal 0 (Arsenal win 2-0 on aggregate)

Juventus will give Alessandro Del Piero a late fitness test ahead of tomorrow’s game against Arsenal.

THIERRY HENRY has called on his Arsenal team-mates to “stay cool” as they look to secure a safe passage into the semi-finals of the Champions League against Juventus tomorrow night.

Patrick Vieira received a warm reception on his return to Highbury as Arsenal took on Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Patrick Vieira insists he feels no emotion about his return to Highbury.

Ten-man Juventus saw striker Alessandro Del Piero limp off during their 1-1 home draw with Roma in Serie A.

Juventus 2 Werder Bremen 1 (Agg 4-4) (Juve win on away goals)

Juventus 2 Werder Bremen 1 (4-4 on aggregate; Juventus go through on away goals)

THERE were ominous signs for Britain’s Champions League contenders after a hectic weekend of football across the continent.