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Manchester United’s victorious players are on a flight back to England with the Champions League trophy after their thrilling win over Chelsea in Moscow.

The United squad celebrated the penalty shoot-out win well into the early hours at a party in their hotel.

BBC sports news correspondent James Pearce said the party had gone on until 1000 local time, and the team’s return has been put back by at least an hour.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have already begun their trip back to Gatwick airport.

In a dramatic final, Manchester United took the lead through Ronaldo before Frank Lampard equalised for Chelsea.

It went down to penalties, with John Terry missing the chance to win it for Chelsea before Edwin van der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka’s spot-kick to take the trophy.

The Chelsea players are expected to make a low-key exit when they land at Gatwick, after seeing their dreams of glory snatched away in the Luzhniki Stadium.

Barca’s Messi set to face Man Utd

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is set to win his fitness battle for the Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United on 23 April.

Argentine sensation Messi, 20, has been named in the Barca squad for Saturday’s La Liga game against Recreativo Huelva.

He tore a muscle in his left thigh in the Champions League last 16 game against Celtic on 4 March and has been recovering from injury in Argentina.

Barca are without Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho for the rest of the season.

The 28-year-old, who has struggled to hold down a regular place this season, pulled a leg muscle in training last week.

Barca forwards Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic picked up knocks in the European game against Schalke on Wednesday, while midfielder Andres Iniesta has a knee problem.

Portuguese midfielder Deco has missed the last month with a calf injury, but he may still be fit for the first leg.

source:bbcsports

Man Utd 1-0 Roma (agg 3-0)

Carlos Tevez struck as Manchester United defeated Roma to seal a Champions League semi-final match-up with Barcelona.

Roma should have taken the lead from the penalty spot after a foul by Wes Brown but Daniele de Rossi smashed the ball high over the crossbar.

Edwin van der Sar denied Mirko Vucinic as Roma threatened but Ryan Giggs and Owen Hargreaves forced saves from Doni.

And Tevez scored with a diving header from Hargreaves’ cross to seal the tie.

The Argentine struck after 70 minutes and it was a goal that punctured any lingering hopes Roma harboured of a dramatic comeback.

The Italians had been left stunned after their 2-0 defeat in Rome but, after enduring a poor start to the second leg, they showed great spirit to rattle their opponents.

And they might have ensured an extremely nervous evening for United had De Rossi not been so wasteful with his penalty kick after 29 minutes.

Ferguson relishing Barcelona test

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is excited by the prospect of playing Barcelona after his team defeated Roma in the Champions League.

Carlos Tevez scored as United won the second-leg 1-0 to secure a 3-0 victory on aggregate over Roma - and set up a semi-final tie with the Catalan giants.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Ferguson. “I think that we have something special in our team.

“We cannot go to Spain and be negative, we must be positive.”

United last met Barcelona in the Champions League in 1998 when their group encounter at the Nou Camp ended in a 3-3 draw.

But United won the Champions League final at the Nou Camp in 1999, with a spectacular 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich.

The first leg of this year’s tie will also take place in Spain, on 22 or 23 April, with the return leg at Old Trafford on 29 or 30 April.

Barca defender Carles Puyol will be missing from the first leg after picking up a yellow card in the 1-0 win over Schalke.

Neville makes fresh comeback bid

Manchester United defender Gary Neville played 60 minutes for the club’s reserve team on Tuesday in his latest attempt to return from injury. The 33-year-old right-back has not played first-team football for nearly a year and has been plagued by calf and ankle problems over the past 11 months.

Neville has made a number of comebacks only to suffer further setbacks.

United’s second-string lost 2-0 to their Liverpool counterparts with goals from Xabi Alonso and Harry Kewell.

United’s reserves also included keeper Ben Foster on the bench as he continues his comeback from knee surgery in the summer.

source:bbcsports

Man Utd fined for seven bookings

Manchester United have incurred an automatic £25,000 fine from the Football Association for having seven players booked against Tottenham. Edwin van der Sar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wes Brown, Nani, Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez were all booked in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

The fine is imposed any time a team gets six or more yellow cards.

If six or more United stars are booked again in a single game this season then the club will be fined £50,000.

However, United will not face any disciplinary action after a number of players remonstrated with the assistant referee after Tottenham’s goal.

Ronaldo savours his ‘best’ goal

Cristiano Ronaldo described his sublime free-kick in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday as the finest goal of his career. Ronaldo, 22, struck a spectacular 25-yard free-kick which dipped viciously at the last moment and gave Pompey keeper David James no chance.

“That was probably my best-ever goal,” said the Portuguese winger.

“I work for this in training and I’m very pleased to score. I shoot the way I do because it is my strength.”

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt Ronaldo’s goal - his second of the game - was the best deadball strike he has seen in the Premier League.

“This free-kick was as good as any I’ve seen in the Premiership, though. It was two or three inches underneath the bar and no goalkeeper could have saved that.

“From that distance, he is always going to hit them.

Man Utd 6-0 Newcastle

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first hat-trick for Manchester United sent them to the Premier League summit as they destroyed managerless Newcastle at Old Trafford. The winger’s free-kick broke the deadlock after 49 minutes and Carlos Tevez quickly tapped in a second.

Ronaldo capped a stunning four-man move for the third and Rio Ferdinand volleyed in a fourth after 85 minutes.

He sealed his treble via a deflection, and Newcastle’s Alan Smith saw red for dissent after Tevez’s disputed sixth.

Newcastle’s fans, stunned by Harry Redknapp’s refusal to succeed sacked Sam Allardyce, paraded banners calling for the appointment of Alan Shearer.

But the Tyneside legend is unlikely to have been tempted towards the hot-seat by what was on offer from a wretched Newcastle side, who conceded all six goals in the second half.

New England coach Fabio Capello was in attendance as Wayne Rooney drove an early chance over the top as United set the platform for first-half domination.

Newcastle keeper Shay Given twice saved well from Rooney as United threatened to lay siege to the visitors’ goal.

Claudio Cacapa then cleared a goal-bound header from John O’Shea before the game had a moment of controversy after 28 minutes.

We won’t sell Ronaldo - Man Utd

Manchester United chief executive David Gill insists the club would never sell Cristiano Ronaldo, amid reports Real Madrid are lining up a £50m offer. “There’s no chance of us selling him, no way, whatever the bid,” he said.

“Cristiano signed a new contract last season to 2012 and we are not a selling club. (Manager) Alex Ferguson has never let a player go he didn’t want to.

“He is happy here. Alex knows Ronaldo’s mind and what he’s about - everything about him is Manchester United.”

Ronaldo is featured on BBC’s Football Focus on Saturday, and the Portugal international says the team need to win trophies to prove their worth.

Ferguson says the current squad, who are in the hunt for the league, Champions League and FA Cup titles, is the best he has had but Ronaldo told Football Focus: “Individually, the talent is great.

“But if we don’t win anything, people will say this is not the best group of players. Trophies are the most important thing.”

Man Utd 2-1 Everton

Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty two minutes from time earned Manchester United a narrow win that saw them close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to a point.

It was a cruel finish for Everton, who had battled well before Steven Pienaar felled Ryan Giggs late on, allowing Ronaldo to convert from the spot.

The Portuguese had earlier fired the hosts into the lead with a 20-yarder.

Tim Cahill levelled with a firm header and the Toffees looked to have earned a hard-fought point until Ronaldo’s goal.

The result ended the Toffees’ 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

And it could prove a vital three points for United, who move a single point behind Arsenal again after the Gunners’ derby win over Tottenham on Saturday.

The opening of the match, between two of the form sides in the Premier League, was predictably fraught, with four bookings in the opening 15 minutes and a host of fouls interrupting the flow of the game.

However, it was United who settled first, despite the absence of key trio Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves through injury.

Carlos Tevez had the game’s first real chance when Wayne Rooney helped on a Ronaldo cross only for the Argentine’s shot to be deflected wide.