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John OShea gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, but the defending champion missed plenty of chances to win by a bigger margin.

The fullback scored in the 18th minute after Arsenal failed to clear a corner. United outplayed Arsenal for long spells and had chances of a far bigger victory, but was foiled by three good first-half saves by Manuel Almunia.

The Red Devils look certain to go to next weeks second leg without center back Rio Ferdinand, who has a suspected broken rib after a late scramble in front of the United goal.

Hes gone to hospital and we will wait for the outcome of that, said United manager Alex Ferguson. It doesnt look good at the moment.

The two teams meet again at Arsenals Emirates Stadium next Tuesday. The winner will advance to the May 27 final in Rome to face either Barcelona or Chelsea, who drew 0-0 in Tuesdays first leg in Spain.

We had chances and their goalkeeper made two or three fantastic saves, Ferguson said. The more pleasing aspect is that, before the game I said (to the players) Try and win the game without conceding a goal. Weve done that.

Our forward play was very good and thats given us a good chance.

Arsenal was without injured forward Robin van Persie and Russian star Andry Arshavin, who is not eligible to line up for the Gunners in the Champions League having played for Zenit St. Petersburg earlier in this seasons competition. The result was that Arsene Wengers men rarely created chances at Old Trafford but are fortunate they only have to make up a one-goal deficit at home.

Wenger believes that his team will play far better in the second leg.

If you look at the clear-cut chances, they were on top, the Arsenal manager said. The positive is that we are only 1-0 down that we take home, and I am convinced that you will see a different Arsenal team at the Emirates. I believe that we have a good chance to reverse the result.

I believe that the tie is very open. (United) can have regrets because they didnt score a second goal. Its down to us to make sure they regret they didnt score a second goal.

Uniteds pressure brought some early chances followed by a goal.

Wayne Rooneys looping header in the second minute was finger-tipped away by Almunia, and a well-worked move ended with OSheas cross to Carlos Tevez, whose close-range shot was well saved by the Gunners keeper.

From the corner, Michael Carrick beat a defender on the left and his cross deflected off Alex Song to the unmarked OShea, who drove the ball into the roof of the net.

After the 0-0 draw between Barcelona and Chelsea, that makes fullback OShea, who has scored 13 other goals for United, the only player to score in the semifinals so far although he said United should have had more.

Possibly with the chances we had. Their keeper has made a couple of great saves, the Irish international said. On our first half display we could have been a couple more goals up.

But we have the goal, we kept a clean sheet and we know were capable of scoring an away goal at the Emirates. In the second game we need to improve on retaining possession. Overall we have to be happy.

The defending champions maintained the momentum, and the busy Almunia saved a close-range header from Cristiano Ronaldo as well as his follow up shot. Later, he raced off his line to dive at the feet of Tevez as United threatened more goals.

Almunia had a big game in a big game, Wenger said. His saves were excellent, top class in every sense. His reading of the game, his decision making, quality, sharpness. He was really top class tonight.

Although Arsenal had a spell of possession before halftime, the Gunners did little to worry United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, with defenders Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic firmly in control of striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

The pattern continued in the second half, with Ronaldo having a shot blocked. After Adebayor made a series of mistakes at the other end, the Arsenal fans began chanting the name of striker Eduardo da Silva.

Adebayors response was a powerful shot that just cleared the crossbar, but Ronaldo then replied with a 25-meter drive that shook the Gunners bar.

Ferguson sent on Dimitar Berbatov for the busy Tevez, and Ryan Giggs stretched his record number of appearances for the club to 800 when he came on for Anderson.

Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath has declined to comment on reports that he will move to Bundesliga rival Schalke at the end of the season.

Several German newspaper, including the Stuttgarter Zeitung, reported Wednesday that Magath would make the switch, despite his current club leading the Bundesliga.

Magath declined any comment after Wolfsburgs practice Wednesday. Schalke officials neither confirmed nor denied the reports.

Schalke board chief Clemens Toennis and general manager Peter Peters both said the club would make its coaching decision known on May 23, after the Bundesliga season is over, and declined any other comment.

Magaths contract with Wolfsburg runs until 2010.

Wolfsburg leads the Bundesliga by two points over Hertha Berlin, with five games remaining.

Schalke fired both its manager Andreas Mueller and coach Fred Rutten last month. Mike Bueskens, a former assistant, has been in charge provisionally and has notched four straight wins.

Werder Bremen and Hamburg resume their long and often hostile rivalry when they play Thursday in the first leg of the UEFA Cup semifinals.

Bremen has often been Hamburgs nemesis in big games in recent years, and the two northern German clubs are now in the process of playing each other four times in a 19-day span.

The first match went Bremens way, when it won the German Cup semifinal last week after goalkeeper Tim Wiese stopped three penalties in the tiebreaking shootout.

That defeat took Hamburg out of contention for one of the three titles it was hoping for.

Hamburg has not won a title for 22 years and its last was the German Cup.

The Bundesliga and the UEFA Cup remain within Hamburgs reach - but the team could easily end up without any silverware at all.

After losing to Bremen in the German Cup, it also lost 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga and failed to take advantage of losses for leader Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich. Hamburg is sharing third place with Bayern and Stuttgart, three points behind Wolfsburg with five games remaining.

Bremens playmaker Diego, who is the target of transfer talks with Juventus, warned his teammates to be wary of Hamburg.

After the loss in Dortmund, the UEFA Cup is their only chance to lift a title and they will put everything into this game, the Brazilian said. But if we play our game, well win again.

Allofs said Juventus had expressed interest in Diego and that there had been talks, but no negotiations.

Hamburg playmaker Piotr Trochowski thinks there is no reason for his team to consider Werder the favorite.

They are behind us in the standings, he said. Why should we fear them?

Werder, which won the German double in 2004, had a slow start in the season and is now 10th in the Bundesliga. But it can also end the season with two titles.

Hamburg has stumbled over Bremen before, like three years ago when Werder snatched a direct place in the Champions League ahead of its rival on the last day of the league season.

But captain David Jarolim said history wont repeat itself.

We cant lose twice so close to the final, he said.

Hamburg coach Martin Jol has injury worries. Striker Mladen Petric is out, while defender Marcell Jansen has bruised ribs.

His Werder colleague Thomas Schaaf has similar problems. Defender Petri Pasanen and midfielders Daniel Jensen and Aaron Hunt are out, while captain Frank Baumann is doubtful.

Schaaf turns 48 on match day and midfielder Torsten Frings said the team wanted to win for the coach as well.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants his young players to take advantage of Manchester Uniteds leaky defense and leave Old Trafford with some valuable away goals in the first leg of the semifinals of the Champions League.

Wenger has won just about every major title with Arsenal since taking over in 1996, but the closest he came to winning the Champions League was in 2006 when the Gunners lost to Barcelona in the final.

This is the moment weve waited for and this is the moment we want to show we have whats needed to take advantage of this first game, Wenger said Tuesday, The modern rules encourage team at home to be cautious and the away team to be audacious. To score away goals could be very important tomorrow.

Arsenal takes on United four days after the Premier League leaders overcame a 2-0 deficit against Tottenham in the second half to win 5-2.

Before that match, Uniteds back four had looked to have regained its durability by keeping three straight clean sheets after conceding 12 goals in five matches. Arsenal has already beaten United this season, recording a 2-1 win at Emirates Stadium in November.

I believe that they can concede goals, Wenger said. Lets not focus on Manchester Uniteds weaknesses but our strengths and the way we want to play.

United center half Nemanja Vidic said his teams slump is due to manager Alex Fergusons need to rotate the squad amid a tough match schedule.

In the first half (against Tottenham) we didnt defend very well, Vidic said. In the second half we came back much stronger, and that is how we need to play against Arsenal and any team we play against. It just happens - sometimes things go wrong.

We will try to fix the problems we have had in the last games, but we need to remember as well that we have changed many players. We have not played with a consistent team at the back, even in the middle or up front. We have so many games that sometimes you have to change the team and sometimes you need time to adapt.

The five-goal surge that kept United at the top of the Premier League may have boosted the strikers confidence ahead of its first European encounter with Arsenal, but Ferguson doesnt anticipate a high-scoring affair.

There will be vigilance from both teams, an awareness about not losing a goal, Ferguson said. We need to win the first leg without losing a goal. Ill be delighted to win the game 1-0.

Ferguson has a tough decision about which forwards will start at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov all scored in the 5-2 win, but second-half substitute Carlos Tevez was the architect of the comeback.

Since beating Chelsea in last seasons Champions League final, Ferguson has wanted his team to be the first to retain the trophy since the new format began in the 1992-93 season.

Talk is cheap, but a faint heart never won a fair lady, Ferguson said. Its something I would dearly love to achieve. Some might say I am tempting fate, but here at Old Trafford we have always set our sights high and I want our players to appreciate that I believe they are good enough to rise to this challenge.

Nobody is saying it will be easy and we will certainly need to enjoy that little rub of luck and freedom from injury that can make or break you.

While United is still on course for a quadruple, having already captured the Club World Cup and League Cup, the Champions League represents Arsenals last chance of ending its trophy drought since 2005.

Im an optimist and I believe I will win it, and the sooner the better, Wenger said. Thats why Im here with complete belief.

Arsenal heads north to Old Trafford after extending an unbeaten Premier League run to 20 matches by beating Middlesbrough 2-0 Sunday, which all but secures another top-four finish and Champions League qualification.

Now Wenger wants his talented young players to show that they can win titles, too.

We have tried to build our team in a different way, Wenger said. We have just built a young team because we wanted to develop a special way of playing and a special spirit.

When the players had been educated together from the age of 16 to 23 or 24 there is something special we hope will come out at this level of the competition.

Arsenal has concerns at left back with Kieran Gibbs a doubt with an ankle problem. His likely replacement, former United player Mikael Silvestre, has a back complaint.

With goal after goal in Brazil, Ronaldo is showing he remains one of the best strikers in the world.

Despite not being completely fit after spending more than a year sidelined because of the third serious knee injury of his career, Ronaldo is leaving his mark in Brazilian football, even showing signs of the form that made him a three-time FIFA player of the year.

The 32-year-old striker is thriving with Corinthians, and has already scored eight goals in nine matches since returning to competitive football in March.

His performances have prompted calls by fans and local media for his return to the national team.

This is an answer to those who said I was an exhibition player, a marketing move, Ronaldo said. Im the happiest man in the world, Im doing what I like to do. The most important thing to me is to be playing football.

Ronaldos latest goals were scored in style on Sunday in the first leg of the Sao Paulo state championship, when Corinthians beat Santos 3-1 to stay one match away from the title. It can win the title even with a two-goal loss next week.

The striker showed his skill with a difficult first touch that set up a left-footed shot for his first goal in the first half, then used a nifty back-heel dribble to get past a defender and clip a delicate lob shot from outside the area over Santos goalkeeper Fabio Costa.

Even Pele - a former Santos player who watched the match at the Vila Belmiro stadium - was quick to praise Ronaldo.

It was a goal worthy of Pele, a goal worthy of a World Cup, Pele said. He makes a difference. Im glad I got to see a goal like that.

Ronaldo, the all-time leading World Cup scorer with 15 goals, was thrilled to perform well in front of Pele.

It was nice to be the king for a day in the Kings house, the 32-year-old Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo, who had already scored a decisive goal in the semifinal against Sao Paulo, became the biggest attraction in Brazilian football after signing with Corinthians last December.

He was visibly overweight and struggling to regain his fitness, but when he finally made his debut, it was in dramatic fashion, scoring a last-minute goal against rival Palmeiras.

Ronaldo scored again against Sao Caetano in his first match as a starter, and has continued to impress since then.

He missed only three matches to rest, but says his knee has not bothered him at all since the surgery after the February 2008 injury sustained while playing with AC Milan in the Italian league.

Each goal I score I lose 1 kilogram, Ronaldo joked as he continues to try to get back to his best physical shape. Hopefully Ill lose a lot of weight in the coming matches.

The striker has said he wants to score 30 goals this year with Corinthians, which would certainly catch the attention of Brazil coach Dunga.

Nobody comes close to the Ronaldo of today, Lance columnist Eduardo Tironi said. He deserves to be summoned.

One of Ronaldos objectives is to return to the national team in time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Only Dunga can evaluate if I deserve to be in the national team, Ronaldo said. If what Im doing with Corinthians is enough, Ill be proud to return.

Ronaldo began his European career with PSV Eindhoven in 1994 and went on to play for continental powerhouses FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Chelsea did what very few teams have been able to do, holding Barcelona to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League semifinals.

The Spanish leaders were held scoreless for the first time since a league defeat on the opening weekend of the season. It was the first shutout on home soil since Manchester United drew 0-0 at the same stage of the competition last year.

Were pleased with the result because when you look a the short history of Barcelona and how their results have been and how theyve been able to score, its quite an achievement against a team that plays beautiful football as we saw tonight, Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink said.

Both goalkeepers made key saves, with Victor Valdes getting his hands up quickly to stop Didier Drogbas shot following a Barcelona defensive lapse in the 39th minute.

Drogba jumped on Rafael Marquezs poor backpass for an attempt from inside the area but the Chelsea striker couldnt control the rebound from Valdes, who poked the ball away before the danger was cleared.

We would have loved to have won, to have scored, but I think we played well, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. I dont see that there is anything we can be blamed for.

Barcelonas defense will be short-handed for the return leg at Stamford Bridge on May 6 after Marquez was lost for the season with a knee injury. His replacement, Carles Puyol, was suspended after being booked in the 74th.

Rafas loss was the worst news today, Guardiola said.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was busy, too, diving to keep Samuel Etoos shot out in the 70th after the Barcelona striker had shaken off Alex to get a clear chance from close-range.

Cech made several late saves, the most notable coming on substitute Aleksandr Hleb moments after Bojan Krkic had headed a clear chance from point-blank over goal.

The Chelsea goalkeeper rushed out the left side to block Hleb after the late substitute had been able to move into the area for the dangerous opportunity as Barcelona pressed following Etoos chance.

Etoo had run into the area before pulling back to shake off Alex, but Cech kept the low shot out at the near side.

They wont be able to play like they did today, just waiting on everything in their own half, Etoo said. Drawing at home is not a bad thing for the team. Playing away in the return leg just means we have to score that away goal that will settle us.

Guardiola surprisingly left Puyol on the bench and Marquezs defensive error nearly cost the hosts.

Drogbas chance - Chelseas only shot on goal to Barcelonas 12 - seemed to rejuvenate the Blues, who had spent most of the first half holding off the rushes of Barcelonas talented forwards, with Andres Iniesta creating most of the danger.

Lionel Messi had few chances as Florent Malouda and Jose Bosingwa - filling in for the suspended Ashley Cole - kept the Argentina winger in check, with Messi only managing two high shots from outside the area.

He was having an unusual game this night, Hiddink said. Of course theres always pressure but when you play in the big teams in Spain or England theres always pressure. It can happen one night but he can cope with the pressure.

Barcelona held most of the possession - just as it did in big wins over Lyon and Bayern Munich - but Chelseas defense held well, especially after having allowed five goals in the previous round against Liverpool.

They had a lot of possession but we stayed very tight, Terry said. We watched videos before the game, they like to play little balls through and we knew that and stopped them doing it.

Marquez injured his left knee in the 50th and soon made way for Puyol.

The physical play between the familiar rivals - who met for the fourth time in five seasons in Europes top club competition - increased in the second half as the visitors were whistled 20 times to Barcelonas 10. Both teams earned two yellow cards.

The referee didnt have his best performance today and thats sad, Guardiola said. I just dont think its fair when one team is trying to play creatively and attack and the other just sits back. Its not just.

Manchester United will face Chinese club Hangzhou Greentown on the final leg of its four-game tour of Asia in July.

United also plays games in Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea although those details are yet to be finalized. Its final game will be July 26 against Greentown, which is a Chinese Super League team from the Zhejiang province.

We are delighted to be coming back to Asia for our summer tour, United chief executive David Gill said Monday. The passion and excitement of the games has to be experienced to be believed, and the tour is great preparation for the new season.

Barcelonas bid to cap a spectacular season with three trophies gets a big test Tuesday when the Spanish league leaders face familiar foe Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.

The match at the Camp Nou is the first of three games likely define Barcelonas season, which has seen the teams high-powered offense, led by Lionel Messi, score a remarkable 136 goals in 51 games.

Only days after hosting Chelsea, Barcelona faces rival Real Madrid in the Spanish league on Saturday. And next Wednesday, the team visits Stamford Bridge in London for a chance to reach the Champions League final on May 27 in Rome.

Were motivated. We want to win these titles, Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said Monday. Were conscious that we havent won anything yet, but its all in our hands.

If they win both titles, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola could make it a treble for his team in the Copa del Rey final.

Barcelona and Chelsea have met in the knockout stage of the Champions League three times since 2000, with Barcelona winning twice. Many of the players from those matches, some of them acrimonious, remain, including Messi, who has scored 34 goals in all competitions this season.

And with defender Ashley Cole suspended, Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink is likely to call on Jose Bosingwa - recently back from a five-week layoff - to keep the dynamic Argentina winger in check.

Chelsea will also be without injured center back Ricardo Carvalho, so Branislav Ivanovic or former Barcelona player Juliano Belletti could also be deployed to cover Messi.

(Bosingwa) started the last week and we dont have many options, Hiddink said. But I feel confident he can do it tomorrow evening.

Barcelona is the last non-English team remaining in Europes top club competition, with Arsenal facing Manchester United in the other semifinal series. Man United knocked Barcelona out of the competition at the semifinal stage last season.

Guardiola, a key member of the Dream Team which won four straight league titles and Barcelonas first European Cup in 1992, has led the clubs revival since replacing Frank Rijkaard, who coached the team to the league-Champions League double in 2006.

Were playing a great team tomorrow and I think we should be proud, Guardiola said. Im going to go out there and enjoy it.

With Xavi and Andres Iniesta creating out of the midfield, Messi, Samuel Etoo and Thierry Henry have combined for 87 of the teams goals to lead the back-to-back home wins over French champion Lyon and German champion Bayern Munich that allowed it to reach the semifinals.

Barcelona beat Bayern 4-0 in the first leg.

They not only destroyed Bayern … they surprised them a lot in the first half, said Hiddink, who has only two victories in eight previous matches against Barcelona. Weve studied that and we know we have to start extremely concentrated so the same doesnt happen to us.

Chelsea, which lost last years final to Man United on penalties, got past Juventus and Liverpool to reach the semifinals for the third straight year.

Chelsea is a very strong team in aerial play, we saw that against Liverpool, Guardiola said. If we have to wait for the second leg to take it, its not going to work.

The Blues will be without the injured Deco, who will miss a return to the Camp Nou since his offseason move to London. Deco, alongside Ronaldinho, helped Barcelona win the Champions League title three years ago.

Its normal to be impressed by what theyve done in the Champions League but weve also shown some things, Chelsea winger Florent Malouda said. Now its our chance to measure ourselves up against them.

A Marseille supporter convicted of attacking a police officer in Spain ahead of a Champions League match last year was again detained following a pre-match scuffle, police said Monday.

Santos Mirasierra was arrested Sunday along with two other Marseille supporters in the northern city of Lille before a French league match between Lille and Marseille.

Mirasierra, who was detained last year in Madrid ahead of a match in between Marseille and Atletico Madrid and handed a 3 1/2-year prison sentence, was released last December on ?6,000 ($7,740) bail after he appealed the sentence.

Lawyers for Mirasierra argued there was not enough evidence linking him to the attack on the police officer and that Spanish authorities were punishing him arbitrarily. The case sparked widespread indignation among French fans.

On Sunday, Mirasierra and the two others spotted a man wearing a scarf emblazoned with the logo of Marseilles rival, Paris Saint-Germain, at a train station in Lille and attacked him, police officials said. The man was hospitalized with an ear injury, officials said.

The three men were detained shortly after the incident and placed in police custody. They were to be handed over to prosecutors later Monday.

Marseille president Pape Diouf refused to comment on the case, insisting he didnt have enough details about the incident. Diouf had earlier said he was stunned by Mirasierras December conviction.

Marseille won Sundays match 2-1, bolstering its lead at the top of the French league standings.

Newcastle slipped a step closer to relegation from the Premier League on Monday with a 0-0 draw against visiting Portsmouth.

Newcastle fielded Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins in a three-man attack but all three missed chances and the Magpies remained in the three-team relegation zone, winless in four games under new manager Alan Shearer.

Portsmouth, which is now almost safe from relegation, came closest to scoring when it hit the post through Richard Hughes in the 82nd.

The result left Newcastle with only a narrow win over last-place West Bromwich Albion in its last 15 Premier League matches. Newcastle has 31 points with four matches remaining, three points from the safety of 17th place.

We need to get a win, Shearer said. Time is running out, we know it. I think it will go to the final game of the season.

But we need a win to kickstart a bit of momentum.

Newcastle is next at title challenger Liverpool at the weekend before hosting Middlesbrough and Fulham. It is at Aston Villa on the last day of the season.

Both goalkeepers made first-half saves, with Portsmouths David James stopping winger Damien Duff and Steve Harper tipping a curling shot by Sean Davis over the bar.

Owen and Martins both missed chances, but it was Viduka who was replaced by Andy Carroll in the 64th soon after the Australia striker shot straight at James.

Portsmouth was unlucky not to get a penalty following a 50th-minute sliding tackle by Fabrizio Coloccini on Peter Crouch.

Martins was then blocked by James, but the home sides efforts to score left gaps in defense and Hughes headed his late effort onto the bar.

Reading kept alive its hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League from the second-tier League Championship with a 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Norwich.

Ireland forward Shane Long scored two second-half goals to move fourth-place Reading to 77 points ahead of this seasons final round of matches. Reading hosts Birmingham on Sunday and can edge the second-place Blues to the final automatic promotion spot with victory.