Liverpool handed Arsenal assignment

Arsenal FC will take on Liverpool FC in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after the draw was made in Nyon, Switzerland.

All-English affair
Arsenal, who eliminated holders AC Milan in the first knockout round and reached the 2006 final, also experienced an all-English quarter-final in 2003/04 when losing to Chelsea FC, while five-time European champions Liverpool, beaten by Milan in last year's final, have played Chelsea six times in the competition in the last three seasons. AS Roma, who knocked out Real Madrid CF in the last round, face another quarter-final against Manchester United FC, European Champion Clubs' Cup winners in 1968 and 1999, who defeated the Italian side 8-3 on aggregate at the same stage last term.

Schalke debut
FC Schalke 04, who got past FC Porto on penalties to make the last eight for the first time, will have home advantage for the first leg of their tie against FC Barcelona, winners of this tournament in 1992 and 2006. Chelsea, semi-finalists in three of the last four campaigns, will visit Fenerbahçe SK, competing in the last eight for the first time and conquerors of two-time UEFA Cup winners Sevilla FC, in their first leg. The ties will be played on 01/02 and 08/09 April.

Final route
Today's proceedings at the House of European Football featured a straight draw involving all eight clubs without seedings or country protection. As well as the quarter-finals, the draw was also made for the semi-finals, meaning teams know who they will meet over two legs on 22/23 and 29/30 April should they progress. If Chelsea advance, they will tackle either Arsenal or Liverpool in another all-Premier League tussle, while Schalke or Barcelona will encounter Roma or United in the last four.

Moscow final
The final will be held at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, on Wednesday 21 May at 20.45CET (22.45 local time). The first batch of 10,500 tickets are available for sale to fans worldwide via uefa.com until 12.00CET on 19 March.

2007/08 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
1st leg: 01/02 April
2nd leg: 08/09 April

1) Arsenal FC(Eng) - Liverpool FC(Eng)
2) AS Roma (ITA) - Manchester United FC (ENG)
3) FC Schalke 04 (GER) - FC Barcelona (ESP)
4) Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) - Chelsea FC (ENG)

007/08 UEFA Champions League semi-finals
1st leg: 22/23 April
2nd leg: 29/30 April

1) Winner quarter-final 1 - Winner quarter-final 4

2) Winner quarter-final 3 - Winner quarter-final 2


2007/08 UEFA Champions League final
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Wednesday 21 May

Winner semi-final 2 - Winner semi-final 1



reference: "uefa.com"

Fenerbahçe not afraid of Chelsea

Fenerbahçe SK have upset the odds to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time and must do so again to overcome Chelsea FC – but winger Uğur Boral is staying optimistic.

First meeting
The Turkish champions and the London club have never met in European competition, though each team boasts a striker familiar to the opposition – Chelsea's former Fenerbahçe forward Nicolas Anelka and Mateja Kežman, who moved from Stamford Bridge in 2005 and ended up replacing the Frenchman in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe will hope to prolong their perfect home run in this season's tournament when Chelsea visit on Wednesday 2 April. FC Internazionale Milano, PSV Eindhoven and PFC CSKA Moskva all fell at the Sükrü Saraçoglu Stadium in the group stage before Sevilla FC lost 3-2 in the opening leg of the first knockout round. However, Chelsea have won three UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in the last five campaigns so will have plenty of confidence when Fenerbahçe come to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 8 April.

Premonition
Still, Uğur Boral is sounding upbeat about the prospects of a side who qualified for the knockout stage for the first time in five attempts and are contesting only their second European quarter-final, following their last-eight appearance in the 1963/64 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The 25-year-old said: "Before the draw was made in Nyon, I had a feeling we were going to play Chelsea. I think the other English teams are stronger than Chelsea. We are going to do our utmost to beat Chelsea and qualify for the semi-finals. We are talented, strong and fit, so there is no reason for us to fail."

'Not easy'
Chelsea won on their last trip to Turkey, 5-0 at Galatasaray AS in 1999, and should they prevail an English finalist will be guaranteed as the winners of this tie will meet either Arsenal FC or Liverpool FC. Manager Avram Grant said: "No game in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals is easy. This team played well in the group stage – they beat Inter, they beat all the teams at home and they played very well away to Sevilla, where Arsenal had lost. Not an easy draw but our target is still the same – to succeed in the UEFA Champions League. We have never reached the final, we want to get there and this is our main target, to do it as soon as possible."

reference: "uefa.com"

Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle

Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle

Michael Essien celebrates after putting Chelsea ahead
Essien celebrates after putting Chelsea ahead
Salomon Kalou's late winner sank Newcastle and increased the pressure on under-fire Magpies boss Sam Allardyce.

A depleted Chelsea side took the lead when Shaun Wright-Phillips' shot fell for Michael Essien to slide home.

Magpies keeper Shay Given made a string of fine saves before his side levelled when Wayne Bridge turned Charles N'Zogbia's cross into his own net.

But Kalou had the last word when, despite looking offside, he met a loose ball in the area and fired home.

It has been a miserable festive period for Newcastle, who have picked up just one points in their three games so far.

But this performance will at least give their supporters some heart even if the result will provide scant consolation for Allardyce.

Three Premier League managers have been sacked this season immediately after losing to Chelsea and this latest setback will certainly not help his cause.

Things had looked promising for Newcastle in the early stages, with the visitors enjoying plenty of possession and carving out a couple of decent chances for Obafemi Martins.

And Chelsea, forced into seven changes by injury and suspension, were looking more vulnerable on home turf than they have done for most of their 72-game league unbeaten run here.

But Avram Grant's side gradually found their way into the game and a flurry of chances for the home side followed.

Kalou forced Given into his first save of the match at his near post and the Republic of Ireland international superbly clawed away John Mikel Obi's deflected effort before brilliantly keeping out Alex's close-range heade.

Newcastle were hanging on by now but, although their determination could not be doubted, the defensive problems that have haunted them since Allardyce took charge were again their undoing.

A long throw was only cleared as far as the unmarked Wright-Phillips on the edge of the box and although his shot hit Kalou, it meant Given was stranded and Essien beat Steven Taylor to the loose ball before firing home.



Chances continued to come thick and fast for Chelsea and if Wright-Phillips had found Kalou with his pull-back or directed his header from Joe Cole's cross then the game would have been up for Newcastle by half-time.

Things did not improve for the visitors straight after the break either, with Butt forcing Given into another fingertip save while trying to clear a Wright-Phillips cross.

But Allardyce's men did not give up, with last-ditch blocks by Taylor and Faye typifying their spirit.

And they got their reward in bizarre fashion when N'Zogbia made headway down the left and, although neither Martins or Butt could force his low cross over the line, Bridge, in attempting to clear could only put through his own net.

That set up a thrilling final half hour and Given was again Newcastle's hero, keeping out Kalou's header and diving low to stop Michael Ballack's 25-yard shot.

The Magpies were still threatening too however and only a last-gasp Juliano Belletti clearance stopped Damien Duff from scoring against his old side.

Michael Owen's appearance from the bench after almost two months out with a thigh injury was another lift for Newcastle.

And it seemed they had picked up a hard-earned point until Kalou struck with under three minutes to go.

Obi's shot rebounded off substitute Claudio Pizarro and the ball bounced into the path of Kalou, who appeared well offside but rounded Given to slot home a dramatic winner.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant on Salomon Kalou's controversial goal:
"I didn't see it but we created so many chances that we deserved to win anyway.

"You saw the spirit of the team, they showed great spirit.

"We played some good football, especially in the first half, to create a lot of chances, then showed a lot of character at the end of the game."

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Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce on Kalou's winner:
"It hurts deeply - not just for me but the players in particular.

"A result has been taken away from us by no fault of our own, by an assistant referee that has got a horrible decision wrong.

"You have to complain when a decision like this is made and it has cost us a crucial result."

Chelsea: Hilario, Belletti, Alex, Ben-Haim, Bridge, Essien, Obi, Ballack (Sinclair 76), Wright-Phillips (Sidwell 90), Joe Cole (Pizarro 65), Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Ferreira.

Booked: Alex.

Goals: Essien 29, Kalou 87.

Newcastle: Given, Beye, Taylor, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Milner, Butt, Faye, Smith (Rozehnal 70), Duff (Viduka 89), Martins (Owen 74).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Emre.

Booked: Faye, Given.

Goals: Butt 56.

Att: 41,751

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Chelsea's Michael Essien 7.48 (on 90 minutes).