Friday, March 18, 2011

What Matches Do You Want To See In The Champions League Quarter-Finals?

8 Teams in the Champions League Quarter-Finals
Barcelona (Spain)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Manchester United (England)
Tottenham Hotspurs (England)
Chelsea (England)
Schalke 04 (Germany)
Inter Milan (Italy)
Shakhtar (Ukraine)


Our LIVE! coverage of the draw will begin at 11:30 CET, and we will have all the news, views and reactions you need. Our experts will breakdown each of the four quarter-final ties.


England fearing Barcelona but confident of dominating final four

Amar Singh, UK deputy editor, says: "This could be a vintage year for England, with three teams vying for Wembley. As long as the dreaded Barcelona or all-English tie are avoided, all three could make the semis.

"Manchester United are really starting to click up front with Rooney and Hernandez, Chelsea march onwards despite failing to dazzle but have the Carlo Ancelotti factor, and Tottenham's fearlessness and record in the previous rounds means they can't be underestimated."



pain wishing for Clasico final: 'We have the two best teams'

"A Clasico in the Champions League final - that's the dream of everyone in Spain, from fans to media, from players to managers," says Spanish chief editor Sergio Aguilera.

"Real Madrid overcame their Round of 16 curse in style by thrashing Lyon, and Barcelona's victory over Arsenal was nothing short of sensational. Clearly, both teams are real candidates to reach the final. I'd say that both squads must be treated as serious rivals, and between them they are the teams everyone will want to avoid when the big draw comes this Friday."

Italy surprised to remain, but maintaining champion spirit

Sergio Chesi, Italian editor at Goal.com, says: "It's a bit of a surprise for we Italians that we're even in the draw. After the first leg we were certain that all of our teams would go out, but Inter went on to show all of Europe exactly why they are reigning champions.



Germany desperate for easy Schalke draw after Bayern failure
"Of course, they want to avoid Barcelona. Despite having goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, otherwise Schalke are too weak defensively to deal with the favourites. Chelsea and United are also a danger, so fans generally want to see Shakhtar, the other 'underdog' remaining. Real Madrid and Inter would be difficult but special: Mesut Ozil would face the club that chased him away, while fans haven't forgotten the UEFA Cup showdown with the Nerazzurri in 1997... although a repeat of that would be too much to ask."



Ukraine warn big guns to watch out for rampant Shakhtar

"Shakhtar are on a mission: they look to be en route to beat hated rivals Dynamo Kiev domestically but they are yet to match their Champions League feats," notes Michael Yokhin, Goal.com's Eastern Europe expert.



source: Goal.com 

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