PORTUGAL booked themselves a place in the European play-offs for next year’s World Cup after an easy 4-0 Group One victory over Malta.

Portugal booked themselves a place in the European play-offs for next year’s World Cup with an easy 4-0 Group One victory over Malta.

CRISTIANO RONALDO will miss Portugal’s final World Cup qualifier against Malta on Wednesday due to a right ankle injury.

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the potential Republic of Ireland playoff rival's final World Cup qualifier against Malta on Wednesday due to a right ankle injury.

PORTO ensured Atletico Madrid followed their city neighbours Real out of the Champions League after playing out a goalless draw against the Spanish side at the Estadio do Dragao.

Portugal winger Simao Sabrosa has revealed his long-term goal is still to play in England.

Barcelona maintained their 100% record in Champions League Group C with a 5-0 rout of hapless Basle tonight.

Atletico Madrid 1 Liverpool 1

Chelsea midfielder Deco and Atletico Madrid's Maniche have been released from the Portugal squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Albania.

CRISTIANO RONALDO has admitted that he is pleased to see Chelsea top of the Premier League because it reflects well on his former international coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Portugal 2 Germany 3

Czech Republic 1 Portugal 3

FOR drama and surprise there is nothing quite like La Liga, although the Premier League shows signs of running it close this season.

Bolton manager Gary Megson left first leg hero El-Hadji Diouf on the bench for tonight’s UEFA Cup last-32 second leg against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon.

ABERDEEN boss Jimmy Calderwood paid tribute to his side after a Jamie Smith double fired the Dons into the last 32 of the UEFA Cup with a stunning 4-0 victory over Copenhagen last night.

Atletico Madrid 2 Aberdeen 0

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will be investigated by UEFA over his role in the events that marred his side’s European Championship qualifier against Serbia in Lisbon.

Arsenal have confirmed striker Jose Antonio Reyes has joined Atletico Madrid for an undisclosed fee.

Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes is hoping the long-running saga over where he will be playing his football next season will be brought to an end in the near future.

Arsenal are set to miss out on the signing of exciting Argentinian prospect Angel Di Maria after Benfica agreed a deal for the teenager.

MARTIN PETROV has admitted the reason he joined Manchester City was because of manager Sven-Goran Eriksson’s reputation as a top coach. The Bulgaria winger, 28, sealed a three-year deal at Eastlands following a £4.7 million (€7.01m) move from Atletico Madrid.

Benfica winger Simao Sabrosa is set to join Atletico Madrid after the Portuguese club agreed to sell their captain to the Primera Liga side.

A late penalty from former West Brom midfielder Enzo Maresca salvaged a 2-2 draw for UEFA Cup holders Sevilla in the first leg of their last 16 match with Shakhtar Donetsk.

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.

Germany 3 Portugal 1

Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann made way for long-time rival Oliver Kahn as Germany prepared to take on Portugal in the third-place play-off match in Stuttgart.

Portugal 2 Mexico 1

Portugal 2 Mexico 1

PORTUGAL coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is already planning for the World Cup knockout stages — but claims the reserves he will use in the today’s Group D fixture with Mexico could play their way into his first-choice line-up for the last 16 match with Argentina or Holland.

Portugal 2 Iran 0

Portugal kicked off their Group D campaign with a narrow victory over World Cup debutants Angola courtesy of an early Pauleta strike.

Xabi Alonso believes it is vital for Liverpool to win the FA Cup this season after exiting the Champions League.

PORTUGAL winger Simao Sabrosa will remain at Benfica until the end of the season.

Liverpool’s fine recent run of form has not halted manager Rafael Benitez’s restructuring at Anfield after two players yesterday joined the Reds and two more were strongly linked with a move to Merseyside.

MARK GONZALEZ is almost certain to be loaned out to a Spanish club until the end of the season, when Liverpool will again apply for a work permit for the youngster.

Liverpool will unveil new signing Jan Kromkamp tomorrow after the World Cup prospect successfully completed his medical.

The January transfer window has largely been used as an opportunity for Premiership clubs to tweak or bolster their squads rather than make wholesale changes.

RICK PARRY has vowed Liverpool will not make the same mistakes in the transfer market which saw former manager Gerard Houllier waste the opportunity to take the club to a new level after their 2001 treble success.

Benfica 2 Manchester United 1

ALEX FERGUSON is trusting his players to deliver when their pride and up to £15 million (€22 million) in Champions League prize money go on the line in Lisbon tonight.

Benfica have their injury problems ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League make-or-break Champions League Group E match against Manchester United.

STEVEN GERRARD is promising boss Rafael Benitez will sign some new “special players” in the transfer window as Liverpool inch their way towards a club record for successive victories without conceding a goal.

Steven Gerrard is promising boss Rafael Benitez will sign some new “special players” in the transfer window as Liverpool inch their way towards a club record for successive victories without conceding a goal.

Simao Sabrosa appears set to join Liverpool from Benfica after the Portuguese Football Federation gave permission for the forward to undergo a medical for the Anfield side.