Ferguson: Torres was always going to be selected
MANCHESTER UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes his opposite Chelsea number Carlo Ancelotti had no option but to select Fernando Torres for last night’s crunch Champions League clash.
The Spaniard was hauled off at half-time after being picked ahead of Didier Drogba despite failing to score in 10 previous games for the London club since a £50m January move.
“Having signed Torres for the money they did, I thought they had to play him,” said Ferguson. “If you had the opportunity to sign Torres, you wouldn’t have turned it down.
“Everyone said at the time it was a fantastic piece of business. You can’t criticise him for that. He’s a good signing. It’s not working at the moment, but he’s a young man with other seasons ahead.”
Barcelona cruise past Shakhtar
BARCELONA forward Lionel Messi struck his 48th goal of the season as Pep Guardiola’s side eased into the last four of the Champions League following a 1-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk. The 2009 winners won 6-1 on aggregate and in the process became the first visiting team to win at the Donbass Arena.