Friday, 19 March
2010
Channel 61 Football Frenzy
: 7.00
pm (Live)
Sir Alex Ferguson might have raised a few quizzical
looks at the start of the season when he named the Catalans as the
major threat to his own side's hopes of regaining their crown - and
ignored Real Madrid completely.
But, not for the first time, Ferguson's opinion has proved to be
astute. Real fell at the last 16 again and no-one who saw Barcelona
dismantle Stuttgart, with a couple of goals from the brilliant
Lionel Messi included in the rout, would face them with any degree
of confidence.
Having encountered Barca with much more success at the
semi-final stage two seasons ago, United could argue it is someone
else's turn to face them.
Not that Arsenal are without previous. Four years ago it
appeared the Gunners were about to land the most coveted trophy in
club football for the first time, only for Samuel Eto'o and current
Chelsea star Juliano Belletti to score in the final 15 minutes to
shatter Arsene Wenger's dream.
After Tuesday night's events at Stamford Bridge, Inter Milan
will be treated with only slightly less caution. What Jose
Mourinho's team lack in flamboyance, they make up for in
organisation.
Walter Samuel and Lucio are a formidable central defensive
partnership, as Didier
Drogba discovered. Lucio's absence from the first leg of the
quarter-final is a huge blow and the fact his three defensive
colleagues are all one caution away from a ban is a point of
weakness.
Still, the media at least would welcome another visit from
Mourinho, beaten by Ferguson's United at the last 16 stage 12
months ago but seemingly far better prepared to end that 45-year
wait to lift the European Cup.
An all-English last eight meeting is a possibility too.
Eye on the prize: Arsene Wenger (left) and Sir Alex
Ferguson are desperate to get their hands on the coveted Champions
League trophy (below)
Wenger has said he wouldn't mind that, despite suffering
successive home hammerings at United's hands, including last
season's semi-final when Arsenal were blitzed, never recovering
from conceding two goals in the opening 11 minutes at the Emirates
having trailed by just a single goal from the first
leg.
If Barcelona, Inter, and the English club's respective domestic
rivals themselves represent the biggest threat, another danger
lurks in the scheduling.
Unless they are drawn against each other, one of the
title-chasing duo will end up playing their first leg on Wednesday,
March 31 with the second the following Tuesday, and a league game
in between.
The presence of CSKA Moscow in the last eight therefore creates
the potential for a draining return trip to Russia, followed, less
than 60 hours later by a game that could be pivotal to the
championship.
For Arsenal, who have a chronic record in Russia anyway, the
fixture in question is against relegation scrappers Wolves at home,
for United, it is against Chelsea. The consequences of this will
not be lost on Ferguson.
