Manchester Utd 0-0 Manchester City

The build-up to Wednesday's encounter promised much, with both sides harbouring title ambitions.

Unfortunately, the action on the field failed to deliver, with a tame goalless draw doing little to capture the imagination.

Clear-cut chances proved to be few and far between throughout, with defences very much on top.

United boss Ferguson admitted afterwards that City, who opted to pack the midfield, got their game plan just about spot on, with the Red Devils unable to offer any penetration in the final third.

"City are always difficult to beat on their own ground, and that was obviously going to be the case the way they set their stall out second half," he told Sky Sports.

"I think there was too much tension for it to be the kind of match people thought it would be. But I was pleased with the control we had of the game and some of our football was very good.

Chelsea beat Stoke City 7-0

Chelsea stormed back to the top of the Premier League as Salomon Kalou's hat-trick inspired a 7-0 win over Stoke on Sunday which sent the Blues one point clear of Manchester United.

Carlo Ancelotti's team had lost first place to United following the champions' win against Tottenham on Saturday, but this imperious display was the perfect response to the challenge from Old Trafford.
Ivory Coast forward Kalou scored twice in the first half at Stamford Bridge, then Frank Lampard added a penalty.
Kalou completed his treble after the break and Lampard netted a sublime strike before Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda scored late on to give Chelsea their third seven-goal haul this season.
The Blues' lacklustre defeat at Tottenham last weekend had allowed United back into a title race which neither team has been able to lead for long.
But Chelsea's biggest win of the campaign leaves Ancelotti's men still on course to win the league for the first time since 2006.
The crucial test comes next Sunday at Liverpool - where victory would leave just a home game against Wigan on May 9 standing between Chelsea and the title.

Manchester United - Most valuable club in the World

The American wealth magazine put the Red Devils at the top of their latest list of the world's richest football clubs, with an estimated value of £1.2 billion.
And that leaves United flying high at the top of the sporting tree, ahead of the NFL's top team the Dallas Cowboys (£1.072 billion), and baseball's number one club the New York Yankees (£1.040 billion).
Spanish giants Real Madrid are second on the list of top football clubs at £859m, with Arsenal third on £767m.
European and Spanish champions Barcelona are fourth on £650m, but are the only debt-free side in a top six that is rounded out by Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
Chelsea have slipped behind Juventus to ninth on the list after posting losses of nearly £50 million - the worst financial performance of any club in the top 20 - while Newcastle cling on to their place in the top 20 despite their relegation at the end of last season.

Rank ---- Team ---- Country ---- Value

1 ---- Manchester United ---- England ---- £1,192m

2 ---- Real Madrid ---- Spain ---- £859m

3 ---- Arsenal ---- England ---- £767m

4 ---- Barcelona ---- Spain ---- £650m

5 ---- Bayern Munich ---- Germany ---- £643m

6 ---- Liverpool ---- England ---- £534m

7 ---- AC Milan ---- Italy ---- £520m

8 ---- Juventus ---- Italy ---- £426m

9 ---- Chelsea ---- England ---- £420m

10 ---- Internazionale ---- Italy ---- £268m

11 ---- Schalke ---- Germany ---- £249m

12 ---- Tottenham Hotspur ---- England ---- £242m

13 ---- Lyon ---- France ---- £216m

14 ---- Hamburg ---- Germany ---- £214m

15 ---- Roma ---- Italy ---- £200m

16 ---- Werder Bremen ---- Germany ---- £178m

17 ---- Marseille ---- France ---- £170m

18 ---- Borussia Dortmund ---- Germany ---- £170m

19 ---- Manchester City ---- England ---- £168m

20 ---- Newcastle United ---- England ---- £129m

Sir Alex Ferguson's successor??

Fergie is set to hang up his watch and chewing gum at the end of next season and he is convinced fellow Glaswegian Moyes is the man to provide the continuity needed to ensure United continue to compete for top honours.

Bayern Munich - Lyons Team News

Holger Badstuber and captain Mark van Bommel are both suspended for the home side after collecting their third yellow cards of the campaign last time out.

Meanwhile, Danijel Pranjic, who is set to deputise for Van Bommel, will be banned for the return leg if he picks up a booking.

Bayern put in an emphatic display to beat Hannover 7-0 in the Bundesliga at the weekend, although Miroslav Klose was omitted from the squad due to an abdominal infection and could miss out again.

They have no major injury concerns and Franck Ribery is set to play despite being quizzed by police as a witness regarding a case of prostitution regarding a minor.

Lyon, though, have a few absentees for the game as they look to gain an advantage ahead of the second leg at Stade Gerland on 27th April.

Jean-Alain Boumsong (calf), Francois Clerc (knee), Mathieu Bodmer (hamstring) and Joan Hartock (Achilles) are all unavailable.

Long-term absentee Anderson has been out since last season while Jean II Makoun has not played since March with a groin problem.

The two sides were drawn against each other in the group stages of the 2008/09 competition with the score ending 1-1 in Munich as the Germans came out on top 3-2 in Lyon.

Ribery amidst sex scandal!!

Bayern Munich closed ranks around Franck Ribery on Tuesday after an under-age call-girl scandal that exploded around the French midfielder on the eve of the Champions League semi-final against Lyon.

"This is, of course, an issue for us," said Bayern's director of sport Christian Nerlinger with his team set to face Lyon in Wednesday's last four first leg tie at Munich's Allianz Arena.

"But for the time being, we have to concentrate on the football, including Franck."

According to a French judicial official, the 27-year-old Ribery could face charges over alleged relations with an under-age girl after French police quizzed him as part of investigations into prostitution at a Paris nightclub.

Ribery trained with Bayern on Tuesday for the first time since the scandal broke on Sunday and he is expected to face Lyon on Wednesday, having been spoken to about the issue by Munich's bosses on Monday.

If charged and found guilty Ribery, who is married with two daughters, could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros (60,000 dollars).

Both of his team-mates Philipp Lahm and Daniel van Buyten were staying tight-lipped in Tuesday's pre-match press conference and admitted the club had instructed them to say as little as possible about the scandal.

"Franck trained very well, is really motivated and happy to be able to play," said van Buyten.

"In this important phase, it is important to concentrate completely on the game.

"He can think more clearly about the future after the match."

Ribery has a contract at Munich until June 2011 and he has said a decision about whether he will stay with Bayern is expected to be made soon, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both chasing his signature.

But Nerlinger said there is no sign of a decision being made by Ribery in the near future.

And Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he has heard nothing: "It's all quiet on the Ribery front" he said when asked about a possible transfer.

With head coach Louis van Gaal back in his native Holland due to a bereavement, assistant coach Andries Jonker took training on Tuesday and said Ribery was in contention to be selected.

"Franck Ribery has done well in training and it looks like he may be part of our team for Wednesday," he said.

Kiss of disaster!!

Inter Milan’s transformation from Champions League also-rans to serious title contenders can be traced back to the day coach Jose Mourinho sauntered into town less than two years ago.

The road has been a bumpy one but Tuesday’s vibrant 3-1 win over holders Barcelona in their semi-final, first leg left home fans in dreamland having witnessed one of the great European nights at the famous old San Siro.

The rafters literally shook as 75,000 supporters bounced up and down in sheer delight after goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito gave Inter the edge ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg at the Nou Camp.

World player of the year Lionel Messi, who scored four goals in the last round against Arsenal, was almost completely nullified by Javier Zanetti’s constant harrying and Inter’s ability to break so quickly that the ball was often behind him.

“We did a good defensive job on Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and we created lots of chances,” Argentina’s Milito told reporters after also being involved in the first two goals.

“My goal? I prefer to talk about my assists. It’s great to set up goals for my team-mates.”

Milito’s work-rate and willingness to chase lost causes sums up the attributes Mourinho has instilled in his players during a run of six straight European victories, including two against Chelsea.