Match delayed by EastEnders whodunnit

Liverpool's European match on Thursday will kick off 15 minutes late to allow TV viewers to find out who shot EastEnders hardman Phil Mitchell.

The start of the Uefa Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Barcelona from the Nou Camp stadium has been put back to 8.15pm to accommodate a 40-minute edition of the soap.

The BBC managed to persuade both clubs and Uefa to put back the kick-off so football fans would not miss any of the action.

BBC Sport spokesman Mike Hales said: "We asked both sides nicely and they agreed to start later because of EastEnders.

"It is a well-known programme so the Spanish realise it was important for the BBC."

An audience of up to 20 million is expected to tune in for the biggest whodunnit since JR Ewing was shot in Dallas.