League set for a more wary Wednesday

The matches are likely to be tighter in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-finals.

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London - After Tuesday's 11-goal fireworks in the Champions League, the other two quarter-final matches are likely to be tighter when Chelsea entertain Manchester United and Barcelona host Shakhtar Donetsk.

Wednesday night’s all-English clash at Stamford Bridge is a repeat of the 2008 final won by United on penalties, and only two of their past 11 competitive meetings have been decided by more than one goal.

It looks likely the winner of the Chelsea-United tie will be the only remaining English side in the competition with the final due to be held at Wembley on May 28.

United, leading the Premier League and into the semi-finals of the FA Cup, are still dreaming of repeating their 1999 treble but the Champions League remains the only realistic hope of silverware for 2010’s domestic double winners Chelsea.

Schalke 04’s stunning 5-2 victory at Inter Milan will have given encouragement to Shakhtar’s players and fans as they prepare to face the favourites at the Nou Camp.

The Brazilian-packed Ukraine side are in the last eight for the first time and although they must perform at their peak they can draw inspiration from their group stage win in Barcelona in December 2008, the season the Spaniards went on to take the title.

Striker Fernando Torres looks like being given another chance to score his first goal for Chelsea.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday he had decided on his starting lineup and hinted Torres would be in it.

He has not scored in eight games since his £50-million (R550 million) move from Liverpool in January but Ancelotti has not lost faith in the Spanish international.

“I have already decided the lineup. It is not easy to do this, I have fantastic players, more than 11, it is not easy to do my job,” said Ancelotti.

“We have seen Torres play well for the team, he did not score, he is not happy for this reason, but in my opinion he played well for the team. He has an opportunity to play the same.”

Chelsea will face United at home for the second time in five weeks after beating them 2-1 in the Premier League in March when a David Luiz goal and Frank Lampard penalty turned the match their way after Wayne Rooney put United in front.

Brazilian defender Luiz is ineligible for the Champions League, while defender Alex will not be fit enough to play until the second leg at Old Trafford next week.

Having failed to win on his last 10 visits to Chelsea, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping a “European approach” to the game will tilt the tie in his favour.

Chelsea have won six and drawn four of the teams’ last 10 meetings at Stamford Bridge, including last month’s victory. United’s last success was a 3-0 win in 2002.

“We used to have fantastic record there and although the last few years have been poor in terms of results we have played well most of the time,” Ferguson said.

“We had the two-legged game against Arsenal two years ago and we tried to approach it as we would away in a European tie.

“This time we’re away first and the name of the game is to go back to Old Trafford with a goal or two in our pocket.

“It won’t change our attitude to trying to win but we want to go back with a live chance of qualifying and if we go back with some sort of advantage we will be very difficult to beat on our own ground.

“Being an all-British tie I was happy to have the second leg at home. It’s a magnificent atmosphere and when it’s like that, Old Trafford is a wonderful place to be.”

Meanwhile Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola struck a downbeat note when he warned euphoric fans against underestimating Shakhtar Donetsk.

Guardiola’s side are on course for a treble as they lead La Liga, have a King’s Cup final in two weeks’ time and are one of the favourites in Europe’s elite club competition.

“There isn’t much talk about Shakhtar and they say the league is won,” Guardiola said. “The sensations I have aren´’t good.”

The Ukrainians had one of the best records in the group stage.

They ran Barça close in |the European Super Cup in 2009 and stole a 3-2 win at the Nou Camp the last time they met in the Champions League group stages late in 2008.

“We have to play a good game or the tie will get complicated,” Guardiola added.

“They are a great team, a super team that is very aggressive. They defend very well and they work like animals. They finished above Arsenal in their group.”

Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said he believed the current Barça side were “the best team in the history of football” but noted that his club had developed rapidly in recent seasons.

“Shakhtar is the team that has progressed the most,” the Romanian said. “We won the Uefa Cup a few years ago (2009) against a great club like Werder Bremen and now we are trying to consolidate in the Champions League,” he added. – Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/league-set-for-a-more-wary-wednesday-1.1053029

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