Andy Townsend's Euro Files

Their 4-1 win against Porto gives them a goal difference of plus nine, while Besiktas have minus nine — a swing of 18 goals.

But if Besiktas defeat Porto 1-0 in their final game and Liverpool draw in Marseille, the Turks will top the group with a goal difference of minus eight! Any two of the four teams can still make it.

Liverpool need to win at the Stade Velodrome to guarantee their progress — a difficult but not an impossible task. There is a way that Liverpool could draw and go through, but only if Besiktas pull off that unlikely victory in Portugal.

Realistically, they know they must attack and they have the firepower, with Fernando Torres starting to look the real deal.

Liverpool are still in a precarious position, but they have won their last two group games and scored 12 goals. They are beginning to find their rhythm just in the nick of time for Rafa Benitez.

The American owners have applied some firm pressure on the coach and there is nothing wrong in that.

They are entitled to remind Rafa who is in charge and their warning to Benitez last week to stop complaining and get on with coaching seems to have had the desired impact on all concerned.

It has galvanised the whole club.

Dida doomsday

Wouldn't it be a terrible shame if that clown of a goalkeeper Dida ends up keeping a clean sheet to send Celtic out of the Champions League.

Dida, you will remember, collapsed in a heap after a gentle nudge from a fan at Celtic Park in the previous meeting of the clubs in the group. Will there be any afters from that game?

Celtic travel to the San Siro next week needing a point (the game is played next Tuesday, because Milan are in the World Club Championship) and one goal should do it but, if Milan score first, then it would be a cruel irony for Dida to keep out Gordon Strachan's improving team.

With their dreadful away record at this level — 15 games, 14 defeats — the odds are still against Celtic at the San Siro, but perhaps they can take comfort in the fact that Milan only need a point to top the group.

I'm backing Celtic for the point they need. I hope I am right.

Player of the week

Massimo Donati of Celtic. They didn't play so well, but what a finish to their game against Shakhtar.

Good old-fashioned wing play from Aiden McGeady to create the chance, and a decent finish from the Italian to set it all up for the San Siro.

Bend it like Ronaldo

How does he do it with those free-kicks that are hard and straight and then dip wickedly?

A goalkeeper looks as if he knows what's coming, but stopping it is another thing altogether.

The Cristiano Ronaldo Cracker it's one of football's great attractions.

Few people can carry it off, let alone master it. Didier Drogba has scored a couple similar, and Lyon's Juninho is good at it too.

But none of them has the success of Ronaldo. His goal against Sporting Lisbon to win the match and confirm Manchester United's place at the top of the group was fabulous.

David Beckham and Gianfranco Zola are past masters of the freekick. They used a similar style, coming from the side and wrapping their foot around the ball and creating a bend away from the goalkeeper.

Beckham had a film named after his talents, while Zola could get a ball up and over a wall and then down again into the bottom corner at rapid speed.

Steven Gerrard hits a piledriver, but only after the ball is slipped to the side to take out the problem of the wall.

Coming off a straight run-up, Ronaldo connects with the ball fractionally above the centre with the flat front of his boot and puts his foot through the ball. Connect too low and he would scoop and sky the ball.

Ronaldo's free-kick twisted and turned and dipped, and then went over the line only two foot off the floor.

The next time you have a ball at your feet, try it. It takes some doing. It is a very difficult art form and he is absolutely terrific at it. He must put in many hours of practice.