INIESTA LATE SHOW STUNS CHELSEA

Barcelona will play Manchester United in the Champions League final after Anders Iniesta's injury-time goal stunned Chelsea in a 1-1 draw.

The Blues looked to be cruising after Michael Essien's stunning early volley put them 1-0 ahead in their semi-final second leg, and when Eric Abidal saw red after 66 minutes, Guus Hiddink's side looked home and hosed and in line for a repeat of last season's final.

But with time ticking away, Iniesta struck a devastating shot - their first effort on target in the entire match - that beat Petr Cech and sent Barcelona through on the away goals rule to the Rome showpiece against holders United on Wednesday 27 May.

The Blues made a nervous start, with Jose Bosingwa having to hack the ball off the ball after a cross was deflected goalwards. But their nerves were soon settled in spectacular fashion as Essien fired in a first-time left-footed volley that crashed in off the underside of Victor Valdes' crossbar after just nine minutes.

Barca finally had an effort at goal when Dani Alves' 35-yard free-kick sailed wide of Petr Cech's goal. But the Blues were soon on the attack again with Didier Drogba's fierce free-kick touched away by Valdes' leg, while John Terry was just a yard off target with a towering header.

Drogba then saw penalty claims waved away by referee Tom Ovrebo after he went down under Abidal's clumsy challenge.

The Spaniards finished the half the stronger, but Chelsea defended resolutely as the interval arrived with no further incident.

But the Blues were soon on the attack after the break, with Nicolas Anelka slipping Drogba in on goal, but Valdes' outstretched boot saved his left-footed effort.

The Ivorian then saw penalty claims waved away once again, but Yaya Toure's challenge in the box appeared good. A rare Barca thrust saw Lionel Messi cut in from the right and unleash a powerful drive that flew high and wide.

But Barca's task was made far harder after 66 minutes when Abidal was harshly shown a straight red card after he clipped Anelka's heels as he burst towards goal.

Chelsea saw another penalty claim waved away when Gerard Pique appeared to handle in the area.

But with time ticking away, Iniesta's first-time shot - after Essien had fluffed a clearance - flew into the top corner to spark scenes of jubilation for Barca.

There was still time for Chelsea to see further penalty claims waved away and furious scenes at the final whistle could have further rammifications for the Blues.

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RR aim for revenge against Royal Challengers

Riding high after their crushing victory over Kings XI Punjab, defending champions Rajasthan Royals will be gunning for revenge against Bangalore Royal Challengers in what promises to be a cracker of an Indian Premier League (IPL) contest on Thursday.

In their first meeting, Royal Challengers defeated Rajasthan Royals by a huge 75-run margin.

Since then, both teams have followed the same course - losing matches at the start before bouncing back in the tournament.

Rajasthan Royals have nine points, one more than Bangalore Royal Challengers who have eight.

With a depleted side, Rajasthan Royals lost matches at the start and looked like a pale shadow of the formidable team that won the opening IPL championship last year.

Royals captain Shane Warne's inspirational leadership helped them bounce back as his clever fine-tunning with the team has paid rich dividends.

Warne brought Naman Ojha to open the batting with Graeme Smith in the last match and it resulted in Royals' top-order firing for the first time in the tournament.

Smith and Ojha dominated Kings XI bowlers right from the start and scored the tournament's highest total of 211.

It augurs well for Royals who so far have been relying heavily on Yusuf Pathan in batting.

After losing Kamran Khan to a suspect action, Royals discovered a new pacer in Amit Singh, who took three Kings XI wickets in his debut match.

Royal Challengers are on a roll with three wins on a trot. A new skipper in Anil Kumble has moulded the team into a winning bunch.

Their last victory against Mumbai Indians saw Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa return to form.

Kallis and Uthappa hit blazing half-centuries as Bangalore registered a resounding nine-wicket victory against Mumbai Indians.

They unearthed a useful South African swing bowler in Dillon du Preez who took three Mumbai wickets to restrict the strong batting line-up to 149.

Royal Challengers have the advantage of many South Africans in their ranks. In the last match, all their overseas players -- Kallis, Mark Boucher, Preez and Roelof van der Merwe - were South Africans which helped them to assess the local conditions better than any other team.

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Keane speaks out against team-mates

Roy Keane is unveiled as the new manager of Ipswich Town Photograph: Tom Jenkins/Tom Jenkins

Roy Keane returned to football management with Ipswich Town yesterday and delivered a brutal assessment of the achievements of Manchester United's much-vaunted "class of 1994", stressing that none of his former team-mates can consider himself a true success in the dugout until he wins a trophy.

Almost five months since he severed ties with Sunderland, and with resentment clearly still smouldering at perceived interference from the Wearsiders' hierarchy in team affairs during the latter days of his reign, Keane signed a two-year contract with the Championship club to replace Jim Magilton and offered little indication that he has mellowed during his brief sabbatical from the game.

There was a verbal attack on his former Republic of Ireland team-mate Tony Cascarino for doubting he would return to the game, and a claim that his employers at Sunderland had "moved the goalposts" to prompt his departure from the Stadium of Light after 27 months in charge.

Yet the honesty with which he assessed the generation of young managers who have emerged from Sir Alex Ferguson's Double-winning side of 1994 was particularly refreshing. Asked what qualities the likes of Steve Bruce, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Keane himself must have possessed to have become "successful managers", the Irishman retorted: "Who are the good managers you are talking about? Sparky and Brucey have not won a trophy, have they? They have potential, but anyone can have potential. Steve Bruce has had a good season, but Steve Bruce has been manager how many years [11]?

"Sparky did a brilliant job at Blackburn, but is facing different challenges at Manchester City. We are all facing different challenges. Until an ex team-mate of mine from 1994 goes on and really achieves something, then I would not agree with what you are saying about [any of them] being a successful manager. You need a bit more than some of those managers have achieved yet. I believe I can potentially be a good football manager. I have done nothing in the game yet. I did OK at Sunderland, but I want to do better than OK. I've set my bar high by coming to Ipswich and looking to win something, but do you want me to set a low one? That's part of me. Anyone I've ever respected wants to achieve something in their lives."

Keane might have achieved more himself at Sunderland only to become disillusioned with life in the north-east following the arrival of Ellis Short as majority shareholder at the club. The 37-year-old stressed "the time had come" for him to depart, though bitterness at the fracture remains. "One of the big conditions I had when I went to Sunderland was that there would be no interference with team affairs," he said. "But when someone tries to move the goalposts ... It is nothing to do with contracts, it is about a promise with people at the club.

"I was disappointed because I had signed a three-year contract and the three-year plan was on target, despite two or three poor results. Believe it or not, the results at the end had nothing to do with it. You have got to be relaxed and have trust in the people you are working with. I must have said it when I met Niall [Quinn] and the owners of the club about 5,000 times, that I would do it my way, particularly in team affairs. You might be better asking Niall or Ellis Short the reasons why I left. You have to respect the people who run the football club, as I did at Sunderland. But when people are telling you what you should be doing with the team, where you should be living, what days you should be in, it's over."

Some questioned whether he would return to management following his tempestuous departure from the Stadium of Light. "You have to wonder who'd want him now when he has walked again," Cascarino wrote at the time, adding he would be "amazed if he got another job in football".

Keane retorted: "I would not give him the time of day. I am quite happy to comment on people's opinion in football I respect, but Tony Cascarino is a man I certainly do not respect for a lot of reasons, and if I told you, you would be shocked. So the day I worry about Tony Cascarino will be a very sad day of my life."

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Fábregas feels FA's wrath with two improper conduct charges

Fabregas walks away from Hull's assistant manager Brian Horton after Arsenal's FA Cup win. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Cesc Fábregas and Phil Brown have been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association over their actions at the end of Arsenal's FA Cup fifth-round win over Hull on 17 March.

Hull submitted evidence to the FA following allegations that the Arsenal captain Fábregas, who did not play in the match because of a knee injury, but came on to the pitch at full-time to celebrate with his team-mates, spat at their assistant manager, Brian Horton. The FA has decided to pursue matters further against Fábregas and the Hull manager, who was critical of the referee Mike Riley and his officiating crew after the game.

"Cesc Fábregas and Phil Brown have both been charged with improper conduct," read a statement released by the FA this afternoon. "Fábregas faces two charges of improper conduct relating to his conduct on the pitch following the game. One charge concerns his behaviour in coming on to the pitch after the final whistle, the second charge relates to an alleged spitting incident. The charges are based on submissions from Hull City and video evidence.

"Brown is charged with improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute in relation to media comments made after the game concerning referee Mike Riley. Fábregas and Brown have until 12 May to respond."

Fábregas denied spitting at Horton when the allegations were initially made, saying: "I have never done this in my whole career," and the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, defended the midfielder this afternoon. "I personally looked at the reports, at the video evidence," said Wenger. "There is nothing in there against Cesc."

Brown, who is yet to comment on the charges, had accused Riley of a "disgraceful" showing. "We've not been beaten by Arsenal, we've been beaten by the referee and the linesman," he said after the defeat at Emirates Stadium. "The game was turned on its head when the referee succumbed to local pressure. You'd better ask Mike Riley how much that will cost us. I'm sure he wouldn't have the faintest idea."

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Quick wickets stall Pakistan

An edgy start by Pakistan turned into a solid one, but when Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik fell in fairly quick succession, Australia held the upper hand by the half-way mark. Salman Butt held the key for Pakistan, after being involved in the run-out of the 17-year-old debutant Ahmed Shehzad.

Shehzad had hit towards square leg and set off straight away. Butt responded to the call but pulled out half-way, and both the batsmen ended up at the non-striker's end.

Nathan Bracken and ODI debutant Doug Bollinger, both left-arm seamers, went on to trouble Butt and Younis for a considerable time. Both batsmen struggled with the angle and movement both ways, and their starts were literally edgy. Both edged wide of the slips at catchable heights on one occasion each, and Butt got away with several other edges in the initial overs. By the end of the ninth over, Pakistan had crawled to 28 for 1, having faced a maiden each from both the bowlers.

With James Hopes came the change of the angle, and Younis helped himself to three boundaries in Hopes' first two overs. In the next seven overs, Pakistan doubled their score, mainly via Younis who scored 20 off 14 during that period. The sight of Ben Laughlin lit his eyes up, a short loosener first up widened them further, and an edge resulted as he went to cut the leather off the ball. An edge resulted, and Australia were right back.

Malik couldn't make much of a drop by Shane Watson off Nathan Hauritz, and got out in a freak manner off the same bowler. A cross-batted swipe took the inside edge, hit the back of his boot and lobbed up for Brad Haddin to take a diving catch and push Pakistan back further.

Butt, meanwhile, had started hitting some lovely cover-driven boundaries to get a move on from a slow start. From 16 off 33 he had moved to 42 off 85 balls, and stood between Australia and an easy target.

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