What the back pages of the papers say - March 12 - Sport - Evening Standard
       

What the back pages of the papers say - March 12

DAILY MAIL

Liverpool made it a glorious quartet of English teams in Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw when Fernando Torres' 64th-minute goal gave them victory at the San Siro and a 3-0 aggregate win over Italian league leaders Inter Milan.

• Read MATT LAWTON'S report here

Also: England have made Jonny Wilkinson the scapegoat for their Murrayfield nightmare by dropping him for the first time since 1999.

• Read PETER JACKSON'S report here

THE SUN

Frank Lampard's future was plunged into doubt last night as Chelsea secretly lined up Brazilian ace Diego.

Also: Rafa Benitez hailed the power of the Premier League after Liverpool made it a Champions League awesome foursome.

Katchit was the one the rest could not catch in a thrilling Champion Hurdle.

• Read COLIN McKENZIE'S report here

DAILY STAR

Fantastic Fernando Torres wrote another chapter in Liverpool's glorious European history.

Also: Sir Alex Ferguson has been asked to explain his rant following Manchester United's FA Cup exit.

• Read SPORTSMAIL'S report here

Michael Owen insists he has not snubbed Newcastle - despite revealing he has yet to open talks on a new £110,000-a-week contract.

DAILY MIRROR

Liverpool made it another triumphant night for English clubs in the Champions League with a famous win in the San Siro last night.

Also: Avram Grant last night insisted he has still got the full support of his Chelsea players - even if the fans are beginning to lose faith.

• Read SPORTSMAIL'S report here

Fearless Juande Ramos last night vowed to see off PSV and reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals by playing the Tottenham way.

• Read SIMON CASS' report here

DAILY EXPRESS

Fernando Torres silenced the San Siro to send Liverpool into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and complete an historic full-house for English clubs.

Also: Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is under pressure from club bosses to act following the Daily Express' revelations about how Carlos Tevez's third-party owners influenced his West Ham career after the club had been fined £5.5million for breaking the rules.

THE TIMES

Jonny Wilkinson, the most recognisable face in English rugby, was left out yesterday from the team to face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.

Also: Records are there to be broken, so let nobody downplay the achievement of the Barclays Premier League in providing 50 per cent of the field in this season's Champions League, nor of Liverpool in adding an away win to against the runaway leaders of Serie A to a remarkable canon of European results under Rafael Benitez.

THE INDEPENDENT

From Rafael Benitez, the master plan; from Fernando Torres, the cold, ruthless execution. Liverpool have laid waste to another European superpower.

Also: New, higher mesh fences were being erected around Chelsea's training ground deep in the Surrey countryside yesterday, but any suggestion of a siege mentality at the club following their shock FA Cup defeat by Barnsley was swiftly allayed by manager Avram Grant.

THE GUARDIAN

San Siro was deserted, blue and yellow ticker-tape strewn over its empty seats, save for 4,200 Liverpool supporters singing along with a Beatles number that blared from the speakers and captured the occasion perfectly.

Also: Jonny Wilkinson has won a World Cup for his country and became the highest scorer in the history of international rugby union, but his days as an automatic selection for England are over.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Red Square could live up to its name this year. Liverpool and their giant army of foot soldiers continued their route march towards the Moscow climax of the Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals last night with a gritty performance embellished by another example of Fernando Torres' predatory arts.

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