United managed to avoid favourites Barcelona in today’s quarter-final draw and also landed in the other half to Arsenal and Inter Milan.

It means if Bayern Munich can be beaten in the last eight, French opposition will await in the semi-final as Lyon and Bordeaux do battle in an all-Gallic affair. @Dailymail

The latest instalment of “Riera-gate” came on Spain’s Cadena Ser radio station, as reported in the Daily Telegraph, and while the player did attempt to play down his original comments, when he claimed, among other things, that Liverpool are a “sinking ship”, he may only have angered his boss further. @ESPN

Today it is Rooney and Messi. One is the rampaging bull, the darling of Nike; the other, known as ‘the flea’, pin-up of adidas.

In the Latin and European worlds they symbolise the dreams of millions. Boys from the streets and ghetto who have made it good and are getting better and better. The question on everyone’s lips, though, is who really is the best?

Lionel Messi’s imperious performance against Stuttgart on Wednesday steered Barcelona through to the Champions League quarterfinals. @Dailymail

The teams were paired together in today’s draw in Nyon, which also pitted Bayern Munich against Manchester United, Lyon against fellow French side Bordeaux and Inter Milan against CSKA Moscow.

Barcelona and Arsenal both recorded thumping second-leg wins in the last 16, Pep Guardiola’s men beating Stuttgart 4-0 and Arsenal going one better with a 5-0 thrashing of Porto.

The Spaniards, who will play the first leg at home, came out on top when the sides met in the final four years ago, coming from behind to claim a 2-1 success. @Independent

Beckham’s dreams of becoming the first Englishman to play in four consecutive World Cups went up in flames on Sunday night when he tore his achilles tendon in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Chievo.

The 34-year-old, who has been capped 115 times by England, underwent successful surgery in Finland on Monday but faces six months on the sidelines. @Dailymail

The Spain international’s two goals in last night’s 3-0 Europa League victory over Lille took his tally to four in his last two matches, having scored twice in Monday’s 4-1 win over Portsmouth.

Torres now has 17 for the season, of which 15 have come in the Barclays Premier League, from just 27 appearances having missed five weeks after a knee operation. @Dailymail

Chelsea are two points off the pace at the top of the league and are through to the final four in the FA Cup.

And Chelsea’s defiant manager says his players have it in their power to win both competitions.

“Our destiny is in our own hands,” said the Italian. “If we win every game, we can do the double. That’s our aim.” @BBC

“We are very confident, not only confident but very proud, that we can deliver the World Cup to Africa and that Africa can deliver the World Cup to the world,” Blatter said after a two day FIFA executive committee meeting.

FIFA, a non profit-making organisation, said it had made a 196 million dollar surplus in 2009, as revenues soared to 1.06 billion dollars. @Soccerway

United will play Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the competition after Friday’s draw, with the winner facing either Lyon or Bordeaux in the semi-finals.

Such a favourable draw has seen United installed as the bookies’ favourites to reach the final in Madrid, but Fletcher is not jumping to any conclusions.

“You can be too presumptuous and start looking too far ahead,” Fletcher said, according to the Press Association. @Goal

The captain has been consistently linked with a transfer to his former club despite equally consistent denials by the player himself as well as Wenger.

The rumours will inevitably re-surface ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League clash with Pep Guardiola’s side but the Arsenal manager would prefer the build-up to the game to focus on strictly footballing matters. @Arsenal