So, another night of Champions League fun and frolics saw Bordeaux, Manchester United, Chelsea and Porto book their places in the last-16 with two games to spare. The two English sides go head-to-head on Sunday in a mouthwatering Premier League clash and Patrick Barclay at the Times reckons the Stamford Bridge encounter could signal the passing of the torch from Sir Alex's side to Carlo Ancelotti's charges.

"Back last night came Darren Fletcher and the Scot does make a difference with his power, mobility and variety of passes. But who else from United would get in Chelsea’s team this season? After Edwin van der Sar and Wayne Rooney, you begin to struggle.

Certainly Chelsea have several players — Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Deco, Michael Ballack — who would walk into United’s midfield, while John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho would edge out Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in central defence. Ferguson would surely take Didier Drogba to partner Rooney up front.

It may require an organisational masterpiece from the United manager to avert a result more wounding than the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool."

Speaking of defenders, Matt Lawton at the Daily Mail has been urging Liverpool fans not to get too excited by well-coiffed striker Fernando Torres' inclusion in the squad to face Lyon, insisting that Koppites should be more concerned with their shaky defence

"The wealthy punters who pay to travel with Liverpool rejoiced at the sight of their superb Spanish striker boarding their plane at Liverpool’s John Lennon airport yesterday morning. Imminent hernia operation or not, Torres was there and determined, seemingly, to play through the pain for his beleaguered manager.

But then came the head count. Then came the realisation that Glen Johnson had not made it and, that although Daniel Agger had, he appeared to be in no fit state to play a game of such vast importance. Agger sat down only for take-off and landing, his sore back forcing him to stay on his feet for the rest of the 80-minute flight. The Danish defender almost came a cropper between the plane and passport control, slipping on a wet surface and only just remaining upright.

Benitez really is in an awful mess. A fifth Barclays Premier League defeat of the season at Fulham, Liverpool’s sixth in seven games in all competitions, owed as much to an injury list now running into double figures as it did the two red cards. But the back four that the Spaniard deployed at Craven Cottage were acquired for just £2.5million and will not look much better this evening."