AS Roma VS AC Milan

While the AC Milan-Roma fixture may not enjoy the status of a derby, it remains one of Italian football’s classic rivalries. The two meet for the 151st time this weekend, when the mutual antipathy that exists between the northern city and the nation’s capital, the gateway to the south, will once again ensure there is no love lost on the pitch.

Origins
In terms of trophies, AC Milan hold the upper hand, having won 17 league championships and five Coppa di Italia to Roma’s three scudetti and nine national cups, a competition record. The gap between the two sides is even greater when international silverware is taken into consideration.

Milan’s trophy cabinet features one FIFA Club World Cup, three Intercontinental Cups, seven European Cup/UEFA Champions League trophies and two European Cup Winners’ Cups. Meanwhile I Giallorossi have just a Fairs Cup success to their name, achieved in 1961, though they have finished European Cup and UEFA Cup runners-up, each on one occasion.

It goes without saying that the passion generated by the rivalry lacks the intensity of the Milan derby or its Rome counterpart. What gives it a special edge, however, is the fierce competition between the cities the two clubs represent: Rome, the administrative capital of Italy, and Milan, the country’s financial capital.

Facts and figures
I Rossoneri have a clear advantage in the head-to-head, winning 69 of the 150 league matches the two have contested, drawing 44 and losing 37. The northerners even have the edge at the Stadio Olimpico with 26 wins, 27 draws and 22 defeats in 75 meetings there. Yet while AC Milan have recorded the biggest win to date in the fixture, 6-2 on 28 May 1950, the Roman side can point to the most dramatic comeback, recovering from 4-1 down just after half-time to draw 4-4 on 27 January 1935.Where Milan cannot match their Roman rivals is in the number of Italian players who have won the FIFA World Cup™ while playing for them. While I Giallorossi have had 11 Nazionale world champions in their ranks over the years, from Attilio Ferraris IV (1934) to Bruno Conti (1982) and Francesco Totti (2006), Milan can only count on eight, including Pietro Arcari (1934), Franco Baresi (1982) and their Germany 2006-winning quintet of Gennaro Gattuso, Alberto Gilardino, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo.

Legendary names
Many are the great players who have run out for these two giants of the Italian scene. Leading the way for Milan is the peerless Paolo Maldini, who made 902 appearances for the club and 126 for Italy between 1984 and 2009. Also taking their place in the Rossoneri pantheon are Gianni Rivera, Franco Baresi, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, George Weah, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka, while Gattuso, Nesta and Clarence Seedorf are still representing the club with pride, all of them having helped pen some of the most glorious chapters in its story of sustained success.

Agostino di Bartolomei, Falcao, Pietro Vierchowod, Roberto Pruzzo, Bruno Conti, Gabriel Batistuta, current coach Vincenzo Montella and Marco Delvecchio are just some of the stars who have performed with distinction for Roma over the years. However, pride of place must surely go to Francesco Totti, a Roman born and bred and the greatest player in Giallorossi history.

Like his erstwhile international team-mate Maldini, Totti is a member of the dwindling band of players who have devoted their careers to just one club. In 607 matches for his beloved Roma since 1993, the feisty playmaker has carried his team time and time again, becoming the club’s highest Serie A scorer of all time with 206 goals, making him the fifth leading marksman in Italian league history. A fierce competitor, Totti will be intent on showing Milan on Saturday that his scoring days are not yet behind him.

Another famous figure in Milan history is current owner and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. A lifelong fan who made many a trip to the San Siro with his father Luigi during his childhood years, Berlusconi bought the club on 20 February 1986 and triggered a renaissance in Milan fortunes. Following on from the golden years of the 1950s, illuminated by the Swedish trio of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm (collectively known as Gre-No-Li), and the unforgettable achievements of coach Nereo Rocco in the 60s, Berlusconi brought in the no-less successful Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti, both of whom took the club to the top in Italy and Europe.

Roma had a legendary president of their own in Franco Sensi, who died in 2008 and was succeeded by his daughter Rosella, who made light of an increasing lack of resources to keep the club in the upper echelons of Serie A. Roma were taken over on 15 April by Italian-American businessman Thomas di Benedetto, who in becoming the institution’s 21st president, said: “Roma is a princess and we are going to make her a queen.”

The rivalry today
Berlusconi has entrusted the task of restoring Milan to the pinnacle of Italian football to 43-year-old coach Massimiliano Allegri, who has so far managed a star-studded squad with aplomb. Opposite number Montella is seven years his junior but knows everything there is to know about Roma. A league champion with the club in 2001, Montella was appointed to the job only in February and advocates an attacking style of football.

This weekend’s meeting in the Italian capital promises to be a very special occasion. Allegri’s men are heading south in search of the point they need to become league champions for the 18th time, while Roma will be doing everything in their power to stop them and secure the points they need to keep their late push for a UEFA Champions League place on track.

United book Barça showdown

Manchester United's shadow squad secured a repeat of their 2009 UEFA Champions League final with Barcelona with a 4-1 win over Schalke in their semi-final second leg, but United manager Sir Alex Ferguson left no one in any doubt that Sunday's Premier League crunch with Chelsea is the most important task of the week.

First-half goals from Antonio Valencia and Darron Gibson ensured there was no way back for Schalke, who were already two goals down from the first leg, and a late double from Anderson completed a handsome victory.

For Gibson in particular it represented a fitting riposte to the critics who forced him off Twitter last week after spending barely two hours exposed to a demanding public. And Ferguson got exactly what he wanted too, namely the chance of revenge over Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who was watching from the stands, for that one-sided encounter in Rome.

"We have to make sure we learned our lessons and that we're better prepared this time than we were last time," Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar told ITV.

The Wembley final will be the 40-year-old's last in a United jersey before he retires. "To play at Wembley is going to be a great game and hopefully a better outcome than the last time otherwise it's going to be a terrible feeling," he added.

Perhaps the most crucial strategy of the night was Ferguson's decision to keep all his main players fresh for the visit of Carlo Ancelotti's side on Sunday. Eight changes from the weekend defeat at Arsenal was not so much a calculated gamble as a starting line-up born out of necessity from a manager who simply could not afford to risk injury.
To play at Wembley it's going to be a great game and hopefully a better outcome than the last time otherwise it's going to be a terrible feeling.
Edwin van der Sar, Manchester United goalkeeper

As a result, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand found themselves in the unusual position of not being required at all for a semi-final decider in European club football's biggest competition, while four more key men started on the bench.

"I didn't sleep last night thinking about it - I woke up four times - but they did me proud," Ferguson told ITV. "The fact it was a Champions League semi-final meant I questioned whether I had done the right thing, but glad I was vindicated."This team can win the cup - we have got a great team full of ability. Barcelona are without doubt the team of the moment - they play fantastic football and are a pleasure to watch."

Ferguson must have factored into his thinking that Schalke simply could not suffer a defeat as bad as they had on home soil eight days ago. They were certainly more solid in the opening stages, as was Gibson's stomach as he took an accidental kick from Jefferson Farfan.

United had an early chance to settle the tie when Dimitar Berbatov wriggled into space with some deft skill, only to allow Manuel Neuer to intercept his cross as Antonio Valencia waited for a tap-in. Chris Smalling was similarly frustrated the next time Berbatov found himself with a crossing opportunity.

United take the lead
The nervousness soon disappeared, though, as Anderson quickly switched a stray pass into Gibson's path. He picked out Valencia, and unlike last week, United did not need 11 chances before finding the net as the Ecuadorian sent his precise effort through Neuer's legs. Ferguson celebrated with the gusto of a man who felt the tie was over, his total confidence in a squad so many have doubted vindicated once more.

Within five minutes United had their second. The same three players were involved again too as Anderson used his strength to provide Valencia with a return pass. He rolled the ball into Gibson's path, although the Irishman would be the first to admit he benefited from a huge slice of good fortune as Neuer inexplicably fumbled, proving he is not perfect after all given last week's heroics.

It was simply unthinkable that United might lose a four-goal aggregate advantage, but Jose Jurado gave them something to ponder almost immediately when he profited from back-to-back errors by Smalling and Rafael.

To follow the burst of goals, three yellow cards were dished out with even greater speed, condemning United's entire central midfield trio to walk a disciplinary tightrope for the remainder of the game. The most vulnerable of the three was obviously Paul Scholes, who collected his caution for failing to retreat at a free-kick rather than one of his trademark wild tackles. But tonight there was never any danger of the 36-year-old overstepping the mark.

Anderson double
Gibson had already made a positive impact, as had Anderson. The Brazilian is still bedevilled by inconsistent performances, but this was a good one. He managed to do something he has never managed during his entire time at United - score twice in a game.

His first was due to his persistence, firing home with a shot on the turn after he had been crowded out of his first attempt to finish Nani's low cross. The second was a tap-in thanks to Berbatov's unselfish square ball.

With Darren Fletcher returning after two months out and no one suspended for the final, everything had gone right for Ferguson and his team. But the true test this week will come from another team in blue, desperate to retain their title and thirsting for revenge at being eliminated from this very competition at the quarter-final stage.

Schalke boss Ralf Rangnick said his side had been deservedly beaten. "I have to congratulate Manchester United - over the two games they were the better side," he said. "As soon as we went behind it was difficult for us.

"If you look at the comparison of their so-called second string the quality of their players stands out. Berbatov, Anderson performed well - they're the sort of players that most Bundesliga teams would be happy with. We have to admit we could have gone out in the quarter-final against Inter - tonight we found out our level."

Guardiola looking forward to Wembley return

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said he was honoured to be leading his side to Wembley for the Champions League final.

The Spaniard was a member of the Barca side who beat Sampdoria 1-0 at the old Wembley in 1992 when the club won the European Cup for the first time.

"It is an honour to get to the final," he stated. "Football is coming home.

"It was a huge moment for the club when we won the Champions League for the first time in the old Wembley and now we are in the new Wembley."

Barcelona drew 1-1 with Real Madrid, to beat their arch-rivals3-1 on aggregate to reach the final for the third time in six seasons.

Their likely opponents are Manchester United, who meet Schalke at Old Trafford tonight with a 2-0 lead from the semi-final first leg.

Should United prevail, the contest would be a repeat of the 2009 final, which Barca won 2-0 in Rome.

"We will wait and see who will be our opponent and we'll prepare accordingly," added Guardiola. "But if it's Manchester United then it will be a different game to the final in 2009 - they are a different team with different strikers.

"A match is decided by many uncontrollable things," explained Guardiola. "We were lucky in the beginning of that game and we were a bit better than them after that, but if we meet again it will be a different match. "We will have to try and find their weaknesses, have the ball and attack."

Guardiola said he would not underestimate a United side who are three points clear at the top of the Premier League, or their veteran boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

"They are a great team and he is one of the best in the game - he has shown he can repeat and recreate, and win and win and win in finals," he added.

Rooney a doubt for Manchester United

Manchester United will assess Wayne Rooney's hamstring injury ahead of the Champions League clash with Schalke, but there are doubts that the striker will be fit for Wednesday's semi-final second leg encounter.

Better news for United comes with the confirmation from United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, that Darren Fletcher, who has not played for two months, will be involved at some point in the game.

Rooney scored in the 2-0 win in the first leg a week ago, but after missing training on Tuesday morning, could miss out at Old Trafford as United look to tie up a place in the final.

Sir Alex Ferguson had already suggested Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen will start against Schalke, and will give Rooney a fitness test on the day of the game.

"No, he didn't train," said the United manager.

"He had a tight hamstring so we left him today, but we'll see what he's like tomorrow."

Ferguson added: "Darren Fletcher will play part of the game tomorrow night. He's working hard and he'll be involved."

United are favourites to progress to Wembley after winning the first leg 2-0, but saw their Premier League hopes suffer a setback at the weekend as they lost to Arsenal and saw Chelsea close the gap at the top to three points.

However, Ferguson feels that his side are still favourites to lift the title for a record-breaking 19th time, but they still have plenty of work to do.

He continued: "We must be favourites, only because we're three points ahead but that can evaporate quite quickly as we realised on Sunday. "We have a big job to do yet. [We have] three games left and as I said last week the drama is not finished."

Barça boys Wembley-bound

Barcelona comfortably advanced to the UEFA Champions League final following a 1-1 draw at home to fierce rivals Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.

Following a completely one-sided first half in which Madrid keeper Iker Casillas kept his side in the game, Pedro gave Pep Guardiola's team the lead nine minutes into the second period. Marcelo hit back for a vastly-improved Madrid ten minutes later, but the Catalans never looked in too much trouble and will face Manchester United or Schalke 04 in the final later this month, which sees them return to the scene of their first European Cup triumph, in 1992.

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, who set up Pedro's goal, was ecstatic. "It is a unique feeling, to once again be in the final," said Iniesta, who missed the first leg through injury. "Winning a confrontation like this one deserves to be feted."

Real found it hard to be gracious in defeat with assistant coach Aitor Karanka saying a disallowed goal early in the second-half by Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain supported coach Jose Mourinho's controversial earlier claims that Barcelona were favoured by referees.
It is a unique feeling, to once again be in the final.
Barcelona's Andres Iniesta

"I think that after all that has been said this week, everyone saw what we had been going on about today [with regard to Higuain's goal]," said Karanka, who stood in for Mourinho in the dugout as he was suspended after being sent from the bench last week. "There is no need to say any more than that, millions of people saw it." Madrid, two goals down from last Wednesday's ill-tempered first-leg match at the Santiago Bernabeu, were missing suspended pair Pepe and Sergio Ramos. The absent Jose Mourinho named an attacking line-up, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain all in the side. But after a solid start, which saw Ronaldo make some promising attacking runs, Barça began to dominate.Ricardo Carvalho, who missed the first match through suspension, cut out a dangerous ball from Lionel Messi after 20 minutes and moments later, Casillas saved comfortably from Sergio Busquets, who was allowed a free header by the Madrid defence.

Casillas then made a double save to deny Messi and must have been relieved when the Argentina forward fired wide just a minute later. The Spain goalkeeper then did well to keep out Messi's low drive, but produced an even better save from David Villa's curling effort, which was heading for the far corner.

Madrid were hardly getting a sniff and things could have been worse a minute before time, when Carvalho - already booked - hacked down Messi. The referee waved play on, much to the annoyance of the Nou Camp crowd, in what was the last real action of the first period.

Pedro strikes first
Madrid improved after the break, but Barça took the lead just as the visitors had looked to be making some headway. The goal was all about Andres Iniesta, who played a fabulous defence-splitting ball through to Pedro for a clinical low finish from the Tenerife-born forward into Casillas' bottom right corner.

Karanka then sent on Emmanuel Adebayor and Mesut Ozil for Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain as Madrid sought a more direct approach. Despite the goal, effectively little had changed - Madrid needed three to go through. It looked an impossible task, but some hope was restored as Marcelo levelled the scores on the night, firing home from close range after Di Maria had hit the post and then squared the rebound for his better-positioned team-mate.

Adebayor threw his weight around up front after that and was arguably lucky to only pick up a late booking, but the Togo striker was left with an unenviable task as he fed off scraps against a Barça side happy to keep possession and run down the clock.

There was a huge cheer just before the end as Eric Abidal came on to make his first appearance since returning from an operation to remove a tumour from his liver in March. But there was an even bigger roar a couple of minutes later as the referee blew the final whistle to confirm Barça as Champions League finalists for the third time in six years.

The Catalans will now look for a repeat of their 1992 triumph and a fourth European Cup success in total as they return to Wembley on 28 May.

Real accuse UEFA of ignoring Busquets' racism

The ongoing feud involving Champions League semi-finalists Barcelona and Real Madrid has taken a new twist with José Mourinho's assistant coach, Aitor Karanka, criticising UEFA for overlooking racist abuse allegedly directed at the Real Madrid full-back Marcelo by Sergio Busquets.

Karanka claimed that tomorrow's semi-final second leg was of only "secondary importance" following UEFA's failure to act.

"There will be a player on the pitch who racially abused another player," the Madrid assistant coach said, "while others who have done nothing wrong won't be there."

Karanka's comments come in the light of a video released by Real Madrid on Monday that they claim shows Busquets calling the Madrid full-back Marcelo a "monkey".

They also came hours after UEFA announced that it had rejected the complaint made by Real Madrid against eight Barcelona players for "persistent and premeditated unsporting behaviour". UEFA also agreed not to act on the complaints made by Barcelona against Mourinho.
The Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, insisted Busquets had merely made a "mistake" and that it would be up to UEFA to decide if he should be punished.

"I know these players. They are an example of professionalism," said the Barcelona coach. "They love this sport. Some of them, during the game, can make a mistake but as players they are exemplary both for Spain and for Barcelona."

Asked if he would punish Busquets he said: "We are not proud when they make mistakes but I know these players. If we do something wrong, then UEFA have to decide. It won't happen again."

UEFA's statement made no specific mention of the alleged racist abuse but Madrid's assistant coach brought the issue up after footage of the alleged abuse was shown on Real's official website.

"After today's resolution the game itself drops to a secondary issue," Karanka said. "[Uefa is] an organisation which talks about principles like respect and fair play and yet nothing has happened.

"We have seen the images which have been round the world, including a player making racist insults and covering his mouth to try to make it so that you can't see it. But he will be on the pitch, along with others. Other players who have done nothing wrong won't be. That is the most important thing today. The football is not."

Karanka also reiterated Mourinho's criticism of UEFA following the first leg, in which he accused the governing body of favouring Barcelona.

"A few months ago we were sanctioned for something that is not in the Uefa rule book. Now they are not sanctioning things that are in the rule book," Karanka said with reference to Real players being sanctioned for deliberately seeking out yellow cards as a means of serving a suspension in a relatively meaningful fixture.

"It's not a case of feeling unprotected but once again there seems to be different measures [for different teams]. Our position is the one that we made clear in our complaint to UEFA.

"What Mourinho said [after the first leg] was what anyone who had been in the stadium or watching the game on television would have said. This isn't an accusation against UEFA. I'm saying what's in the regulations and what isn't. These are provable and objective things."

Missions improbable for Real and Schalke

Barcelona and Manchester United put one foot in the final of the UEFA Champions League at Wembley Stadium on 28 May when they posted respective 2-0 wins away to Real Madrid and Schalke 04 in last week’s semi-final first legs.

History is against Real and Schalke: no team has ever come back from losing at home by two goals in the competition before. Strangely, all four semi-finalists lost their league matches at the weekend, and with nerves jangling at the season’s end, there could yet be a twist in the tail in the week’s return fixtures.

The fixtures
Tuesday 3 May
Barcelona-Real Madrid (Barcelona lead 2-0 on aggregate)

Wednesday 4 May
Manchester United-Schalke 04 (Manchester United lead 2-0 on aggregate)

The matches
Barcelona-Real Madrid, Camp Nou, 20.45 CET
Last week’s defeat at the Bernabeu means Jose Mourinho has no option but to change his gameplan and go for goals. Also forcing his hand are suspensions for Sergio Ramos and Pepe, his minder for Lionel Messi, though with the recently returned Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka both in form, he does have options up front.The statistics plead in Barça’s favour. The Catalans have won 32 first-leg matches away from home in all UEFA competitions and have gone on to win all but two of those ties, advancing on all six occasions when winning the first leg 2-0. Real have lost at home in the first leg of a European Cup/Champions League tie on five occasions, and each time they have gone on to be eliminated.

Warning his players to expect a “difficult evening”, Pep Guardiola has yet more defensive headaches to contend with after Gabriel Milito and Martin Montoya both picked up injuries in the weekend defeat to Real Sociedad. One man fit and raring to go, however, is Lionel Messi, who has scored 52 goals so far this season. Eleven of those goals have come in the Champions League, leaving him just one behind Ruud van Nistelrooy’s competition record and three behind Jose Altafini’s all-time record of 14, achieved in the 1962/63 European Cup.

Manchester United - Schalke 04, Old Trafford, 20.45 CET
Wily campaigner Sir Alex Ferguson will not be taking anything for granted as his United side go in search of their third final appearance in the last four seasons. The men in red beat Chelsea in Moscow in 2008, but lost to Barcelona in Rome the following season.

Any euphoria they may have been feeling after winning 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen will have been dampened by Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, which has given Chelsea a chance of replacing them at the top of the table when they visit Old Trafford next weekend. United will have to put those domestic distractions out of their mind when the Germans come visiting, with Dimitar Berbatov, the top scorer in the Premier League with 23 goals, having recovered from injury and likely to challenge Javier Hernandez for a starting place.

Schalke suffered a severe case of stage fright in last week’s first leg and were indebted to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for keeping the score down. German teams are famed for their fighting qualities, however, and coach Ralf Rangnick will no doubt be reminding his players that a repeat of their stunning 5-2 triumph at the San Siro in their quarter-final against Inter Milan will take them through.

Player to watch
Schalke are looking to the 23-year-old Spanish midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado to fire their challenge at Old Trafford. Though he lacks the profile of his compatriot Raul and goalkeeper Neuer, Jurado has impressed in ten Champions League outings this season, setting the tempo from midfield, while scoring twice and providing two assists.

The stat
13 - The number of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ winners featuring in the Barcelona and Real Madrid squads: Iker Casillas, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Arbeloa, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso for Los Merengues and Victor Valdes, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Pedro Rodriguez and David Villa for Los Cules, though not all of them will be lining up at the Camp Nou. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will be hoping the rising tensions of the last few weeks will not have any negative effects on the national side.

What they said
“If there’s one team used to pulling off heroics, it’s Real Madrid,” Real Madrid Technical Director, Jorge Valdano.

Have your say
Can Real Madrid and Schalke 04 defy the odds and turn their ties around?

Barca, Real continue tit-for-tat attacks

The war of words ahead of the fourth and final installment of a bitterly fought series between Real Madrid and Barcelona continued on the eve of Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final second leg at the Nou Camp.Real reported Barca for unsporting conduct during last week's first leg at the Bernabeu, in which defender Pepe and coach Jose Mourinho were dismissed for the hosts, and have also accused Barca midfielder of Sergio Busquets of racially abusing their full-back, Marcelo.

Meanwhile, Barca had earlier reported Madrid for controversial comments made by Mourinho alluding to favours from UEFA in big Champions League games and questioning the Catalan club's relationshipwith UEFA. Both complaints have been thrown out by European football's governing body and Barca coach Pep Guardiola said Madrid ought to learn from the unsavoury episode.

"They can present all the complaints they like, but UEFA are the ones who decide," he said. "They think we are unsporting, but I think completely the opposite. Here we teach our players manners from a young age."

Guardiola also levelled a jibe at Jose Mourinho, who is suspended after being sent off in the first leg and will watch the return from the stands.

"Mourinho was here [at Barcelona] for five years and he knows our values: to win, fight and earn respect by respecting your rival," he said.

"Tomorrow it all finishes," said Guardiola, whose side won the first leg 2-0 thanks to a Lionel Messi brace. "We are playing for a place in the final, not to beat Real Madrid."

"After everything that has happened, it's a great achievement to be four points away from winning the league and on the verge of getting to the final at Wembley," added Guardiola, who played in the Catalans' European Cup success at the same venue 19 years ago.

Mourinho chose not to attend the pre-match press conference, choosing instead to send coach Aitor Karanka, who invited his own controversy by complaining of Barcelona's escaping of UEFA charges.

"Tomorrow's match has been overshadowed by UEFA's resolution - it's on another plane now," said Karanka. "We have been punished but there are [Barca] players who didn't respect the principles of fair play or who made racist insults, covering their mouths, who will be on the pitch tomorrow."

Karanka insisted that Mourinho will still be in a position to influence proceedings.

"He will be in the stands, but he will be able to get his message across," Karanka said. "If we could win and dedicate the victory to him it would be something important. Real Madrid have 109 years of proud history and we will fight to the end."

Kuyt: I’m enjoying playing football again

Liverpool attacker Dirk Kuyt believes he is in his best form since moving to England almost five years ago. The Netherlands international struck his eighth goal in the last seven matches in yesterday's 3-0 win over Newcastle United, becoming only the seventh Reds players to score in four successive Premier League games in the process.

Two of those may have been from the penalty spot but a look at his wider record - he has 12 goals in his last 13 matches in all competitions, including two internationals - backs up the player's belief that he has rediscovered the form which persuaded then-manager Rafa Benitez to pay Feyenoord £10m back in the summer of 2006.

"The last time I had a run like this must have been in Holland, where I scored quite a few," said the hard-working Kuyt, who, despite turning 31 this July, was given a new contract at Anfield last month in recognition of his efforts. "At the moment things are going well, I have scored in the last four games now, which is nice to do.

"My confidence is high, but that is also to do with the management and my team-mates. I think the confidence of every player is high at the moment, because everyone is doing well. It is the same for me. I am feeling much better than I did at the beginning of the season, and I am enjoying playing football again."Despite being prolific in Dutch football, Kuyt was converted into a right-sided midfielder by Benitez because of his outstanding work ethic, and has had limited opportunities to play as a centre-forward. The departure of Fernando Torres in January and an injury to £35m club record signing Andy Carroll has afforded him more chances up front, and he has seized the opening.

Indeed, his partnership with Liverpool's other transfer-window arrival, Luis Suarez, has already shown signs of being one worth pursuing. The Uruguayan won the second-half penalty from which Kuyt scored, and the Dutchman repaid the favour by laying on the pass for the 24-year-old to score the third against the Magpies and secure a win which lifted Liverpool up to fifth.

"It is great to have him here. Luis is doing very well so far, and I am very happy to play alongside him," added Kuyt. "It is great to have a player like him in the team. He is always moving, always trying to create something, and the moment he gives you the ball he is already on the move again to get it back. It makes it so much easier for you.

"Everyone could see we had problems earlier in the season, but then things changed and everyone can see that when you add two quality players to a team, then things can change."

Home-grown stars put Dortmund on map

Newly-crowned Germans champions Borussia Dortmund are hoping to keep hold of their home-grown stars after their young guns dominated the season under the guidance of coach Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund's 2-0 win over Nuremberg on Saturday handed Borussia their seventh German league title and puts Klopp's team in the UEFA Champions League having led the Bundesliga since October. Their eight-point lead means they can not be caught with two games left.

In the Ruhr valley city, 100,000 fans partied into the early hours of Sunday morning to celebrate their first title since 2002. But some of the happiest Dortmund fans had been celebrating on the pitch.

Teenage midfielder Mario Goetze, 18, is the son of a professor at Dortmund's technical university while fellow Germany team-mate Kevin Grosskreutz, 22, is a Borussia fan who was watching from the terraces just two seasons ago. "It's an outstanding feeling to achieve this with my club in the city where I was born," beamed Grosskreutz. "Two years ago, I was still on the south terrace and went as a fan to the away games. This is amazing."He certainly allowed the success to go to his head. Having vowed last October to skip the barbers until Dortmund were German champions, Grosskreutz allowed himself to be shaved bald on the pitch in front of 80,000 fans once his side were confirmed title winners.

In just his third season in charge, the team Klopp assembled suddenly came of age with Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin and rising Germany star Goetze helping produce some eye-catching football. The results have been impressive as previous champions Bayern Munich were beaten both home and away while only Bayer Leverkusen posed a serious threat to Dortmund's domination of the league.

Home-grown talent
The squad was assembled with an annual budget of €35 million and many come from the surrounding Ruhr valley. "The title is fully deserved and everyone in Germany, Europe and perhaps even the world can see that," said Sahin, who also hails from western Germany.

Dortmund's success has been acknowledged by Germany coach Joachim Low with a group of rising stars being promoted to the senior national side. Defenders Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer, plus midfielders Goetze and Grosskreutz have all played for Germany this season - and have all been handed contract extensions by Borussia until 2014.

The Ruhr valley club are optimistic of keeping their stars for next season after the club's director of sport Michael Zorc said reports Real Madrid are interested in signing Sahin are unfounded. "When and if the issue arises, we will concern ourselves with it, but for now, that is not the case," Zorc told German television channel Sport1.

Klopp, 43, has also been signed up until 2014 and the coach who nearly joined Bayern Munich in 2008 has watched his team mature under his mantra "new start every day".

Despite seeing their 12-point lead at the start of March slip to just five points towards the end of April, Dortmund kept their nerve and conceded just 19 goals all season and four league defeats. The challenge will be to defend the title and impress on the Champions League stage while Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa showed plenty of promise with eight goals in 17 games before a foot injury kept him out of the team.

But for now Dortmund's fans are eager to enjoy their moment. "This is even more beautiful than Kate (Middleton)" joked one fan, drunk on success in reference to Britain's royal wedding the day before his side won the title.

Ferguson: We are ready for Chelsea

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United paid the price for a refereeing error in the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal as the Premier League title race was blown wide open on Sunday.

Ferguson believes the referee got it wrong when he failed to award an 88th minute penalty following Gael Clichy's clumsy challenge on Michael Owen. The United manager acknowledged Arsenal themselves had a good claim for a spot-kick turned down when Nemanja Vidic handled Theo Walcott's cross in the first half.

But having seen Chelsea close the gap at the top to three points 24 hours earlier after benefiting from two controversial decisions in the 2-1 victory over Tottenham, Ferguson attempted to set the agenda ahead of the Blues' decisive trip to Old Trafford on 8 May."Obviously, it gives Chelsea a major chance now and that's what happens when you get these decisions," said Ferguson. "They (Chelsea) got one at Old Trafford last season so that's the worry now. But in terms of ability - a game at Old Trafford, the supporters will be ready for it - and so will our players."

Aaron Ramsey struck in the 56th minute to cap a period of Arsenal dominance and Ferguson admitted his side only found anything like their normal form in the final stages of the game. "After that we dominated and I think we deserved something," he said. "I think we didn't use the ball properly but once we lost the goal we were in their half most of the time."

Arsenal now lie six points off top with three games remaining and manager Arsene Wenger refuses to call time on the club's ambitions of being crowned champions. Their chances will be improved if Chelsea beat United and Wenger admitted he would be backing Carlo Ancelotti's side when the top two meet.

"I have not given up all hope because we will fight until the last second of the season," he said. "We have been unlucky this season. Let's hope we have better luck in the last three weeks. The best position remains Manchester United and second best is Chelsea because they have to play United next week.

"I still make United strong favourites because when you play at home for the title you have still an advantage. If we want to have a small chance it is in our interests for Chelsea to win and for us to win our games. Then it's mathematically possible. But I still say United has the advantage."

Wenger admitted his side's recent failings were still likely to prove costly and he pin-pointed their previous three games as the moments when their bid faltered. "Last week, at Bolton, against Liverpool when we were 1-0 up in the 97th minute and we were 3-1 up against Tottenham," he said. "If we do not win the championship, we could have made nine points from these games and we would have been ahead of United."

Samir Nasri came off at half-time with a hamstring strain while Cesc Fabregas missed the game with a thigh problem but both should be available to face Stoke next weekend.