Injured AC Milan centre-back Alessandro Nesta returned on Thursday from a two-month stay in Miami to say he hoped to be back playing for the club in a month.

Nesta travelled to Florida in early November to see a specialist about a back problem that has been troubling him since July. The 32-year-old has yet to play for Milan this season and he has been sorely missed in an ageing rearguard that has often been exposed. But now the former Lazio defender is ready to return to training at Milan's Milanello complex.

"I'm going to Milanello to start working and when I'm ready, I'll play," he said upon his return at Milan's Linate airport. "I can't wait to get back but I want to do so in a good condition, at my best. "When? Soon I think, maximum one month but I need to work hard physically, I haven't played for eight months and we'll see how I react physically."

Nesta was part of the Italy squad that won the World Cup in 2006 and has played 78 times for his country. He has won the UEFA Champions League twice with Milan and Serie A once each with Milan and Lazio.

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Manchester City have signed Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong from German side Hamburg for an undisclosed fee, the English Premier League side announced on Wednesday

The 24-year-old, capped 29 times by his country, has signed a four-and-a-half year contract with City, now transformed into one of the world's wealthiest sports clubs under the ownership of Abu Dhabi-based Sheikh Mansour.

City, rebuffed on Monday in their bid to sign Brazil's Kaka from AC Milan for a reported 108 million pounds (100 million euros) - a world record deal if it had gone through - have seen two players join this week with de Jong following former West Ham striker Craig Bellamy to Eastlands.

De Jong missed much of the first half of the Bundesliga campaign with a knee injury but recently returned to training. He had been with Hamburg for three years after joining from Ajax.

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Tottenham have finally won their battle to wrest highly-rated Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios away from Wigan after the two clubs agreed a fee believed to be around £14.

Wigan had turned down a £10 million offer earlier this month but manager Steve Bruce had been resigned to losing the 24-year-old in the event of Spurs coming back with a higher bid. Palacios followed Bruce from Birmingham to Wigan last year and has since enhanced his reputation with the Lancashire club establishing itself firmly in the top half of the Premier League table.

A statement on Tottenham's website confirmed: "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for the transfer of Wilson Palacios from Wigan Athletic.

"Personal terms have been agreed and a medical completed, we now await the Honduran international receiving his work permit before completing his registration."

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Strikers Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe scored deep into extra-time to break Burnley hearts and ensure holders Tottenham Hotspur will face Manchester United in the League Cup final.

With less than three minutes of extra-time left at Turf Moor, the second-tier side were on course to go through to a 1 March meeting at Wembley with world champions United on the away goals rule. At that stage the tie was all square at 4-4 on aggregate, with the Clarets 3-0 ahead in the second leg courtesy of goals from Robbie Blake, Chris McCann and Jay Rodriguez. However, Pavlyuchenko edged Spurs in front overall before Defoe's 120th-minute effort made sure Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, who won the FA Cup with Portsmouth last season, would be heading back to Wembley after a dramatic 6-4 aggregate success.

Ben Alnwick made his Spurs debut as first-choice goalkeeper with Heurelho Gomes missing for the top-flight strugglers through injury, along with Ledley King, Vedran Corluka and Aaron Lennon. Meanwhile Pavlyuchenko, who has now scored in every round of the competition, was dropped to the bench along with Gareth Bale. The Clarets were themselves weakened through the absence of suspended captain Steven Caldwell and cup-tied striker Steve Thompson, with Wade Elliott and Blake filling in respectively.

Tottenham almost scored first when Jonathan Woodgate - one of just two survivors, along with Didier Zakora, from the Spurs side that beat Chelsea 2-1 in last year's final - headed over from David Bentley's corner. But instead it was Burnley who broke the second-leg deadlock. They were awarded a free-kick for Woodgate's foul on Joey Gudjohnsen and from fully 25 yards out, Blake beat Alnwick at the keeper's near post with a superb curling effort.

Clarets manager Owen Coyle had said beforehand his side would need "to scale Everest and beyond" to reach the final, but now the summit was in sight. Midway through the second half, Tottenham had the chance to draw level in the second leg when Defoe pounced on an error by Clarke Carlisle but Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen moved smartly off his line to deny the England striker.

Burnley continued to press forward and in the 73rd minute a cross from Blake was turned in at the far post by McCann. Spurs' advantage was erased with two minutes of normal time left when, after Alnwick fumbled Blake's free-kick, substitute Rodriguez scored. At the end of normal time, Martin Paterson's first-leg goal for Burnley, which had seemed as if it would be a mere footnote, meant the Clarets were still in the tie.

Now, however, they had a position to defend and the character of the match changed with Spurs making the running in the first half of extra-time. But Burnley did not concede and were in sight of a first League Cup final appearance when Pavlyuchenko, who came on for Luka Modric midway through the second half, scored from six yards in the 118th minute. And moments later Defoe grabbed another goal to make sure of an all top-flight encounter with United, 4-3 aggregate winners over Derby County yesterday.

Burnley 3 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur Highlights

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late penalty to secure Manchester United's place in the English League Cup Final as they survived a late Derby rally to seal a 4-3 aggregate win at Old Trafford.

Tuesday's 4-2 second leg victory was secured when Ronaldo, a second-half substitute for Ryan Giggs, netted from the spot after Carlos Tevez had been felled by former United goalkeeper Roy Carroll in the closing stages. But although United ultimately cruised to the victory, the sight of Anderson being stretchered off at the end of the game took the shine off the result for Sir Alex Ferguson's English, European and FIFA world champions.

United's uncharacteristically poor showing at Pride Park in the first-leg ensured the Championship strugglers arrived at Old Trafford with a 1-0 advantage courtesy of a Kris Commons wonder strike. Few gave Nigel Clough's team any hope of holding onto that lead and booking a place at Wembley for the final on 1 March. But United's youngsters have displayed fallibility in cup competitions in recent seasons, with the likes of Exeter, Southend and Coventry all inflicting embarrassment on Ferguson's team, so Derby had something to cling to. Clough had urged his players to take the game to United after warning that defensive tactics would merely encourage the home team to attack at will and they almost profited from their ambitious approach as early as the sixth minute when Commons went close to scoring again.

The breakthrough goal came in the 16th minute when Portuguese winger Nani, whose future at United has been placed in doubt following reports of a move for Wigan's Ecuadorian midfielder Antonio Valencia, levelled the aggregate scores with a stunning strike from 25 yards. United still needed to get their noses in front in the tie, however, and they were able to do that six minutes later when poor Derby defending allowed John O'Shea to score from 12 yards after he had been teed up by teenage striker Danny Welbeck.

Derby were now faced with a damage limitation exercise, but United continued to pour forward and Ferguson's men looked likely to score at every opportunity. Carroll denied Welbeck from close range before the inevitable third goal arrived in the 34th minute when Tevez headed in Rafael's cross from six yards to claim his ninth goal of the season. It was also Tevez's sixth goal in the League Cup this season, which reflects his increased involvement in this much-maligned competition.

The fans might want him to stay beyond the expiry of his loan deal at the end of the campaign, but whether Tevez is content with a diet of League Cup outings and a substitute role when the big games come around is another matter. Tevez's goal all but secured victory for United although late penalties converted by Derby's Giles Barnes and Ronaldo, plus an injury-time free-kick by Barnes ensured a lively finale.

Manchester United 4 - 2 Derby Highlight

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Tim Cahill denied Liverpool top spot in the Premier League after the Everton player pounced four minutes from time as a thrilling Merseyside derby ended 1-1 at Anfield on Monday.

Steven Gerrard, captaining his club for the 250th time in his career, thought he had sent Rafa Benitez's side back to the summit after breaking the deadlock with a superb long-range finish in the 68th minute, the England international's 14th goal of the season. But Australian international Cahill had the last say as he pounced in the 86th minute after the Liverpool defence had failed to deal properly with a set-piece.

Everton's success this season has been built on a backs-to-the-wall, hard-to-beat mentality which has served them well in the absence of injured strikers Yakubu and Louis Saha. They arrived at Anfield boasting one of the best away records in the top-tier and, despite their lack of firepower, it took just 35 seconds for Moyes's side to show they were not at Anfield to make up the numbers as Victor Anichebe forced a full-stretch save from Jose Reina.

Benitez had outlined his intentions on the teamsheet by naming one of his most attacking sides of the season, Torres starting for the first time since November 26 alongside the recalled Robbie Keane. Yet it was Reina who continued to be the busier of the two keepers, the Spaniard kept on his toes by Cahill's 26th minute header following a dangerous cross by the industrious Anichebe.

Torres, with his injury problems behind him, was looking to become the first Reds player in the history of the club to net four in a row against Everton having scored his side's last three in Merseyside derbies. The Spanish striker went agonisingly close to achieving that feat after Sami Hyypia had carved open the visitors defence in the 28th minute soon after Torres had been felled by Steven Pienaar which earned Everton's South African midfielder a booking. Perhaps Torres was feeling rusty after his recent lay-off but his effort, to Everton's relief, shaved the outside of the post and the home side's best chance of the opening 45 minutes was gone.

Having started the half confidently, Everton were relieved to hear the half time whistle as Albert Riera dispatched a ferocious long range effort narrowly wide of Tim Howard's post two minutes before the break. Liverpool continued to probe the visitors defence at the break, Howard spilling Gerrard's 55th minute effort only for Sami Hyypia to smash the rebound high into the Kop. Everton began to visibly tire with Benitez's side winning a string of corners yet they were unable to force home an advantage from the set-pieces.

Torres went close again from just outside the area but Liverpool appeared to be heading for another night of frustration before Gerrard had the last say. Soon after Webb had waved away Everton claims for a penalty when Anichebe went down under a challenge by Martin Skrtel, Liverpool's second half pressure paid off when Gerrard let fly from 25-yards, Howard beaten by the ferocity of the effort. But Liverpool's celebrations were cut short as Cahill pounced to give Everton a deserved point.

Liverpool 1 - 1 Everton Highlights

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Chelsea FC and England midfielder Joe Cole will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for a serious knee ligament injury.

Cole ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament during Chelsea's FA Cup replay win at Southend United FC in midweek and on Saturday had successful reconstructive surgery. Chelsea have confirmed his absence for the remainder of the campaign.

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said: "I am very sad for Joe to have suffered this injury and I am disappointed to have lost a very important player for me and the club at such a vital moment in the competition. However, I believe that with his spirit, Joe will come back to Chelsea even better than before."

Cole had made 20 appearances in all competitions this term, scoring three goals. The London club sit third in the Premier League and will play Juventus in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round on 25 February and 10 March.

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West Ham United have accepted a bid of about £14m from Manchester City for their Wales international striker Craig Bellamy who is believed to be travelling to Eastlands for a medical.

The former Liverpool and Newcastle forward has been given permission to speak to the City manager, Mark Hughes, after the club's bid was accepted. A matching offer from Tottenham had been rejected. Bellamy, 29, asked for a transfer to Spurs on Friday but West Ham were unwilling to sell to local rivals and have been angered about the publicity that preceded Tottenham's formal approach.

Bellamy was left out of the West Ham squad that defeated Fulham yesterday when, Gianfranco Zola said, the player was "not in the right frame of mind" to play.

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Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 1 Portsmouth

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe silenced the jeers of the travelling Portsmouth fans after scoring a vital equaliser against his old club in a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane here Sunday.

The point moved Spurs off the bottom of the English Premier League table and out of the relegation zone on goal difference. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, facing Pompey for the first time since his October switch to London, would have been disappointed after seeing his side miss a host of chances. Both teams stretched their winless league run to six games but remain firmly involved in the relegation dogfight.

Defoe, booed relentlessly by the Portsmouth fans, spurned a golden opportunity to put one over his old club but screwed his finish wide after being put in the clear by Pompey midfielder Sean Davis's wayward pass. Pompey's attacks were fleeting but they came close to breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute after poor goalkeeping from Spurs's Heurelho Gomes. The Brazilian could only parry Glen Johnson's weak long-range shot but made amends by flicking the ball away when it appeared England striker Peter Crouch was certain to score.

The match continued at breakneck pace as the home team continued to press but they could not force the ball into the goal, Defoe the guilty party twice in quick succession. First he got in the way of Roman Pavlyuchenko's goalbound header and then Defoe, given a free-header himself, could only direct it at James although the ex-Liverpool keeper still had to pull off an acrobatic save. Gomes made up for his nervy start when he denied David Nugent but the England forward should have given him no chance after being sent clear by Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjcar. Spurs came close again shortly before the hour mark but James was again on top form to keep out Lennon's deflected effort.

The significance of the save was magnified a minute later when Nugent atoned for his earlier miss with his first Premier League goal for Pompey. French midfielder Armand Traore made a typically forceful run which was cut short by Corluka's tackle. The loose ball fell to Nugent on the edge of the penalty area and his low shot, aided by a slight deflection off Gareth Bale, gave Gomez no chance.

The visiting fans wasted no time in reminding Redknapp, who guided Pompey to the FA Cup last season, of the score. But their cheers were soon cut short when Defoe scored his first goal since returning to White Hart Lane. Midfielder Didier Zakora passed to Croatia playmaker Luka Modric and his lay-off found the former West Ham striker who planted a low left-foot shot beyond James's despairing dive. Spurs substitute Darren Bent had a glorious opportunity to win the game with 10 minutes left but directed his free header wide of the target.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 1 Portsmouth Highlights

West Ham United 3 - 1 Fulham

At Upton Park, Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola left Bellamy out of his squad for the clash against Fulham after the former Liverpool star stormed out of training on Friday following the club's decision to deny him permission to speak to Tottenham.

Bellamy is determined to leave the east London team and could seal a move to Manchester City instead later this week, but Zola and company won't need to shed too many tears judging by this emphatic victory. David Di Michele was drafted into the side as Bellamy's replacement and scored West Ham's opener before making their third goal for Carlton Cole.

Mark Noble's penalty had put the hosts 2-1 in front following Paul Konchesky's stunning equaliser for Fulham as the Hammers extended their unbeaten run to five matches and moved up to.

Full results;

January 17
Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Newcastle United
Bolton 0 - 1 Manchester United
Chelsea 2 - 1 Stoke City
Manchester City 1 - 0 Wigan Athletic
Sunderland 1 - 2 Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion 3 - 0 Middlesbrough
Hull City 1 - 3 Arsenal

January 18
West Ham United 3 - 1 Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 1 Portsmouth

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Real Madrid came from a goal down to cut Barcelona's lead at the top to 12 points with a hard-fought 3-1 home victory over basement boys Osasuna on Sunday and end a week of boardroom infighting on a high.

In contrast to Barcelona's dazzling 5-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, Real were fortunate to survive two strong penalty claims as they laboured to a win that lifts them into second above Sevilla on goal difference.

Osasuna went ahead through Iranian international Javad Nekounam's 19th-minute header but gifted Real an equaliser early in the second half with goalkeeper Roberto allowing Sergio Ramos's tame shot to creep in. Argentine Gonzalo Higuain struck his 12th goal of the season just after the hour mark to turn the game in Real's favour and Arjen Robben added a third they scarcely deserved.

Real's preparations for the Osasuna match had been far from perfect with president Ramon Calderon resigning on Friday, creating more unstability at the club who only axed coach Bernd Schuster before Christmas. Real almost scored after 24 seconds with Higuain showing a great turn of pace to get into the penalty area only to have his shot saved.

Osasuna had almost beaten Barcelona last weekend, conceding two late goals to lose 3-2 and took a 19th minute lead on Sunday when Jaroslav Plasil got down the byline and whipped in a great cross for Nekounam to head home. It was the first goal Real had conceded since the 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in mid-December. Ramos thought he had equalised in the 37th minute but the goal was ruled out for offside.

After the break the Spanish international got his goal with his speculative shot fumbled by keeper Roberto who allowed the ball to loop over his body. Robben then set up Higuain for a simple tap-in and scored himself in the dying seconds. Real had been let off the hook six minutes from time when Pepe appeared to foul Juanfran in the penalty area. The referee waved away the appeals and Juanfran, already booked, was sent off for diving.

Real Madrid 3 - 1 Osasuna Highlights

Full results;

January 17
Barcelona 5 - 0 Deportivo La Coruna
Sevilla 1 - 0 Numancia

January 18
Getafe 0 - 1 Racing Santander
Malaga 4 - 0 Espanyol
Real Madrid 3 - 1 Osasuna
Recreativo Huelva 2 - 0 Sporting Gijon
Valladolid 1 - 3 Real Betis
Villarreal 2 - 0 Mallorca
Athletic Bilbao 3 - 2 Valencia
Almeria 1 - 1 Atletico Madrid

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Atalanta 3 - 1 Inter Milan

Veteran forward Cristiano Doni produced a masterful display to inspire Atalanta to a stunning 3-1 victory over Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan on Sunday.

But it was in Bergamo that the real drama happened as Doni scored a brace and set up the third in a magical first 45 minutes in which Atalanta totally dominated the reigning champions. It was only Inter's second league defeat of the season. He had the first clear chance of the game, juggling the ball in the box before volleying just wide of the near post. Then on 18 minutes he turned provider, heading the ball back across goal to club top scorer Sergio Floccari who turned Ivan Cordoba and scored with a crisp, low, left-foot finish from inside the area for his 10th Serie A strike of the season.

On 28 minutes, Atalanta did double their lead, thanks to a huge slice of fortune, as Doni's free-kick took a wicked deflection off Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arm in the Inter wall to wrong-foot Julio Cesar. Atalanta hit a third five minutes later as Doni rose between Cordoba and Burdisso seven yards out to head home Valdes's cross.

Mourinho threw on forwards Victor Obinna, Adriano and Luis Figo but it had little effect. Although the visitors improved after the break, Atalanta remained the more dangerous team and came within a whisker of a fourth on 55 minutes as Julio Cesar beat out Ferreira Pinto's shot only for Diego De Ascentis to clip the post with the follow up. Adriano did have a couple of efforts but failed to hit the target while Obinna had a great chance late on only to sky his shot before Ibrahimovic finally poked home a consolation from a yard out after a scramble in the box.

Atalanta 3 - 1 Inter Milan Highlights

Lazio 1 - 1 Juventus

In Rome, Juventus keeper Manninger made a hash of a deep Cristian Ledesma free-kick from out wide on the left, coming for it and then watching it sail over his head into the top corner on 24 minutes.

Lazio's lead lasted only six minutes as former Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg headed home from a corner. Brazilian striker Amauri had several good chances for Juve after the break but Lazio's backline held firm as they edged to within four points of the Champions League qualification positions.


Torino 0 - 1 AS Roma

Julio Baptista was the hero again as AS Roma inched closer to the top four with a last gasp 1-0 win at Torino.

The Brazilian forward scoring a stunning bicycle kick two minutes into injury time that leaves Roma eighth, but just five points behind Genoa.



Full results;

January 17
Siena 1 - 0 Reggina
AC Milan 1 - 0 Fiorentina

January 18
Atalanta 3 - 1 Inter Milan
Cagliari 2 - 0 Udinese
Catania 1 - 2 Bologna
Chievo 2 - 1 Napoli
Lecce 0 - 2 Genoa
Sampdoria 0 - 2 Palermo
Torino 0 - 1 AS Roma
Lazio 1 - 1 Juventus

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Bolton 0 - 1 Manchester United

Dimitar Berbatov's last-minute header sent Manchester United to the Barclays Premier League summit. It appeared the Red Devils would have to settle for a point despite keeping a record-equalling 10th clean sheet. But when Carlos Tevez broke free of the Bolton Wanderers defence, his cross was perfect for Berbatov, who finally broke Jussi Jaaskelainen's brave resistance.

United's first decent opportunity arrived after 35 minutes when Gary Neville fed a pass to Fletcher, who had galloped into the Bolton box. The Scotland midfielder cut a cross back to the near post where Ronaldo jumped but could only bounce a header at Jaaskelainen. Berbatov got on the end of another Fletcher cross, this time to the far post, but his header lacked power and Gardner hacked clear.

In between, Makakula looped a header towards the United goal that Van der Sar caught with ease. The Congolese front-man was giving Vidic a physical battering, which is not quite what Basham did to Berbatov at the other end but the United man still won a free-kick for his side. Ronaldo took it, forcing Jaaskelainen into an excellent save with a stinging low effort. Another excellent save from Jaaskelainen denied Anderson, who had let fly from 30 yards.

At the start of the second half, Matt Taylor took a blow on the back of the head that needed treatment although he was on the field again when Makukula slipped a pass to Davies, whose cross just dropped beyond Basham, who had wriggled free at the far post. Tevez played a neat pass to Carrick on the edge of the box but the England man looked to feed an even tighter ball through to Berbatov rather than going for goal himself and met with no reward.

Ronaldo has not been in top form recently but another stinging free-kick was too much for Jaaskelainen to hold and Makukula hooked clear. Another United attack floundered because of a poor Ronaldo pass and it was no surprise Ferguson introduced Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes 20 minutes from time. Ronaldo had yet another shot saved by Jaaskelainen. But just as it appeared Bolton would hold on for a point, Tevez broke free and pulled a cross back for Berbatov. The header was firm. And this time Jaaskelainen had no answer.

Bolton 0 - 1 Manchester United Highlights

Chelsea 2 - 1 Stoke City

There was an even more dramatic late show at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea scored twice in the last two minutes to snatch a 2-1 win over Stoke.

The Londoners had fallen behind on the hour mark after Rory Delap, demonstrating there is more to his game than his dangerous long throws, produced a classic striker's chipped finish to beat Petr Cech following a pass from new signing James Beattie. That goal game completely against the run of play and Chelsea's intense pressure finally told at the death as Juliano Belletti's 88th-minute strike and a stoppage time winner from Frank Lampard earned Luiz Felipe Scolari's side a morale-boosting victory.


Sunderland 1 - 2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa consolidated their grip on fourth place thanks to an 80th-minute penalty from Gareth Barry, which enabled Martin O'Neill's side to claim a scarcely-deserved 2-1 win at Sunderland. The Black Cats had been good value for their first-half lead, courtesy of Danny Collins's 10th-minute header from a Carlos Edwards free-kick.

That was cancelled out in controversial circumstances on the hour mark when James Milner bundled Ashley Young's low cross over the line with Sunderland's defenders furiously protesting that the final contact had come off the winger's arm. Young was sent off soon afterwards for a two-footed lounge at Dean Whitehead but Villa went on to claim all three points after Paul McShane brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor right on the edge of the penalty area.


Hull City 1 - 3 Arsenal

Arsenal struck twice late on to see off battling Hull City and keep pace with the Barclays Premier League top four.

Hull had looked set to frustrate the Gunners for the second time this season when Daniel Cousin cancelled out Emmanuel Adebayor's opener in the second half. But the KC Stadium visitors produced a strong finish and snatched victory with goals in the final nine minutes from Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner.

Other results;

January 17
Blackburn Rovers 3 - 0 Newcastle United
Bolton 0 - 1 Manchester United
Chelsea 2 - 1 Stoke City
Manchester City 1 - 0 Wigan Athletic
Sunderland 1 - 2 Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion 3 - 0 Middlesbrough
Hull City 1 - 3 Arsenal

January 18
West Ham United ? - ? Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur ? - ? Portsmouth

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AC Milan put the Kaka transfer saga behind them to earn a vital 1-0 Serie A victory over Fiorentina at the San Siro to keep their title hopes alive.

Third-placed Milan began the day nine points behind leaders Inter Milan but closed the gap to just six ahead of their bitter rivals' trip to Atalanta on Sunday. The build-up to Milan's match had been dominated by Manchester City's reported 100-plus million euro bid for Kaka and Milan fans made their thoughts known before kick-off by unveiling a host of banners pleading with the Brazilian star to stay.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti kept the former FIFA World Player of the Year in the starting side and handed ex-England skipper David Beckham a home debut. However, Ronaldinho was dropped to the bench in favour of Massimo Ambrosini as Ancelotti looked for more midfield steel. Kaka would have dearly loved to score but instead it was his teenage compatriot Pato who snatched the winner to condemn Fiorentina to a second successive defeat. They remain in sixth place in the table.

Beckham had tried to cross from the left but hit a defender. As players rushed to the loose ball, Beckham got there just before two Fiorentina defenders and poked it back to Marek Jankulovski who played in Pato in the space vacated by the visiting players. There looked to be little danger from his position just inside the box in the left hand corner but Pato hit a stunning strike across goal and in off the far post. Fiorentina were enjoying the better of the game, although with the talent at Milan's disposal they looked the more dangerous.

AC Milan 1 - 0 Fiorentina Highligts

Other results;

January 17
Siena 1 - 0 Reggina
AC Milan 1 - 0 Fiorentina

January 18
Atalanta ? - ? Inter Milan
Cagliari ? - ? Udinese
Catania ? - ? Bologna
Chievo ? - ? Napoli
Lecce ? - ? Genoa
Sampdoria ? - ? Palermo
Torino ? - ? AS Roma
Lazio ? - ? Juventus

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Barcelona were back to their brilliant best, crushing Deportivo La Coruna 5-0 at the Camp Nou to maintain their 12-point lead over Sevilla at the top of La Liga.

A mesmerising first half display saw Barca score three times with Lionel Messi, voted second behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the FIFA World Player of the Year award on Monday, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o all on the scoresheet. Henry grabbed his 11th goal of the season with eight minutes left while Eto'o took his personal tally to 18 with a second from the penalty spot in the closing stages.

The Catalan giants are now 17 matches unbeaten in the league and have set a new record of 50 points at the halfway point of the season. Real set the previous best of 47 points last season. Barcelona had struggled to defeat bottom side Osasuna 3-2 last weekend but Guardiola kept faith with his first choice XI leaving Andres Iniesta on the bench.

The inevitable breakthrough came on 21 minutes with Messi dribbling at speed before guiding his shot in off the post for his 12th of the season. Henry went into double figures for the campaign six minutes later, heading in a pinpoint cross from Dani Alves. Messi should have scored his second with a clear header but missed the target and Eto'o spurned another great chance.

The Cameroon forward finally got his goal after 41 minutes with a tap-in. Henry made it 4-0 on 82 minutes and Eto'o completed the scoring with a late penalty after goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia chopped down Carles Puyol and was subsequently red-carded.

Barcelona 5 - 0 Deportivo La Coruna Highlights

Other results;

January 17
Barcelona 5 - 0 Deportivo La Coruna
Sevilla 1 - 0 Numancia

January 18
Getafe ? - ? Racing Santander
Malaga ? - ? Espanyol
Real Madrid ? - ? Osasuna
Recreativo Huelva ? - ? Sporting Gijon
Valladolid ? - ? Real Betis
Villarreal ? - ? Mallorca
Athletic Bilbao ? - ? Valencia
Almeria ? - ? Atletico Madrid

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Manucho (Manchester United to Hull City)

Hull on Friday agreed to take Manchester United's Angolan striker Manucho on loan until the end of the season.

Manucho has made one Barclays Premier League appearance to date for United, who last season loaned him out to Greek side Panathinaikos. Hull still have to secure a work permit for the 25-year-old. The Tigers are also chasing former Liverpool right-back Steve Finnan from Espanyol.


Gael Givet (Marseille to Blackburn Rovers)

France defender Gael Givet has joined Blackburn Rovers on loan from Marseille for the rest of the season, the Premier League side have announced.

Rovers added they had an option to purchase the defender on a full-time basis at the end of the season. Givet, who can play at left-back or in central defence, has been capped 13 times by France but has not played for Marseille this season after falling out of favour with manager Eric Gerets.


Aziza Makukula (Benfica to Bolton Wanderers)

Portugal international Aziza Makukula of Benfica has been loaned to Bolton till the end of the season, Benfica said on Friday, after a move to West Bromwich Albion fell through.

The Portuguese club added, in a statement on Portuguese financial site CMVM, that there would also be an option to buy the 27-year-old striker for five million euros. The West Brom deal did not succeed because Makukula did not want to join a club which was bottom of the Premier League

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Chelsea improved as the match went on to beat Southend United 4-1 in an FA Cup third round replay on Wednesday after a jittery opening against the League One (third division) side.

Goals from Michael Ballack, Salomon Kalou, Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard gave Chelsea, with only one win in their previous six matches, a deserved win after Southend had taken a 16th-minute lead with an Adam Barrett header. Chelsea set up a fourth-round meeting with Ipswich Town of the Championship (second division) after taking control of the game which at one point in the evening was called off by referee Chris Hoy because of fog. However, seven minutes after he took that decision, the fog lifted at Roots Hall and he allowed the match to go ahead.

Southend were initially very pleased it did, taking a shock lead when Barrett exploited a weakness in Chelsea's new zonal marking system to power in a header after 16 minutes. Southend almost made it 2-0 20 minutes later when the zonal system failed again and Alex Revell headed straight at Chelsea keeper Peter Cech.

Ballack put Chelsea back in the match seconds before halftime with a well struck goal after a Southend mix-up before Kalou and Anelka added further goals in the second half. Lampard's close-range effort in stoppage time completed the comeback.

In other matches, Hull City also made it through to the last 32 when they won the all-Premier League replay 1-0 against Newcastle United at St James' Park with an 81st minute tap-in from Daniel Cousin. Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear and Hull counterpart Phil Brown were sent to the stands in the first half after squaring up to each other on the touchline.

While, Crystal Palace earned a trip to fellow Championship side Watford in the next round after they beat League One (third division) leaders Leicester City 2-1 at Selhurst Park with Paul Ifill and teenage substitute Sean Scannell scoring Palace's goals.

Southend 1 - 4 Chelsea Highlights

Full results;

Newcastle United 0 - 1 Hull City
Crystal Palace 2 - 1 Leicester City
Southend United 1 - 4 Chelsea

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Brazilian Julio Baptista struck twice to give AS Roma a 2-0 win over Sampdoria in their rearranged Serie A game on Wednesday.

The forward scored with a tremendous free kick on 21 minutes and eight minutes after the break he slotted in a second. Roma, last season's runners-up, had a terrible start to the campaign but have gradually been improving and are now up to eighth place.

The original game in October was abandoned after six minutes because of torrential rain. The rematch kicked off with six minutes already on the clock. Ineffective Samp, who bought Fiorentina striker Giampaolo Pazzini earlier in the day, remain five points above the drop zone.

Roma 2 - 0 Sampdoria Highlights

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Wayne Rooney kept Manchester United on course for the English Premier League's top spot before being struck down by injury as the European and World champions secured a tense 1-0 win at home to Wigan.

United can now climb to the top of the table for the first time this season if they win at Bolton on Saturday after Rooney's first-minute goal sealed victory against former United centreback Steve Bruce's team. The win however came at a cost for United boss Sir Alex Ferguson who is set to be without Rooney for three weeks after the star striker limped off with a hamstring injury in just the seventh minute.

Although Wigan had arrived at Old Trafford in fine form, having won six of their last seven league games, their record against United was a sorry six defeats from six meetings in the Premier League, so the form book was certainly on the champions side as they attempted to edge to within two points of leaders Liverpool.

Sunday's 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford emphasised the growing confidence within United ranks, however, and the determination to put pressure on Liverpool was evident as Ferguson's team raced out of the traps at the start of the game. But even so, United's lightning start took the breath away as they opened the scoring inside the first minute when Rooney pounced on Ronaldo's cross from the right flank.

The United winger easily beat his marker on the edge of the penalty area and his cross into the six-yard box was missed by defender Paul Scharner, allowing Rooney to stroke the ball home from close range. It proved to be Rooney's last involvement in the game, though, with the England forward succumbing to injury just six minutes later.

Ferguson replaced Rooney with Carlos Tevez and the Argentinian forward whose future at the club is far from secure should have doubled United's lead after being teed up by John O'Shea midway through the first-half. O'Shea's header from Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland's clearance freed Tevez thirty yards from goal, but the former West Ham striker over-ran the ball after rounding the keeper and he could only aim his shot into the side-netting.

Manchester United 1 - 0 Wigan Athletic Highlights

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FIFA World Player of The Year 2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo

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Manchester City have opened talks with AC Milan over signing Brazil's playmaker Kaka for a fee that could rise as high as £100 million.

The Eastlands club have sent a delegation, thought to include chief executive Garry Cook and chief operating officer Paul Aldridge, to discuss a possible move with both the Italian side and the player, who could stand to earn a staggering £15 million a year net or £500,000 a week gross.

While City's Arab owners harbour hopes of completing any possible deal before the transfer window closes at the end of this month, sources inside the club believe the move is more likely to go through in the summer.

That view was reinforced on Tuesday when Milan's owner, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, said he knew nothing of the transfer and revealed that he regards the Brazilian to be untransferable.

He said: "I know nothing about a Manchester City offer for Kaka. I think he's not transferable and given that is the case, he will stay at Milan."

The Italian club's director Adriano Galliani has already indicated that his side, for whom David Beckham made his league debut on Monday against Roma, have finished their activity in the January transfer window, but the Eastlands negotiators will be hoping to open up the possibility of a summer move instead.

If City's mission proves fruitless, either in the short or long term, it will lend the transfer window an even deeper air of anticlimax for the club. telegraph

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Cristiano Ronaldo tonight became the first Premier League star to be named FIFA's world player of the year.

The Manchester United and Portugal winger beat AC Milan's Kaka, Liverpool's Fernando Torres and Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Xavi to take the award at a star-studded gala in Zurich. It caps a stunning year for the 23-year-old in which he played the starring role as United won the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup. His 31 league goals in the 2008-09 season, and 42 in total, won him the European Golden Shoe as the continent's top scorer. He was also awarded the Ballon d'Or by France Football magazine, and named FIFPro's player of the year.

Premier League players have finished as runner-up before, David Beckham and Thierry Henry both did so twice while Frank Lampard also came second two years ago but Ronaldo becomes the first to take the top prize. Ronaldo dedicated the award to his family but also paid tribute to influence of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

He said: "It's a dream come true for me to get this award and I would like to dedicate this to my family. But it's also true that the manager always has an important role to play. It was a great season for me and for my club, and the coach was important for me because I learned a lot for him. His experience over so many years is of paramount importance, it's a privilege to have such a great club manager."

Messi finished in second place and Torres came third ahead of fourth-placed Kaka and Xavi.

Full result of votes:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo: 935
2. Lionel Messi: 678
3. Fernando Torres: 203
4. Kaka: 183
5. Xavi: 155

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Mallorca 0 - 3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid captain Raul celebrated his 500th league appearance in the famous white shirt with a goal as the champions climbed to second with a comfortable 3-0 win at Real Mallorca on Sunday.

Incredibly it was Real's first away win in the league since 18 October and the capital giants are now nine points behind tabletoppers Barcelona who have a game in hand. Arjen Robben opened the scoring as early as the third minute before Raul, 31, struck on 17 minutes with his seventh goal of the campaign and Sergio Ramos netted a third in the second half.

For Real, Dutch forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who made his debut last weekend, was dropped to the bench with Gonzalo Higuain, back from a bout of tonsilitis, partnering Raul in attack. Higuain had an immediate impact, lofting a third minute pass to Robben who was just onside as he raced clear before slotting home to score for the second consecutive game.

Higuain was the provider again on 17 minutes powering down the right flank before fizzing in a cross that Raul flicked in with his trailing leg. Just before the interval the Mallorca players were up in arms at not being awarded a penalty when Pepe appeared to use his hand to block a shot but the referee waved play on.

Ramos volleyed in a third on 66 minutes and Real kept a third successive clean sheet to suggest things are improving under new manager Juande Ramos. Frontrunners Barcelona can move 12 points clear of Real again when they face basement side Osasuna later on Sunday.

Mallorca 0 - 3 Real Madrid Highlights

Osasuna 2 - 3 Barcelona

Lionel Messi scored a thunderous 84th-minute winner as leaders Barcelona came back to overcome bottom side Osasuna 3-2 on Sunday and restore their 12-point cushion over second-placed Real Madrid.

It was all going to plan for Barcelona when Messi set up Samuel Eto'o to score just before the break but Miguel Flaño turned in a corner to equalise not long after the hour mark and ten minutes later Walter Pandiani seemed to have put the visitors' 16-game unbeaten Liga run in jeopardy.

However, on his 300th league appearance Xavi turned in a Daniel Alves cross and with five minutes left Messi's superb finish sealed the win.

Full results;

January 10
Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 3 Sevilla
Valencia 3 - 3 Villarreal

January 11
Atletico Madrid 2 - 3 Athletic Bilbao
Mallorca 0 - 3 Real Madrid
Numancia 2 - 0 Getafe
Racing Santander 1 - 1 Recreativo Huelva
Real Betis 1 - 2 Malaga
Sporting Gijon 2 - 1 Valladolid
Espanyol 2 - 2 Almeria
Osasuna 2 - 3 Barcelona

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Juventus 1 - 0 Siena

Alessandro Del Piero scored a stunning free-kick to hand Juventus a 1-0 home win over Siena at Turin's Olympic stadium on Sunday and close the gap at the top behind leaders Inter Milan to four points.

Inter left the door open with a surprise 1-1 home draw against Cagliari on Saturday night and Del Piero's sixth goal of the season direct from a free-kick allowed the Old Lady of Turin to take full advantage. Despite his advancing years, the 34-year-old Del Piero seems to be getting better and better. This was his seventh league goal of the season and 12th in all competitions, but most remarkable has been his free-kick record.

Previous successful dead-ball strikes helped Juve beat Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League while another downed Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 in Turin. And in the league he has been equally deadly, previously hitting the back of the net against Palermo and Chievo.

Juventus 1 - 0 Siena Highlights

AS Roma 2 - 2 AC Milan

All the attention ahead of AC Milan's trip to AS Roma on Sunday may have been focused on David Beckham, but the Englishman was upstaged at the Stadio Olimpico by a Brazilian 14 years his junior as Pato struck both Rossoneri goals in a 2-2 draw.

The 19-year-old signed off before the winter break with two goals in the 5-1 defeat of Udinese Calcio, and repeated the trick early in the second half last night. With Milan trailing, Pato combined superbly with compatriot Kakà for his first strike but it was his second, a deft chip five minutes later, which earned him plaudits not least from his new team-mate.

Pato struck nine league goals in 18 games last season in his first campaign in Italy since leaving SC Internacional and is already within one of that tally this term.

Full results;

January 10
Genoa 3 - 0 Torino
Inter Milan 1 - 1 Cagliari

January 11
Bologna 1 - 1 Chievo
Fiorentina 1 - 2 Lecce
Juventus 1 - 0 Siena
Napoli 1 - 0 Catania
Palermo 3 - 2 Atalanta
Reggina 2 - 3 Lazio
Udinese 1 - 1 Sampdoria
AS Roma 2 - 2 AC Milan

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Manchester United 3 - 0 Chelsea

Manchester United's grip on the Premier League trophy tightened significantly on Sunday as Sir Alex Ferguson's side put Chelsea to the sword in front of a jubilant Old Trafford. Nemanja Vidic's header on the stroke of half-time was followed by second-half goals for Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov as the champions ran out 3-0 winners in what had been billed as one of the season's pivotal encounters.

In terms of territory and possession, Chelsea's best spell was the opening half-hour, a period in which referee Howard Webb brandished four yellow cards yet was surprisingly lacking in intensity. Ashley Cole's domination of Cristiano Ronaldo in their personal battle helped to ensure United were equally uninspired until the approach of half-time finally prompted them into the phase of sustained pressure that was to yield their opening goal.

It began with Park Ji-Sung forcing John Terry into last-ditch block. The ensuing corner resulted in United appealing furiously for a penalty as Darren Fletcher's mishit shot appeared to strike Terry's outstretched arm just inside the box. There followed another corner, to which United applied what appeared to be a cleverly conceived training ground ploy with Rooney tapping the ball off the corner before walking away as if he had decided to leave it for someone else.

Chelsea's defence bought the bluff and switched off, allowing Ryan Giggs to pick up the ball and send in a chip that Cristiano Ronaldo headed in at the near post, only for the linesman to flag mistakenly that the corner had not been taken legitimately. It was an incident with almost limitless potential for debate but its impact was neutralised when United scored from the retaken corner. This time, Giggs sent the dead ball into the area, Berbatov flicked-on and Vidic's diving header squeezed past Cech at his back post.

Instead it was to be United who applied the killer blow, just after an hour had elapsed. Once again, Evra, revelling in his return from a four-match suspension imposed following his bust-up with a groundsman after the 1-1 draw between the two sides at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, played a central role. Released by Ronaldo's backheel, the Frenchman whipped in a dipping cross that both Terry and Ashley Cole might have cleared before Rooney prodded it past Cech from close range. With Chelsea demoralised, Berbatov was able to add a third in the closing minutes, drifting between Michael Ballack and Terry to prod home Ronaldo's low cross from the left of the box.

Manchester United 3 - 0 Chelsea Highlights

Wigan Athletic 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur

In the day's earlier game, Maynor Figueroa's stoppage-time header secured Wigan Athletic's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the JJB Stadium as they strengthened their grip on seventh place in the Premier League.

Defeat was cruel on Spurs, who had to play the closing stages with goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes unable to move freely because of a leg injury after using all their substitutes, and left the visitors in the bottom three.

It looked as if the Londoners, with Jermain Defoe making his second debut for the club after re-joining Spurs from Portsmouth, would salvage a draw. But with Gomes rooted to his line, unmarked Honduran left-back Figueroa headed in powerfully from a Ryan Taylor corner in the 91st minute to score his first goal for north-west side Wigan.

This win meant Wigan had taken 18 points out of a possible 21 from their last seven league matches. Spurs had the better of what chances there were in a goalless first-half although it was Wigan who finished the opening period the stronger and Gomes had to smother a close-range effort from Emile Heskey in the 39th minute.

Tottenham with Ledley King in a re-shaped defence looked to be seeing out a lively second-half where referee Andre Marriner booked several Wigan players. But Steve Bruce's men had the last laugh over Harry Redknapp's team when the Spurs defence failed to pick-up Figueroa.

Full results;

January 10
Aston Villa 2 - 1 West Bromwich Albion
Arsenal 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
Everton 2 - 0 Hull City
Fulham ? - ? Blackburn Rovers (Postp.)
Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Sunderland
Newcastle U. 2 - 2 West Ham United
Portsmouth ? - ? Manchester City (Postp.)
Stoke City 0 - 0 Liverpool

January 11
Wigan Athletic 1 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United 3 - 0 Chelsea

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Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 3 Sevilla

Ten-man Sevilla climbed to second in the Primera Liga with a 3-1 comeback win at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday

Trailing 1-0 and with a man less at the start of the second half, Frederic Kanoute was sent on as a Sevilla substitute and set up Luis Fabiano and then Renato for goals before Diego Capel sealed the win.

Sevilla have 35 points from 18 games and trail runaway leaders Barcelona by nine. Barca, who have played a game less, visit bottom club Osasuna on Sunday. Valencia are third with 34 points, two ahead of champions Real Madrid who are away to Real Mallorca on Sunday. Villarreal are sixth with 30.


Valencia 3 - 3 Villarreal

Ruben Baraja and David Villa put Valencia two-up inside ten minutes at the Mestalla as they ran Villarreal ragged in the first half, but Fabricio Fuentes pulled one back with a header just before the break.

Joseba Llorente levelled for the visitors in the 76th minute before Edu restored Valencia's lead three minutes later with a great header. Giuseppe Rossi grabbed Villarreal's equaliser from the penalty spot six minutes from time, ending a run of three straight defeats.

Other results;

January 10
Deportivo La Coruna 1 - 3 Sevilla
Valencia 3 - 3 Villarreal

January 11
Atletico Madrid ? - ? Athletic Bilbao
Mallorca ? - ? Real Madrid
Numancia ? - ? Getafe
Racing Santander ? - ? Recreativo Huelva
Real Betis ? - ? Malaga
Sporting Gijon ? - ? Valladolid
Espanyol ? - ? Almeria
Osasuna ? - ? Barcelona

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