Football Update

Milan coach Leonardo is eager to clash with Manchester United in the Champions League after Friday's draw, but insists there is still plenty of time to work on the game.

Leonardo is aware of the difficulties involved in playing the 2008 winners, but believes his men have what it takes to do the damage.

"Manchester United are a great side with a big tradition," Leonardo told the press at Milanello.

"They have great objectives like we do, and so it will be an equal game. There is still time, but no doubt they are a great team.

"All we can say now is that it will be a great game. Then it will be the moment of truth nearer the time."

Salvatore Landolina

The draw for the first knockout round of the Champios League conjured up some tasty ties, with Milan versus Manchester United and Jose Mourinho's Inter versus Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea the pick of the bunch.

European Champions Barcelona were handed a good draw against German strugglers Stuttgart, while Real Madrid play Lyon and Arsenal meet Porto.

The draw was arranged so that eight group winners would be paired with eight group runners-up, although no team from the same group or country could meet.

The first legs will be played on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010, with the second legs on 9/10 and 16/17 March. The group winners will play the second leg at home.

Full Champions League Last 16 Draw

VfB Stuttgart	Barcelona
Olympiacos	Bordeaux
Inter	Chelsea
Bayern Munich	Fiorentina
CSKA Moscow	Sevilla
Lyon	Real Madrid
Porto	Arsenal
Milan	Man Utd

AC Milan champion Clarence Seedorf has praised his team-mates’ new-found fiber after the Rossoneri defeated Serie A high-flyers Parma 2-0 terminal night.

Marco Borriello bagged a brace to unstoppered his statement for the season and the Diavoli have now moved into fourth in the standings aweigh of this afternoon’s games.

“Little by little, the team are coming out,” Seedorf told the club’s website.

“We are happy and undergo there is a long road aweigh of us, but I wager that the side is nonetheless starting to have belief in its qualities and I like that.”

Milan are victorious in Serie A since a 1-0 reverse at the hands of Udinese on September 23 and have registered three victories and digit entertainer in their terminal four outings.

Next up for Leonardo’s men is a home clash with Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday after a memorable 3-2 triumph at the Bernabeu terminal month.

Football Update

French winger Gabriel Obertan has received the backing of his manager Sir Alex Ferguson following his long-awaited home debut in a Manchester United shirt.

The former Bordeaux youngster was signed from the French edifice during the summer though a back injury has limited the 20-year-old to just a handful of reserve appearances before last week.

Obertan made his prototypal team gesture in the League Cup victory over Barnsley in midweek and was introduced in the 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers yesterday as a replacement for Nani after 63 minutes.

Despite imperfectness to encounter the net with digit gilt-edged chances on his Premier League debut, Ferguson was hurried to offer his support to the tricky midfielder suggesting that he was pleased with Obertan's coverall performance.

\"Gabriel was a taste troubled when he came on,\" said the Scot, as quoted by the Press Association.

\"It was exclusive his ordinal game in seven months, so you have to put it in perspective. But then he settled down and did well. He is not happy with himself and that is a good thing.\"

Blackburn held United for large period of the game and it wasn't until the 55th minute that Dimitar Berbatov finally broke the deadlock for the champions.

Wayne Rooney added a ordinal to accolade the three points and Ferguson was pleased with his side's attacking edge in the ordinal half.

\"The players worked rattling hard as Blackburn set out their stall,\" he added.

\"You always get a taste concerned when you haven't scored.

\"But we don't panic. We have that experience. We can win games in the 93rd minute.

\"You need that patience, though, and we improved our onset in the ordinal half. That is a strong virtue of this club.\"

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