Tevez, never regretted sale!

GARY NEVILLE insists Manchester United were right to get rid of Carlos Tevez because he was overpriced.

The Reds balked at a £25million asking price after the Argentine had spent two years on loan at Old Trafford.

Now the striker, 25, is in red-hot form for rivals Manchester City and they meet tonight at Eastlands in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-finals.

But United's club captain agreed with boss Alex Ferguson that at the end of last season the figures just did not stack up.

Neville said: "The manager over the years has made many decisions with regard to players coming and going - and he has almost always been proved correct.

"Over a period of 20 years he may have got one or two wrong, and I think he has admitted that himself, but he knows exactly what he's doing and he understands when a player's time is up. I can't disagree with his decision on Tevez. He was a good player for us but, if the financial demands are too big, then that's just the way it goes.

"Other good players have left this club in the past, it's not the first time it's happened.

"We have the best manager in the world at putting teams together. He's done it successfully for 20 years. There have not been many people who have questioned him over the years and been proved right."

Tevez has 11 goals in his last nine starts and will be desperate to add to that tally tonight in one of the biggest clashes between the city rivals for many years.

Neville admitted: "Our two Carling Cup games against City are massive. It's a derby and one of the biggest games we have played against City for a long time.

"Certainly we expect it to be a difficult game. They are in good form and it's always difficult away against City. We will have to be at our best for the game.

"I've only seen one of City's games since Roberto Mancini took over as manager - their 3-0 win at Wolves. City impressed me in that game but I haven't seen a great deal of them."

United full-back Patrice Evra dismisses the rivalry with City, claiming that while it's a big game for the blue half of Manchester it is just another match for the red half.

He said: "It's an important game against City, a big game, but I only talk about it because I want to win this game and have a chance to win a trophy.

"Maybe that's the difference between United and City. We play the game to win and to win the Carling Cup, they play to win against Manchester United."

While United struggle under crippling debt, City can boast being the richest club in the world under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour.

But Neville says there is no paranoia at Old Trafford over City's increased strength.

He said: "I don't see the game as a chance to reassert our dominance over City.

"We're quite comfortable with where we are. We are second in the league, in the Carling Cup semi-finals and in the second phase of the Champions League.

"People might think something is going on in Manchester between the two clubs, but we can't afford to get involved in that."

MU the victor

Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney made sure Manchester United got back on track in the Barclays Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Blackburn.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side had enough chances to notch up a bigger scoreline but substitute Gabriel Obertan missed a couple of sitters.

Berbatov made the breakthrough in the 55th minute but it was not until two minutes from time Rooney made the points safe.

It means they keep the pressure on Chelsea and Arsenal at the top of the table in their aim to win a fourth successive title.

United must have wondered how they were still on level terms at half-time given the amount of possession they enjoyed.

As early as the third minute Nani sent a 20-yard shot whistling past the post following a marvellous crossfield pass from Wes Brown.

A mistake by Blackburn defender Chris Samba let in Antonio Valencia 10 minutes later but he failed to take advantage and scuffed a shot off target.

It was a clear opportunity and Blackburn looked nervous at the back at this stage following the mauling by Chelsea last weekend and nine straight defeats on the road.

However the visitors responded in the 21st minute and El-Hadji Diouf got into a good position, only for John O'Shea to make a crucial interception.

United stepped up the pressure and Pascal Chimbonda did well to block a shot from Berbatov in the 29th minute after Patrice Evra played the ball in.

A minute later Berbatov nearly made the breakthrough with a downward header following a cross from Valencia.

However goalkeeper Paul Robinson reacted superbly and turned the Bulgarian's effort over the bar.

Blackburn responded and Samba peeled away from his marker as David Dunn delivered the corner, only to head wide of the target.

It was brief respite for the visitors as Berbatov was again denied by Robinson in the 34th minute after being set up by Rooney.

This was a difficult spell for Blackburn and Berbatov found the net after Rooney had squared the ball to him in the 40th minute, only to be ruled offside.

Then Nani misdirected his header from inside the area following a corner from Valencia as Blackburn held out until half-time.

United pushed forward in the 53rd minute after Nani won the ball off Gael Givet.

The midfielder attempted to release Rooney but the pass was hopelessly misplaced and the move broke down.

Anderson then picked out Evra, who had raced into the area, only for his touch to let him down and Robinson was able to collect.

United made the breakthrough when Berbatov showed good skill when he got on the end of a cross from Evra.

He got the better of Ryan Nelsen, twisting and turning before sending a shot beyond Robinson for his fourth goal of the season.

United boss Ferguson decided to make a change after 64 minutes bringing on Obertan for the ineffective Nani.

Obertan made a delayed debut in the Carling Cup victory against Barnsley in midweek after recovering a back injury.

He almost made a dream start in the 67th minute following a defence splitting pass by Anderson.

Former Bordeaux winger Obertan raced away only to send a weak shot into the arms of a grateful Robinson.

Berbatov came off in the 79th minute and replaced by Michael Owen, who scored in the cup victory against Barnsley.

United should have extended their lead in the 83rd minute but Obertan again fluffed his lines. Clear in front of goal as Valencia played the ball into his path, he snatched at the chance and sent his effort wide.

Obertan then had a hand in United's second goal in the 88th minute when he found Anderson on the left flank.

The Brazilian sent a good ball into the area and Rooney was the first to react with a sweet finish.

Substitute Nikola Kalinic found the net for Blackburn in stoppage time but his effort was ruled offside before Owen sent a shot wide.

Another Win!

Having been involved in a series of goal-gluts in recent weeks, Blackburn Rovers head to Manchester United on Saturday hoping their defence can finally hold firm. Rovers' last three Premier League matches have seen them lose 6-2 to Arsenal and 5-0 to Chelsea either side of a 3-2 win over local rivals Burnley, while they beat Championship strugglers Peterborough 5-2 in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

Yet, while they have not kept a clean sheet in the league for two months, the swine flu outbreak at the club is perhaps the more serious concern, with Sam Allardyce the latest person at the club to have reported symptoms of illness. The threat of infection will be worrying for Sir Alex Ferguson, too, as he cannot afford to lose first-team players ahead of a week in which they host CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday before heading to Chelsea for a potentially vital Premier League clash the following Sunday.

The 2-0 defeat to Liverpool has increased the importance of Saturday's game for United, and there have been signs of frailty at the back lately that may mean both managers have reason to worry about their defence on Saturday evening.

Manchester United player in focus: Antonio Valencia. Having made a slow start to life at Old Trafford following a relatively quiet few months at the end of his time with Wigan, Valencia is finally starting to recover the form that persuaded United to pay around £16 million for his services. The Ecuador winger struck the bar at Anfield following his first goals for the club against Bolton and CSKA Moscow, and he can exploit any defensive disorganisation with his crossing ability.

Blackburn player in focus: Franco Di Santo. Although perhaps unlikely to start if Blackburn play one man in attack, the on-loan Chelsea forward showed against Burnley why he is touted as a star of the future. Has the spark that could unlock the game if Blackburn are able to frustrate the hosts.

Key battle: Wayne Rooney v Paul Robinson. Any member of the United attack could be up against any member of the Blackburn defence here, but Robinson may have to take responsibility for organising his frequently disorganised back-line, particularly given Rooney's intelligence of movement. If the United man has now fully recovered his fitness, Robinson can expect to face a barrage of shots from his former England team-mate.

Tactics: With Valencia now providing some penetration from out wide, United are able to stretch the play, and the movement of Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen as well as the continued good form of Ryan Giggs should present Blackburn with plenty of problems. The concern will be that, if Fletcher misses out, Rovers are able to dominate the game in the midfield, which may result in a recall for Anderson to help protect the defence.

Damage limitation will no doubt be the aim of the game for Sam Allardyce, and he could rely on Jason Roberts or the improving Nikola Kalinic to hold up the play if he looks to bypass the United midfield.

Quotes: Sam Allardyce on his side's failure to win away in the league this season: "I have to resolve this problem immediately because if I don't it becomes like the yips in putting in golf. You can't put the little two-footer in to win the tournament and if the yips go on and on you get a greater and greater problem, so we have to solve it by the time we turn out at Old Trafford."

Jonny Evans on Michael Owen: "Every time Michael comes on he gets into really good positions. He changed the game a bit for us on Sunday. It was the first time we really looked like getting in behind Liverpool. It was good for him against Barnsley to get another goal."

In the news: Blackburn's swine flu outbreak continues to make headlines. Sam Allardyce stayed away from the team during the Carling Cup win on Tuesday and left his assistant, Neil McDonald, to speak to the press post-match, but the message is that the situation is now under control.

Manchester United team news: Nemanja Vidic returns to the side after serving a suspension for his two yellow cards against Liverpool, but Gary Neville misses out after his straight red against Barnsley in the Carling Cup on Tuesday. Darren Fletcher is hoping to return from a foot problem, but Ji-sung Park is ruled out.

Blackburn team news: Pascal Chimbonda and Vince Grella are both injury doubts, but it is hoped David Dunn and Christopher Samba will have recovered from illness to take part.

Probable United line-up (4-4-2): Van der Sar, O'Shea, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Scholes, Anderson, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney.

Probable Blackburn line-up (4-5-1): Robinson, Jacobsen, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson, Diouf, Nzonzi, Emerton, Andrews, Pedersen, Roberts.

Soccernet prediction: Blackburn are likely to be focused purely on frustrating United but they have shown a tendency to collapse in recent weeks. It is difficult to see anything other than a United victory, particularly as they look to bounce back from the Liverpool defeat ahead of next week's trip to Chelsea.

Ron, the star for MANU against Porto.

Cristiano Ronaldo's astounding early goal left Sir Alex Ferguson to go head-to-head with old rival Arsene Wenger for a place in the Champions League Final as they beat Porto 1-0 in the Dragao Stadium to win 3-2 on aggregate.
The emergence of Chelsea and Liverpool may have taken the edge off battles between Manchester United and Arsenal over the past few years.
But the renewal of hostilities promises to be almost as spectacular as the Ronaldo strike that created it.
The sixth-minute effort was his 20th goal of the season and only his second in the Champions League since completing that astonishing haul of 42 in last year's final in Moscow.
There was certainly no doubting it was worthy of winning any game, and earning United the accolade of becoming the first English team to beat Porto on their own ground.
As almost a side issue, it also keeps the Red Devils on track to win the quintuple in a season they have brought back to life at just the right time.
In calling for the spirit of Turin `99, Ferguson also knew if that momentous evening was to be repeated, he would have to go through the agony of being two goals down before a famous victory could be achieved.
Ronaldo however, has his own history book to fill.
A repeat of last season's 42-goal tally was never likely to be repeated in a campaign delayed because of ankle surgery.
But the 24-year-old has still make a significant contribution to United's attempt to land an unprecedented quintuple, even if, like so many of his team-mates, he has looked a little off the pace in recent weeks.
There could have been no better stage to signal his renewed intent.
Apart from his beloved Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo is roundly jeered when he returns to one of the major clubs in his homeland, Porto being no exception.
They recognise his talent, though, even if no-one expected what followed when Ronaldo collected Anderson's short pass closer to the halfway line than the opposition goal.
Sensing a little trepidation in home ranks, Ronaldo let rip with a shot as brutally powerful as it was audacious in its intent.
Porto keeper Helton did not have a chance of keeping the ball out as it flashed past him to give United the start Ferguson could not have dreamed.
Had Nemanja Vidic been able to keep his close-range effort under the crossbar after John O'Shea had got the faintest of touches to a Ryan Giggs corner just before the interval, the Red Devils would surely have completed their task in half the time allotted.
Unfortunately, the Serbian missed, allowing Porto to nurse plenty of hope during a half-time team-talk delivered by Jose Gomes as banned coach Jesualdo Ferreira apparently watched on TV at a secret location outside the stadium.
After his major blunder last week, Bruno Alves was determined to make amends and threatened Edwin van der Sar's goal on three separate occasions during that opening period.
But this was United at their belligerent best. Their intent showed in the reaction of a normally phlegmatic Dimitar Berbatov to losing possession and, after a public rebuke from his manager last weekend for not doing enough for the team, an apologetic wave of regret from Ronaldo after a misplaced pass.
Just as Vidic spurred the chance of a second immediately before the break, so Berbatov did the same just afterwards when he wriggled his way into the Porto penalty area.
Porto took it as their cue to mount another offensive.
But with Rio Ferdinand back alongside Vidic after his recent groin strain there was an authority about United's defending that had not been in evidence since before they were dismantled by Liverpool five games ago.
There was experience too, with Ryan Giggs and Van der Sar taking just long enough over their set pieces not to incur the wrath of Swiss referee Massimo Busacca while eating up vital seconds.
The introduction of Nani for Berbatov midway through the second period hinted at a strategy of counter-attacking at pace.
It was certainly Porto carrying any threat that did exist and Ronaldo was too close for comfort with a far post header.
Yet this United were different to what has been almost the shadow side that has existed before now.
And while they did not exactly coast home, the visiting supporters were celebrating victory long before the final whistle confirmed it.

Another victory for MANU, en route to final

Sir Alex Ferguson felt the understanding of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic was the key to his side's 1-0 win at Porto on Wednesday night that secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute and United had to withstand a lot of pressure after going into the match on the back of a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last week.

Ferdinand had been a doubt for the game with a back injury but he teamed up with Vidic to again form a formidable partnership.

Ferguson told Sky Sports: "They did well. We showed good concentration at the back and defended very well.

"If we get back to that foundation of not conceding goals, we can do well. We had stability at the back with the recognition of Ferdinand and Vidic and that was a great start.

"I couldn't see the dangers. I thought we controlled that part very well. Nothing really bothered us."

Ronaldo's goal was a phenomenal strike from fully 40 yards.

"It was a magnificent goal, a fantastic hit," continued Ferguson. "It took them by surprise, the keeper had no chance."

United will now face Arsenal in the last four, and Ferguson added: "It's going to be a great semi, there'll be some good football in that one."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo is hopeful the battling victory will help United emerge from the sticky patch of form they have been in since losing 4-1 to arch-rivals Liverpool in the Premier League

"This will give us confidence," he told Sky Sports. "The last five games we didn't play great and I hope this will change that."

Describing his goal, the Portuguese forward said: "When Anderson gave me the ball I think straight away to turn and shoot in the goal and I score a fantastic goal."

"It is the best I have scored," he said.

"It was a fantastic strike and I can't wait to see it again on DVD. I am very happy with it."

Ronaldo, who joined United from Porto's rivals Sporting Lisbon, is expecting an exciting semi-final.

"It's a fantastic thing," he said of the tie. "Arsenal play fantastic football. It'll be a tight game. We know each other and I hope to win the tie and go to the final."

Porto assistant coach Jose Gomes, standing in for Jesualdo Ferreira who watched the game in a secret location after being banned by UEFA yesterday, felt the hosts had been unlucky.

"It was not a fair result," he said. "We did really well at Old Trafford but the ball just would not go in for us this evening."

Good news for MANU, the fans.

Manchester United welcome back Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Paul Scholes to their Champions League squad for Tuesday's match against Porto at Old Trafford after they were suspended from domestic action at the weekend.

However, manager Sir Alex Ferguson's prospects of establishing a healthy quarter-final first leg lead over Porto were hampered with the news that centre-back Rio Ferdinand will miss the game with a back injury.

Ferguson will also definitely be without striker Dimitar Berbatov who has an ankle injury and will be sidelined for the next two weeks.

Holders United, looking to extend their record unbeaten run in the Champions League to 22 matches, go into the game in a far better of frame of mind than looked likely after 80 minutes of Sunday's Premier League match against Aston Villa.

They trailed 2-1 and appeared to be heading for a third league defeat in a row before late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and teenage substitute Federico Macheda gave them a 3-2 win.

The result transformed the mood at Old Trafford with United going back on top of the Premier League and keeping alive their hopes of winning five trophies this season.

United will start favourites although, five years ago, Porto knocked United out 3-2 on aggregate in the last 16 on their way to winning the trophy. Coach Jose Mourinho performed a touchline jig that is still a bad memory for many Red Devils fans.

Jesualdo Ferreira's Porto team are not as organised nor as tactically disciplined as the one Mourinho built, but they have plenty of attacking threat and go into the match in top form.

However, their record in England is poor, losing 11 of the 12 matches they have played. The only exception was the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against United in 2004.

Hulk, the Brazilian striker who has attracted attention in Spain after a brilliant display in the first leg of the last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid, will pose a threat with aggression and pace reminiscent of his compatriot Ronaldo.

"I am at my best moment of the season," he said after Porto beat Guimaraes on Saturday.

The same can be said for his team, favourites to win a fourth successive Portuguese title, after Ferreira turned the club's season around following a weak start which included a 4-0 thrashing by Arsenal in the group phase.

Ferreira found his best eleven after the bad patch in October, starting Hulk regularly and buying Frenchman Aly Cissokho to successfully shore up the left side of the defence.

Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez, who scored six goals on Porto's route to the last eight, said: "We have to consider that we have a very young team, with little experience at this level. For us, the tie is a real final."