Seven teams lie in wait for United in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals draw: three domestic rivals, two continental big-hitters and two relative outsiders. How are the possible opponents shaping up?
(Odds to win the trophy are in brackets)
Barcelona (5/2) Group C winners; beat Lyon 6-2 on aggregate in last 16; UCL top scorer 08/09 - Lionel Messi (6); Reds’ head-to-head in Europe: P9 W3 D4 L2 F14 A15
Barcelona fully justify their position as joint favourites with United to triumph in Rome - indeed, they may well have gone on to lift the trophy last year had the Reds not knocked them out at the semis stage. Sir Alex described their second-leg display against Lyon in the last round as “absolutely brilliant”, and the Catalan giants are undoubtedly the team to avoid in Friday’s draw. Barça can be vulnerable, however - they conceded eight goals in the group stages, including a 3-2 defeat away at Shaktar, and suffered a major wobble last month, going five games without a win, including a humiliating home defeat against local rivals - and bottom-of-the-league - Espanyol, and a 4-3 reverse at Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea (5/1) Group A runners-up; beat Juventus 3-2 on aggregate in last 16; UCL top scorer 08/09 - Didier Drogba (3); Reds’ head-to-head in Europe: P1 W0 D1* L0 F1 A1 (*United won 6-5 on penalties)
The odds are stacked that United will meet an English club at some stage, and how Chelsea would relish a chance to avenge their Luzhniki heartache. The Reds were much the better team in two league encounters this term, but the Blues have been a more potent outfit since Guus Hiddink became boss. They're unbeaten in eight under his tutelage and remain in the hunt for a Treble of their own.
Liverpool (7/1) Group D winners, beat Real Madrid 5-0 on aggregate in last 16; UCL top scorer 08/09 - Steven Gerrard (7); Reds' head-to-head in Europe: Never met
Now then. It’s traditionally been the European match-up to make everyone – both clubs, both sets of fans, the tournament organisers – wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and experiencing a general feeling of impending doom. But following Saturday’s horrific reverse, coupled with their win at Anfield in September, we would lay good money that every man inside the Old Trafford home dressing room would be desperate for an early opportunity to set the record straight. Okay, your heart would skip a beat if the two teams are paired in Nyon this week, but just imagine what it would be doing if United were to play to our potential and send them packing at the quarter-finals stage?
Arsenal (8/1) Group C runners-up, beat Roma on penalties in last 16; UCL top scorers 08/09 - Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie (3); Reds' head-to-head in Europe: Not met
Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge floundered even earlier than usual this season, but the Gunners have regrouped and are still in the running for the Champions League and the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger hailed his side’s mental strength after they defeated Roma in a penalty shootout in the red-hot atmosphere of the Olympic Stadium, and talismanic skipper Cesc Fabregas should be fit for the quarter-finals which will be a huge boost for the North Londoners. United suffered a rare reverse at the Emirates earlier in the season… will Arsenal have to make two trips to Old Trafford as the season draws to a close?
Bayern Munich (10/1) Group F winners, beat Sporting Lisbon 12-1 on aggregate in last 16; UCL top scorer 08/09 – Miroslav Klose (7); Reds’ head-to-head in Europe: P7 W1 D4 L2 F7 A8
Bayern’s last-round demolition of Sporting Lisbon in the last round made Europe sit up and take notice, but if ‘FC Hollywood’ (as they are known in Germany) are to progress further, they will have to do so without top scorer Miroslav Klose, whose ankle injury against Vfl Bochum last weekend has ruled him out for at least six weeks. Bayern were already missing Luca Toni and Franck Ribery through injury for that Bundesliga match, and coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be praying no more of his star names are crocked before the Champions League restarts. The Bavarian side were unbeaten in the group stages of the UCL but aren’t having it their own way domestically, currently lagging four points behind leaders Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga.
Villarreal (33/1) Group E runners-up, beat Panathinaikos 3-2 on aggregate in last 16; UCL top scorer 08/09 (yes, they have scored) - Joseba Llorente (4); Reds’ head-to-head in Europe: P4 W0 D4 L0 F0 A0
Neutral fans of free-flowing attacking football will be praying we aren’t paired with the Yellow Submarines again, and while they are undoubtedly one of the outsiders still left in the tournament, Sir Alex and co know only too well just how difficult it is to break down the Spanish battlers. And the team from Castellon aren’t here just to make up the numbers: they made it all the way to the semi-final stage in 2006, knocking out Inter in the quarters before narrowly losing 1-0 on aggregate to Arsenal in the semis, in a match notable for Jens Lehmann’s save of Juan Roman Riquelme’s last-minute penalty. Former Red Giuseppe Rossi is confident their European adventure can continue. “We have no idea how far we can go,” he admitted, “but we have a very good team and if we keep on playing well, just like we did against Panathinaikos, we could go far."
Porto (33/1): Group G winners, beat Atletico Madrid on away goals, 2-2 on aggregate in last 16; UCL top scorer 08/09 - Lisandro (6); Reds’ head-to-head in Europe: P6 W2 D2 L2 F11 A9
This is the furthest the Dragons have ventured in Europe’s top club competition since they won the tournament in 2004, when they knocked United out along the way (lest we forget). Manuel Pellegrini’s side have already travelled to England in this season’s campaign and returned to northern Portugal nursing the wounds suffered in a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in September. The 2-0 victory over the Gunners in the group stage’s final matchday was some form of revenge and guaranteed top spot in Group G, but Argentinian captain Lucho is fully aware that his side will start second favourites no matter who they draw in the quarter-final draw. “We'll take whichever team comes up,” he said after the win over Atletico Madrid. “They will all be difficult to play against. First we owe it to ourselves to enjoy this moment, and then we'll start working towards the next stage."
The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League will commence at 11:00 GMT on Friday 20 March. Make sure you visit ManUtd.com for news of the draw and all the reaction from inside the United camp.
Good Luck 2 Man-Utd...hope we get Porto!!! Cheerio!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment