With Manchester United in disarray and Arsenal fading, Liverpool is shaping up as the main challenger to league leader Chelsea.
Liverpool can overtake Manchester United and move into second place in the Premier League by beating Middlesbrough on Saturday. Rafa Benitez' Reds are on a roll, having shut out Chelsea for the fourth time in European competition on Tuesday for their 10th consecutive clean sheet.
"We are getting increasingly good results against the top sides and emerging as challengers to Chelsea," Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said. "We feel we are significantly improving in all departments."
PHOTO: AP
Chelsea leads the league with 40 points, followed by Manchester United with 30, Liverpool 28, Tottenham 26 and Arsenal and Bolton 26. Arsenal lost 2-0 to Bolton last weekend, and Thierry Henry missed a penalty in the Gunners' 0-0 Champions League draw with Ajax on Wednesday.
Chelsea plays Wigan at Stamford Bridge today, while Manchester United hosts Everton on Sunday. The Red Devils lost 2-1 to Benfica in Lisbon on Wednesday and were eliminated from the Champions League -- failing to make the knockout stage for the first time in 10 years.
"They are ahead of us in the league for a reason, don't doubt that," Liverpool defender Dietmar Hamann said. "But I feel we are serious challengers now. It is either us or Manchester United. There is only a few points between us."
In today's other games, it's Birmingham versus Fulham, Blackburn versus West Ham, Bolton versus Aston Villa, Charlton versus Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion versus Manchester City and Newcastle versus Arsenal. On Monday, Harry Redknapp takes Portsmouth to Tottenham for his first game since quitting Southampton and rejoining Pompey.
"It was a massive mistake leaving Portsmouth and I am looking forward to starting again," said Redknapp, who left a year ago to join the Saints. "All that matters is staying in the Premiership."
Portsmouth is 18th, five points above last-place Sunderland.
There are two games scheduled Wednesday, with West Ham at Everton and Manchester United hosting Wigan.
Manchester United's loss in Lisbon left the Red Devils last in their group, meaning they failed to even qualify for the UEFA Cup. The future of manager Alex Ferguson -- in charge since 1986 -- is also in doubt.
"I am not going to answer any questions about my future," Ferguson said. "Other people in the media will have plenty to say. I have a job to do, it is a good job and I have every confidence in my players."
United captain Gary Neville, recently returned from three months out with a groin injury, said the club would concentrate on chasing Chelsea in the league.
"We know over the next few days people will criticize us and rightly so because our performances haven't been up to our standards," Neville said. "There will be a lot of disappointment for the next few days but we are training on Friday and Saturday mornings and Sunday's game is a great chance to put it right because the fans will want us to put a show on for them."
In the Football League Championship, leader Reading hosts Brighton and second-place Sheffield United hosts Burnley.
Spanish Preview
Juan Ramon Lopez Caro will be in charge of Real Madrid for the first time in the Spanish league on Sunday when the ailing powerhouse visits Malaga.
Lopez Caro, the reserve team coach who had never been in charge of a topflight side, was described as a temporary appointment when named to replace the fired Vanderlei Luxemburgo last weekend.
But the 42-year-old Lopez Caro, the team's fifth coach in the past 2 1/2 years during which it hasn't won a major trophy, is committed to staying as long as he can.
"I have never worked in the short-term and I'm not going to do so now. Results will determine where I deserve to be," Lopez Caro said.
Lopez Caro made a disappointing start on Tuesday when a depleted Madrid was beaten 2-1 by Olympiakos in a Champions League game.
However, most of Madrid's top players -- apart from suspended David Beckham and the injured Raul Gonzalez and Jonathan Woodgate -- will return on Sunday to play under Lopez Caro for the first time.
The new coach has rejected suggestions that he is too inexperienced to galvanize the underperforming stars. Particularly the Brazilians -- Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Robinho and Julio Baptista, who now lack the support of their compatriot Luxemburgo.
"Those players have a rich history thanks to their ability and hard work. Their professionalism is absolute," Lopez Caro said.
Madrid will want to continue its good recent record at Malaga -- it has won on its last three visits -- to avoid the risk of falling further behind leaders Barcelona and Osasuna.
Barcelona and Osasuna have 31 points, while Celta Vigo has 26, Madrid and Valencia have 25.
The defending champion bids to stretch its winning streak to 11 matches when it hosts No. 8 Sevilla on Sunday.
Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League win at Udinese on Wednesday took its record over that period to 32 goals scored and just three conceded.
But Barcelona will be without five midfielders on Sunday.
Spanish international Xavi Hernandez injured his knee last week and will be out for six months, while his replacement in last Sunday's win over Villarreal, Brazilian Thiago Motta, has strained his thigh.
Also, Mark van Bommel is still out with an ankle injury, while Deco and Rafael Marquez are suspended.
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard is hoping to return on Sunday after missing two games with a chest infection.
Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, whose team's eight-game unbeaten run ended last weekend with a home loss to Deportivo La Coruna, said it wouldn't be easy to prevent another defeat.
"It's tough to play Barcelona, it's tougher at the Camp Nou, and if you have to play when Barcelona is concentrating fully on the league it's even tougher still," Ramos said.
Osasuna is level with Barcelona largely due to its perfect home record.
It has won seven games at its El Sadar stadium and hosts 13th-place Mallorca on Sunday. However, its Mexican coach Javier Aguirre is not getting too excited.
"We still need 12 points to make sure we don't get relegated," said Aguirre, whose side has won five and drawn one of its last six games.
This weekend's other 15th-round games are: Zaragoza versus Celta Vigo; Valencia versus Athletic Bilbao; Real Betis versus Espanyol; Deportivo versus Cadiz; Real Sociedad versus Villarreal; Getafe versus Racing Santander; and Atletico Madrid versus Alaves.
Italian Preview
Kaka and Adriano, teammates on Brazil's World Cup squad, will be on opposite sides in Sunday's Serie A derby between Inter Milan and AC Milan at the San Siro.
Inter striker Adriano is back in top form, scoring both in Serie A and Champions League matches.
Kaka, Milan's playmaker-striker, has been setting up goals for teammates Andriy Shevchenko and Alberto Gilardino. Kaka also scored twice in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Schalke as Milan advanced to the final 16 of the Champions League.
Both Milan teams need a victory to keep pace with Serie A leader Juventus. The Turin club leads Milan by eight points and Inter Milan by 10.
Inter is looking for its first derby victory in nearly four years to leapfrog Milan and become Juve's No. 1 title challenger.
"I believe we still can catch Juventus, because they are not stronger," said Kaka, who has scored three goals in Milan derbies. "Also, last year we were in the same situation and managed to get closer with a comeback in January."
Kaka and Ukraine star Shevchenko will challenge Inter's defense, which will be without injured Marco Materazzi. Adriano, strong in headers and dangerous with his powerful left-footed drives and free kicks, will be the main worry for Milan's defenders.
Milan captain Paolo Maldini and Brazilian Cafu are questionable starters for Milan's defense, which was severely criticized after allowing six goals in the last three league matches -- including a 2-1 upset at Chievo Verona last Sunday.
Adriano, who has scored six goals in Serie A and five in the Champions League this season, could be Inter's lone striker Sunday with support from midfielders Juan Sebastian Veron, Luis Figo and Dejan Stankovic.
"The Derby is a special, unpredictable match," Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. "We are confident of winning it."
A draw could hurt the title chances of both teams. Juventus is expected to pick up a record 14th win in 15 matches in Sunday's home match with lowly Cagliari, still winless on the road.
Juve, coming off a hard-fought 2-1 win at third-place Fiorentina, has 39 points. Milan has 31. Inter Milan is tied with Fiorentina at 29.
Livorno and Chievo Verona can stretch their unexpected stay in the upper half of the table as they play Lazio and Messina, respectively.
Livorno, led by veteran striker Cristiano Lucarelli, is fifth with 25 points, one ahead of Chievo.
Fiorentina's Luca Toni, who hit the post twice and failed to score against Juventus last Sunday, hopes to improve his league-leading tally of 16 goals in today's home match with last-place Treviso.
Other weekend matches feature AS Roma versus Palermo, Parma versus Sampdoria, Siena versus Empoli, Ascoli versus Reggina and Udinese versus Lecce.
German Preview
Hamburg's match against fifth-placed Hertha Berlin today already looked a tough one. Without Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, it's a whole lot tougher.
Van der Vaart has been one of the second-placed side's key players this season. However, he had surgery Wednesday on a fractured ankle bone and will be out of action for at least two months.
Hamburg is already wracked by injuries, but the players are sure they can close the four-point gap on Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich.
"No one is moaning at this club," Hamburg midfielder Stefan Beinlich said. "In the short run, we are good enough to replace anybody."
Hamburg is also the only team to beat Bayern in this season's league, scoring a 2-0 win. If it can get through its next two games, it has a chance to get healthy during the one-month layoff.
Third-placed Werder Bremen prepared for its game against Cologne with Wednesday's 5-1 rout of Panathinaikos to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the second straight year. It said Thursday that coach Thomas Schaaf extended his contract by two years.
Under Schaaf, Bremen has developed into the Bundesliga's highest scoring team. He's the league's longest-serving coach, having held his job since 1999.
"I had to think about signing for a while. It's not common to be with the same team so long," Schaaf said. "But I have the freedom to work the way I want to here."
However, Bremen's Tim Borowski may need a hernia operation. The midfielder has seven goals and assists.
Fourth-placed Schalke is dealing with disappointment before its game with Mainz. Its Champions League exit after Tuesday's 3-2 loss to AC Milan is the latest painful loss for a side that nursed big ambitions this season.
Bayern's two straight draws against Stuttgart, and FC Brugge in the Champions League shouldn't prevent a win against bottom Kaiserslautern.
In other matches, it's: Duisburg versus Bielefeld; Wolfsburg versus Stuttgart; Frankfurt versus Dortmund; Hannover versus Moenchengladbach; and Nuremberg versus Leverkusen.
Notebook
Football authorities and the European Union on Thursday agreed to work together to tackle problems facing the game.
The accord came after FIFA president Sepp Blatter made sure wealthy clubs and leagues would not have an independent place at the negotiating table.
"I insist and will insist until the end that the autonomy of soccer must be maintained," Blatter said after meeting with Sports Minister Richard Caborn of Britain, which holds the EU presidency.
Caborn, calling the meeting "historic," said UEFA would lead an Europe-wide investigation into issues such us as exorbitant salaries for top players and increasing power of top clubs at the expense of grassroots initiatives.
FIFA is involved in a long feud with the G14 group of the richest European clubs.
FIFA first canceled the meeting Wednesday after finding out the EU side would bring league officials representing rich clubs. After a phone conversation between Blatter and Caborn, the league officials withdrew and FIFA rescheduled the talks for Thursday.
"There have been wonderful changes during the hours of yesterday evening," Blatter said.
entitlement dispute
A German court on Thursday upheld FIFA's entitlement to forbid the confectionary company Ferrero from using "Deutschland 2006" on its products.
The Hamburg court had previously decided that Ferrero's attempts to trademark "Deutschland 2006" were unfairly obstructing FIFA's commercial activities.
Also, a Frankfurt court ruled several weeks ago that Ferrero had to stop using "WM 2006" on its goods.
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Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
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