Injuries to Diego Costa and Loïc Rémy mean the rusty and ageing Ivorian striker could start at Old Trafford on Sunday

There was a sweet dose of nostalgia when Didier Drogba put his status as club royalty to good use and asked Eden Hazard to let him take Chelseas first penalty against NK Maribor on Tuesday night. Drogba had been on the pitch for only five minutes after replacing the injured Loïc Rémy and while it may have simply looked like he was doing what comes naturally to all single-minded strikers, the significance of the moment was not lost on him.

This was his first goal for Chelsea since his return in the summer, and how Drogba appreciated it came from the spot given the last act of his first spell was converting the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final. When I took the penalty I was smiling because thats the way I left the club, Drogba said. To start scoring with a penalty again is quite symbolic.

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Premier League club to write letter to European governing body
Russian club serving stadium ban but some supporters present
Match report: CSKA Moscow 2-2 Manchester City

Manchester City will express extreme disappointment to Uefa at the governing body taking no action against CSKA Moscow, despite home fans being present in the Arena Khimki for Tuesdays 2-2 Champions League draw. The Premier League champions will ask that the fine paid by CSKA as part of a punishment for fans misconduct be used to reimburse City supporters, who lost money on the cost of the trip for the Group E match they were not allowed to attend.

CSKA are serving a three-match stadium ban for their fans offences, which include repeated racism. Yet there were at least 350 of their supporters present draped in club colours and loudly cheering their side throughout the tie.

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Adam Lallana replaced striker at midway point
Liverpool 0-3 Real Madrid match report
The best images from Anfield in pictures

Mario Balotelli was seen swapping shirts with the Real Madrid defender Pepe as they both left the pitch at half-time with Liverpool 3-0 down in their Champions League Group B game at Anfield.

The Italian striker was replaced by Adam Lallana at the interval. The Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers, said after the game that the switch was tactical.

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Raheem Sterling impresses on an otherwise disappointing night at Anfield while Isco highlights the depth at Reals disposal

If Real Madrid really are casting covetous eyes at Raheem Sterling the 19-year-old will have impressed the Spanish club on first sight. He was comfortably Liverpools most dangerous attacker. Unfortunately on a disappointing night that was not saying a lot, although Sterling was distinctly unlucky in the fifth minute when Jordan Henderson found him with a wonderful crossfield ball. Álvaro Arbeloa took no chances and flattened him, and a lenient referee waved play on, possibly ducking out of the consideration of whether a clear goalscoring opportunity had been denied. Sterling received the ball on the edge of the area with no one in front of him. When Toni Kroos barged him over in almost identical fashion after 35 minutes and further down the pitch, he received the games first caution.

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The incumbent Ballon dOr winner gives Anfield a sense of event glamour as CR7 and Real Madrid show their true class
Ronaldos remarkable Real Madrid record in full

He came. He scored (of course). He wandered off to a round of applause. The visit of CR7 to L4 was always likely to bring with it a sense of event glamour, if only for the rarity value of an appearance by the winner of what is now called the Ballon dOr on English soil, and more specifically at Anfield itself. In 23 years since the creation of the Fifa world player gong, Cristiano Ronaldo was the first incumbent world No1 to play here.

He did not disappoint either, on a night that had started well enough for Liverpool, their high tempo, high-pressing game hurrying the European champions at times in the first 20 minutes, with Raheem Sterling looking potent in his drifting No10 role. At which point: enter Ronaldo.

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