Today's letter from the Editor
Today's Matrices
iJobs Job Widget
iJobs General

Ambitous PR Account Manager for Top London Agency!

£30000 - £35000 per annum: May & Stephens Recruitment Group: If you're an ambi...

PR Account Director - Top Healthcare Communications Agency

£43000 - £50000 per annum + £5K Car Allowance + Bens : May & Stephens Recrui...

PR Account Executive & Social Media Guru-Top Tech PR Agency!

£18000 - £22000 per annum + Bens : May & Stephens Recruitment Group: If you're...

Telesales Executive

£16000 - £23000 per annum + OTE £23k - £45k: Connex Education: Connex Educatio...

The Sport Matrix: Wednesday 6 March 2013

Real send United tumbling out after Nani red card

Manchester United were sent crashing out of Europe last night by Real Madrid, losing 2-1 – 3-2 on aggregate – as the United midfielder Nani was controversially sent-off.

After an even but goalless first-half, and with Wayne Rooney dropped to the bench, Sergio Ramos inadvertently put the hosts ahead, sliding in Nani's left-wing cross on 48 minutes following a slight deflection off Danny Welbeck. The Portuguese lasted just seven more minutes before being surprisingly dismissed for a high tackle on Alvaro Arbeloa.

The extra man helped Real seize the iniative, the former Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric levelling the tie from distance before ex-United player Cristiano Ronaldo, above, touched home the winner from close range. MORE

Farrell: Players take responsibility

England defence coach Andy Farrell says the side are taking more individual responsibility. "The encouraging thing is they take responsibility for themselves," he said ahead of Sunday's match with Italy. "There's a lot of self-policing going on." MORE

Infection takes Imperial out of Cup

Imperial Commander has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Gold Cup due to a lung infection. "He's got an infection, so that's that," trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies lamented. "What can you do? It's an absolute sickener." MORE

Warburton happy to be back in side

Former Wales captain Sam Warburton has insisted he is just happy to be back in the side for this weekend's match with Scotland. "Getting the captaincy back won't be a motivating factor," the flanker said. "It will just be to play well." MORE

Maynard inquest to lead to reform

The findings of the Tom Maynard inquest will lead to global guidelines on drug testings to be issued to player unions. "We will recommend a whole range of measures," Tim May, head of the Federation of International Cricketer's Associations, said. MORE

Cook looking forward to big 2013

England captain Alastair Cook is looking forward to a big year of international cricket as the first Test in New Zealand started last night. "We have the chance to do something very special," the batsman said. "It is a great challenge for us as a side." MORE

Hornets close gap as Cardiff stutter

Championship leaders Cardiff continued their stuttering form, a 1-1 draw at home to Derby allowing Watford to close the gap at the top to five points with a 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday. Fourth-placed Crystal Palace beat Hull 4-2 to move to within a point of the Tigers. MORE

Dortmund ease into quarter-finals

Borussia Dortmund coasted through to the last eight of the Champions League, a 3-0 home victory over Shakhtar Donetsk securing a 5-2 aggregate win. Felipe Santana and Mario Götze scored in the first-half before Jakub Blaszczykowski added a third on the hour.

Lennon: Celtic will go down fighting

Neil Lennon has ordered his Celtic side to go down fighting as they attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Juventus in the Champions League tonight. "It would be a tall order to win the tie 4-0 or 4-1," he said. "But we are capable of winning and that's what we would like to do." MORE

Evra earns United contract extension

Patrice Evra will be offered a 12-month extension to his Manchester United contract as his current deal nears an end next summer. The France defender has enjoyed an impressive campaign and has been linked with a £5m move back to his homeland and Paris Saint-Germain.

Feature: Andy Murray

The Scot says he is in a "good place" as he returns to action for the first time since the Australian Open. "I'm going into every tournament with the aim of winning," he said. "I'm in a good place right now." MORE

Career Services

Day In a Page

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Hannah England: I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess

Hannah England: Keeping Track

I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess
Beards, brawn and body art

Beards, brawn and body art

Meet London’s new batch of male models
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

British love of shows such as The Bridge, Borgen and The Killing shows no sign of fading
Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?

The Great Green Wall of Africa,

Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
Laughter Inc: the cheering growth of the chuckle industry

Laughter Inc

The cheering growth of the chuckle industry
The bad science scandal: how fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research

The bad science scandal

How fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research
To the manor born: The female aristocrats battling to inherit the title

Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title

A passionate protest is gathering pace among the women of Britain's aristocracy, who believe that men should no longer automatically inherit the family pile and title.
Love struck: Photographs of JFK's visit to Berlin 50 years ago reveal a nation instantly smitten

In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963

Photographer Ulrich Mack accompanied Kennedy on the entire trip. The results are an astonishing record of a watershed moment.
Eat shoots and leaves: Mark Hix gets creative with fresh peas, mangetouts and sugar snaps

Mark Hix gets creative with English peas

English peas and their offsprings, such as mangetouts and sugar snaps, are great tossed into a salad, says our chef.
Ceviche with a smile: Chef Martin Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends

Chef Martin Morales: Ceviche with a smile

Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends