LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez has called on captain Steven Gerrard to be the standard bearer as he leads his team into “battle” in the remainder of the season.

FULHAM boss Roy Hodgson has no intention of taking Wolfsburg lightly as he attempts to guide his side into yet more unchartered territory tonight.

IT WAS the eagerly-awaited Champions League quarter-final first leg between two old rivals, two bitter old feuding football nations, and two players, at differing stages of their respective careers, for whom the tie at the Allianz Arena served as something of an audition.

WAYNE ROONEY limped off with an ankle injury as Manchester United suffered an agonising injury-time Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich last night.

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.

TWO GOALS from Lisandro earned Lyon a crucial advantage over Bordeaux in their domestic French battle to discover who will face Manchester United or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

WAYNE ROONEY, who went into this match in the form of his life and hailed as ‘unstoppable’, ended it injured and in despair – and now Manchester United’s rivals, and in particular Saturday’s opponents Chelsea, must be wondering if the bubble has burst.

CARLOS TEVEZ has spoken of his affection for Manchester City and declared: “I play for the shirt.”

HE WAS one of the heroes in red in the Camp Nou in Barcelona on the unforgettable night of May 24, 1999 when Manchester United staged football’s most famous late, late show to lift the European Cup.

LOUIS van GAAL insists Manchester United have more reason to be afraid of Bayern Munich than the German giants do of their 1999 Champions League final conquerors.

BAYERN MUNICH coach Louis van Gaal believes something needs to be done to create a more level playing field in European football as he prepares for tonight’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester United.

ALEX FERGUSON sends his Manchester United team out to battle in one of Europe’s great arenas tonight admitting it is the stage he loves best.

ENGLISH PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has issued a dire warning to the Premier League’s big spenders.

THERE’S a saying in sport that goes along the lines “show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser”. This was the type of comment fans of Tiger Woods made in his defence last Sunday evening after he completed his fourth place finish in the US Masters at Augusta.

CHELSEA keeper Petr Cech has warned title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal that they cannot afford any more slip-ups during the run-in.

ROBERTO MANCINI wants Wayne Rooney to face his Manchester City side on Saturday – so there will be no excuses from Manchester United if they lose the derby.

CARLO ANCELOTTI is learning fast.

DUTCH striker Robin van Persie will give Arsenal’s title ambitions a timely boost when he returns for tonight’s crucial clash against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp believes his side have closed the gap on Arsenal, regardless of what happens in tonight’s crunch north London derby.

EVERTON manager David Moyes believes his team need to win their remaining five matches if a Europa League slot is to remain a possibility.