Kuyt, Gerrard buy Rafa more time

Benitez side-stepped questions on how the result will affect his future at Liverpool. “I am very pleased with the result,” he added. We needed to win as a team because we wanted to progress and as a manager, I am happy.

“We knew it was important not to concede. One of the main things you want is a clean sheet. It will be difficult for Inter but they are a good team so we must be careful.”

Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini disputed Materazzi’s red card on 30 minutes, which came as a result of two cautions for fouls on Fernando Torres. “The referee got it wrong twice,” he told reporters. “Both were tackles that were given as yellow cards. That was wrong. It was hard to play against Liverpool from then on as they prevented us from playing and stopped us being able to counter attack.”

Chelsea held

In Athens, Olympiakos Piraeus and Chelsea shared a 0-0 draw in a lacklustre Champions League first knockout round first leg at the Karaiskakis Stadium on Tuesday.

Neither side produced much in the way of clearcut chances with one of the best openings falling to Olympiakos winger Luciano Galletti whose second-half volley went narrowly wide. Chelsea, who left skipper John Terry and vice-captain Frank Lampard on the bench at the start, had most of the second-half possession but struggled to break down a dogged home defence.

Roma edge Real

In Rome, David Pizarro and Mancini scored as AS Roma came from behind to take charge of their last 16 tie against Real Madrid with a 2-1 first-leg win. Real went ahead with their first attack in the eighth minute when Raul diverted a Guti strike into the net after Arjen Robben had broke down the left and cut the ball back.

Chilean midfielder Pizarro drilled Roma level in the 24th after Real’s attempt to clear a Mancini cross landed at his feet.

Mancini slipped in the winner in the 58th minute when captain Francesco Totti found himself in space thanks to Gabriel Heinze’s failed attempt to cut out a pass and was able to put the Brazilian winger through on goal.

After falling behind, Marco Cassetti tried to hit back for the home side immediately with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that Real keeper Iker Casillas did well to save.

Schalke celebrate 100th game

In Gelsenkirchen, German side Schalke 04 played like veterans in their first appearance in the knockout rounds of the Champions League to beat Porto 1-0 and celebrate their 100th European match with a 50th victory. Kevin Kuranyi blasted in the only goal in the fourth minute, after Porto keeper Helton had failed to hold a shot from Rafinha. Porto created little before Lisandro Lopez almost grabbed an equaliser from nowhere with a close-range effort that flew wide 10 minutes from time.

IN A NUTSHELL

•12’ Materazzi booked for foul on Torres

• 30’ Yellow turns red as the Italian is sent off

•48’ Cambiasso shoots over from 20 yards

• 58’ Torres denied by a super Cesar save

• 61’ Referee misses handball by Vieira

• 85’ (GOAL) Kuyt scores

• 90’ (GOAL) Gerrard wraps it up

Final scores around Europe

• AS Roma 2 (24’ Pizarro, 58’ Mancini) Real Madrid 1 (8’ Raul)

• Liverpool 2 (85’ Kuyt, 90’ Gerrard) Inter 0

•Olympiakos 0 Chelsea 0

•Schalke 1 (4’ Kuranyi) Porto 0