So, it begins. Tonight, Tottenham Hotspurs take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in what is arguably Spur's toughest test so far after brushing aside the giants from Milan; both A.C. and Inter. Real Madrid look menacing when they are in top form but they can be very sporadic about that when it comes to the Champions League. Spurs on the other hand, have been knocking them out of the park every time they've been pitched with some the biggest guns in Europe. It'll be a very difficult one to call. Real Madrid have the history, the the experience and most of the worlds best players in Higuain, Ronaldo, Cassilas and many more. To top off all of that, they've got Jose Mourinho one of the most successful managers in this millennium guiding them. Tactically, he can pull it off over both legs. He'll play defensive even if he has to just to get the job done. Redknapp on the other hand can weave some of his magic and can inspire his team at some stage, bringing out the best in them. He's got a squad young in experience but, they're fearless and will have a go at anyone with Bale and Van Der Vaart in their ranks. That's all the inspiration they need and of course, Gomes, their keeper, not to have one of his worst days between the sticks. Tonights game promises to be a close one, if not a high scoring one and I'm sure that any football fan out there supporting any club aside from Inter and Shalke will be intrigued by this fixture and they should be watching a good game of football.
Inter Milan host Shalke at the San Siro. Inter's cauldron hasn't been the fortress it used to be a few years ago. It's still a daunting place to come to but they've had this knack of conceding at home while also finding the net when it matters. So this tie really cannot be decided over the first leg and we'll have to see how Shalke shape up tonight. Im sure that although everyone is tipping Inter to breeze through, I think they might find a very stubborn Shalke side offering resistance in their midfield while they might only keep one forward up front. I'd actually like to see them go for Inter's throat and surprise a few people. But that might be the case in a fantasy football world. Inter have started to rediscover some of their magnificent resolve they showed against Munich last time out and that might just give them the upper hand tonight as I'm quite sure, they'll go all out to put Raul & Co. to bed as early as possible. Should be a good match to watch if both teams play offensive football.
Chelsea host Manchester United in the biggest game this quarter-final has to offer. To make this one short, Chelsea are major pissed at losing 2008 final to us; although they'd have to blame John Terry for that. United have felt hard done in the last couple of games we've played there in the League and will want to prove a point to themselves that they can actually win at the Bridge for the first time in seven years. I will elaborate more on this tomorrow when my emotions are building up as game time approaches us!!! Stay tuned...Should be a nail-biting / end-to-end game.
Shakhtar Donetsk travel to Barcelona as the underdogs not surprisingly. Barcelona are arguably the best team in the world at the moment and I believe that they'll be going into this game with a lot of confidence looking to do all the usual stuff they did against Arsenal; out play their opponents by keeping 70% possession. Or more. If Shakhtar were to walk away with anything, it'll be in the second leg. They've got a good record playing at home this season, and have actually won at the Nou Camp before. They are, of course, the underdogs of this tournament. In fact, I'm actually tipping Shakhtar to surprise everyone including Barcelona and win the tie over the two legs. The Catalans might think that they have that semi-final berth in the bag, but I think they're in for a big surprise. Cannot wait to see that game too.
Its good to have football back again after two weeks off. A much needed break I suppose. It was all getting a bit too hectic with the UEFA, the League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and what not. The Cricket World Cup provided some entertainment at the right time but Football is always a priority! We've got an exciting end to the season to watch out for and the fun has only just begun!!!
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