Sport 27-11-2003 English Teams Shuffle Through who: Chelsea what: Draw 0-0 with Sparta Prague to progress to the final 16 of the Champions League where: Stamford Bridge, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "After Arsenal sparkled in Milan, there was a distinct lack of gloss as Claudio Ranieri`s galaxy of stars shuffled into the last 16 of the Champions League," grumbles The Sun`s Andrew Dillon, as Chelsea failed to break down a resolute Sparta defence last night. The Mirror agrees, calling the blues` performance "casual, tedious," and "plain, old-fashioned boring. But when the dust settles, Chelsea accomplished the first part of their Champions League mission last night." "Perhaps the visit of Manchester United in the Barclaycard Premiership on Sunday was preying on their minds," offers The Times` Russell Kempson, but The Mirror is having none of it. "£111million in the transfer market...just one shot on goal. Manager Claudio Ranieri expended more emotional energy than any of his players." But none of this matters. Sparta Prague may have "celebrated their point as if they had conquered Everest" but it is Chelsea who will line up in the last sixteen in February. At least there was a goal in Athens, where The Times nonetheless complains of "wholesale tedium in the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium" as Manchester United scraped past Panathinaikos with a 1-0 win they did not need to qualify from Group E. Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan settled the match, "at last perfecting the role of predator in the 85th minute after an evening of personal profligacy." While the performance may have been "insipid", The Guardian is thinking about the money, £2.5m of Uefa prize-money to be precise, that accompanied United`s victory. Moreover, Alex Ferguson`s team "are now in a position to win their group by beating Stuttgart at Old Trafford in 12 days, their 100th Champions League tie since the competition`s creation." Then, in Feburary, the real competition starts. "By then United should be up to full speed, as they never normally peak until we enter a new year," The Sun points out. "For now they can be happy things are ticking over nicely." [... more]

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