SYDNEY, Oct 9, 2008 (AFP) - Coach Aurelio Vidmar Thursday warned his Adelaide United players to keep a lid on their expectations as they take a 3-0 lead into their AFC Champions' League semi-final return leg with Uzbekistan's Kuruvchi later this month.

OSAKA, Japan, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Defending champions Urawa Red Diamonds battled to a 1-1 away draw with fellow J-League side Gamba Osaka in the first leg of their AFC Champions League semi-final match here Wednesday.

Midfielder Hajime Hosogai opened the scoring in the 22th minute for Urawa as he banged in from outside the box on a deflection from Takahito Soma's shot.

ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Adelaide United took a strong grip on their AFC Champion's League semi-final against Uzbekistan's Kuruvchi with a 3-0 first leg victory at home here on Wednesday.

Adelaide raised their hopes of becoming the first Australian team to reach the ACL final with three second-half goals against the Rivaldo-led Kuruvchi.

OSAKA, Japan, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Defending champions Urawa Red Diamonds battled to a 1-1 away draw with fellow J-League side Gamba Osaka in the first leg of their AFC Champions League semi-final match here Wednesday.

Midfielder Hajime Hosogai opened the scoring in the 22th minute for Urawa before Japanese international midfielder Yasuhito Endo's 81st-minute penalty salvaged the draw.

ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Adelaide United took a giant stride towards their first AFC Champions League final on Wednesday but there was stalemate in Japan where Gamba Osaka and Urawa Reds played out a 1-1 draw.

ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - Uzbeki giants Kuruvchi are banking on their considerable Brazilian influence to weave some samba magic in the AFC Champion's League semi-finals on Wednesday.

The team go into their first leg tie against Adelaide United in Australia on a mission.

HARARE, Oct 5, 2008 (AFP) - Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon put one foot in the African Champions League final after defeating Dynamos of Zimbabwe 1-0 Sunday.

Both teams adopted cautious formations and the visitors made the breakthrough on 32 minutes when Niger-born striker Kamilou Daouda scored with a fine header.

LAGOS, Oct 5, 2008 (AFP) - Nigeria's Enyimba and Al Ahly of Egypt played out a goalless draw in the first leg semi-final of the CAF Champions League decided in Aba, southeast Nigeria, Sunday.

This was the first draw Enyimba have recorded at home in this year's campaign.

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 5, 2008 (AFP) - Leading African Champions League scorers after semi-finals on Sunday:

13 - Stephen Worgu (Enyimba/Nigeria)

6 - Kamilou Daouda (Cotonsport Garoua/CMR), Ezenwa Otorogu (Enyimba)

5 - Eric Sadomba (Dynamos/ZIM)

Nigerian club Enyimba have been promised a million naira for each goal
scored against Egyptian champions Al Ahly in Sunday's CAF Champions
League semi-final, first leg clash in the city of Aba

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Leading African Champions League marksman Stephen Worgu has a two-fold mission when Nigerian club Enyimba tackle Egyptian visitors Al-Ahly in the semi-finals this weekend.

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - African Champions League semi-final, first leg fixtures on Sunday:

Dynamos (ZIM) v Cotonsport Garoua (CMR) 1300GMT

Referee: Koman Coulibaly (MLI)

Enyimba (Nigeria) v Al-Ahly (EGY) 1500

Referee: Daniel Bennett (South Africa)

Second leg: Oct 17-19

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Leading African Champions League scorers ahead of semi-finals on Sunday:

13 - Stephen Worgu (Enyimba/Nigeria)

6 - Ezenwa Otorogu (Enyimba)

5 - Kamilou Daouda (Cotonsport Garoua/CMR), Eric Sadomba (Dynamos/ZIM)

MILAN, Italy, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho claimed his team would still qualify for the Champions League knock-out rounds, and before their final group B match despite drawing 1-1 at home to Werder Bremen.

Inter are joint top of the group on four points with Cypriot surprise package Anorthosis Famagusta, whom the Italians play in their next two group games.

MARSEILLE, France, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Marseille staff and players were involved in a whip round to pay for fuel for their plane back to France in midweek after a bizarre incident because of an administrative error.

CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari faces an injury crisis that could wreck his unbeaten start after Didier Drogba suffered knee ligament damage in the goalless Champions League draw against CFR Cluj.

LIVERPOOL, England, Oct 2, 2008 (AFP) - Rafael Benitez believes that Robbie Keane will go from strength to strength after finally scoring his first goal in Liverpool colours.

The 28-year-old Keane has impressed with his work-rate and creativity since joining in a 20.3 million-pound deal from Tottenham in the summer.

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Paul Scholes will be out of action for up to ten weeks after suffering medial ligament damage in Manchester United's 3-0 Champions League win over Aalborg, the club revealed on Wednesday.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had estimated that he without the midfielder for six to eight weeks in the immediate aftermath of the match in Denmark.

LYON, France, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Lyon's French international Sidney Govou is facing a long lay-off after picking up a serious injury to his right ankle, his club said on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old limped off after 30 minutes in Tuesday's 1-1, Champions League draw at Bayern Munich and will have a scan on Thursday to fully assess the damage.

CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Didier Drogba was stretchered off during the second half of Chelsea's Champions League clash with CFR Cluj on Wednesday.

The Ivory Coast striker was injured as he tried to reach a cross from Florent Malouda at the Dr Constantin Radulescu stadium in Romania.

PARIS, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Results of Wednesday's Champions League group fixtures:

Bordeaux (France) 1 (Gourcuff 18) Roma (Italy) 3 (Vucinic 64, Julio Baptista 71, 83)

CFR Cluj (ROM) 0 Chelsea (ENG) 0

Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP) 3 (Sarriegi 11-og, Dobrasinovic 15, Taher 78) Panathinaikos (GRE) 1 (Salpingidis 28-pen)

MADRID, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Patient Atletico Madrid fans savoured their first Champions League home match for 11 years and the team did not disappoint defeating Marseille 2-1 in Wednesday's Group D match to maintain their 100 percent start.

CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Chelsea suffered a Transylvanian nightmare as Didier Drogba suffered a serious injury during his side's lacklustre 0-0 draw against CFR Cluj in the Champions League on Wednesday.

LIVERPOOL, England, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring, Robbie Keane scored his first Liverpool goal and Steven Gerrard scored his 100th career goal for the club before Danny Koevermans scored a consolation as Liverpool beat PSV Eindhoven 3-1 hyere on Wednesday in their Champions League clash.

PARIS, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Collated Champions League tables after group matches on Wednesday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Chelsea 2 1 1 0 4 0 4

CFR Cluj 2 1 1 0 2 1 4

Bordeaux 2 0 0 2 1 7 0

Anorthisis 2 1 1 0 3 1 4

Inter Milan 2 1 1 0 3 1 4

Werder Bremen 2 0 2 0 1 1 2

Panathinaikos 2 0 0 2 1 5 0

DONETSK, Ukraine, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Two late goals by Lionel Messi saved Barcelona's blushes in the Champions League here Wednesday as the 2006 winners stole a 2-1 away victory at Shakhtar Donetsk.

BORDEAUX, France, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Julio 'The Beast' Baptista hit two goals in AS Roma's 3-1 Champions win at 10-man Bordeaux on Wednesday, leaving hapless coach Laurent Blanc with two defeats, seven goals conceded and bottom spot in Group A.

MILAN, Italy, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Inter Milan suffered a Champions League setback as they were held to a 1-1 home draw in Group B on Wednesday by Werder Bremen.

It was a hugely positive result for the Germans who had failed to beat Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta at home in their opening match two weeks ago.

NICOSIA, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Anorthosis Famagusta clinched their first ever Champions League group stage victory here on Wednesday beating Greek side Panathinaikos 3-1 to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Two quickfire goals in the first 15 minutes put Anorthosis in dreamland and on their way to recording a crucial victory in this group B game.

PARIS, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Unheralded sides CFR Cluj and Anorthosis Famagusta earned valuable points on Wednesday in their unlikely quest to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

MUNICH, Germany, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Bayern Munich's bosses were all smiles on Wednesday after their 1-1 Champions League draw at home against Olympique Lyon which eased the pressure on under-fire coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

AALBORG, Denmark, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his side's comfortable victory over Aalborg could carry a high price after two key players picked up injuries in the Champions League stroll.

LONDON, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Arsene Wenger expects Arsenal to use their 4-0 rout of Porto as a springboard to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase as group winners.

Wenger's side moved top of Group G thanks to two goals each from Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor on Tuesday and the Arsenal manager has no doubts they will stay in pole position.

LONDON, Sept 30, 2008 (AFP) - Arsenal produced the perfect response after their Hull humiliation as Arsene Wenger's side routed Porto 4-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Gunners were able to erase the bitter memory of their worst result for years thanks to an impressive display against the Portuguese champions at the Emirates Stadium.