Droba salutes what turned out to be the winning goal last night

DEADLY DROG PUTS CHELSEA IN DRIVING SEAT

One shot, one goal. Didier Drogba fired Chelsea to an uplifting win over Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final last night.

Droba spent much of the rest of the evening showing his potential as an Olympic diver, a tactic that went a long way to destabilise the Barca rhythm.

Pep’s men will count themselves unlucky with the woodwork getting between them and an away goal.

Nevertheless, the reigning European champions will fancy their chances back at Camp Nou where Drogba may well need to stay on his feet more to help Chelsea to an unlikely win.

BASQUE STARS IN DEMAND

Athletic Bilbao’s impressive European run which will likely culminate in a Europa League Final appearance next month has alerted the Premier League’s top two to the club’s star players.

Manchester United, beaten home and away by the Basque side, want Oscar de Marcos to beef up their midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson sees the playmaker as a potential long-term replacement for Paul Scholes.

City, meanwhile, have joined a long list or European clubs interested in striker Fernando Llorente.

Both players are valued at around £25million which certainly won’t put off City and shouldn’t put off United either….

UNITED NAMED RICHEST CLUB

According to the latest report from Forbes, Manchester United remain the world’s most valuable football club at a cool £1.4bn.

At £1.17bn, Real Madrid pip Barca to second spot with the Catalan giants valued at £1.07bn.

United fans live in hope that some of this wealth will be released for transfer funds and not to service the ridiculous debt strangling the club.

GB NAMES NEWS TO COLEMAN

After the GB squad for the Olympics was whittled down to 80 (yes 80) Wales Chris Coleman has weighed into the debate by admitting he was unaware of any agreement between players and clubs which would allow some of his squad to play in the Olympics.

The British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt says Craig Bellamy and Gareth Bale have agreed to take part with the blessing of their clubs – news to Coleman.

“Ideally I wouldn’t want any of our players involved,” said the Wales boss. “Most of the clubs I talk to, or managers that I talk to, are not that happy about it.

“Obviously the clubs they’ve talked to have agreed to it otherwise they wouldn’t come out with that statement.”