UEFA Champions League Draw: Chelsea, Manchester United To Meet In Quarterfinals; Barcelona, Real Madrid On Collision Course For Semis

When Schalke fired Felix Magath earlier this week, they became the club all other UEFA Champions League quarterfinalists wanted to draw. Well, in truth, they were already the club everybody wanted to draw. They came out of a weak group and did not face a titan in the Round of 16. Combined with their poor showing in the Bundesliga, Schalke has the worst resumé of any of the tournament's final eight. And as if to trying to becoming the most dubious quarterfinalist in the current format's history, Schalke decided to fire their coach.

Leonardo has to feel blessed, getting the Royal Blues, though his good fortune dates back a few months. When Rafa Benítez ran this Inter team into the ground, the former Milan coach was the obvious choice for the Nerazzurri, who enticed him to cross the San Siro after the Rossoneri icon was cast way by Silvio Berlusconi. Milan used January to go out and get Giampaolo Pazzini (cup-tied) and Andrea Ranocchia, addressing the depth issues left from Benítez's M.A.S.H. unit. In Champions League, Leonardo's luck was set to run out until Louis van Gaal's ill-timed faith in Daniel van Buyten, Breno, and Danijel Pranjic created an opening exploited by Wesley Sneijder, Goran Pandev and (the player that probably should have been listed first) Samuel Eto'o.

But despite making the quarterfinals and pulling themselves to the edge of another scudetto, Inter is nowhere near the team that won last year's title. Yet Barcelona is still out there. Real Madrid is looming. Manchester Untied or Chelsea will meet them in the next round, should the Nerazzurri advance. Inter has a month to find last year's form, if they are to make a serious play at retaining their title.

And that's the true beauty of this draw. Inter doesn't need to be their best to eliminate Schalke, especially if the Blues fall apart post-Magath, Leonardo can use the next month to tweak ahead of the semifinals. No, they can't completely disregard Schalke, but the gap between the two sides allows them to find out if Diego Milito or Goran Pandev should be in Leonardo's choice XI. It allows the coach to see if Yuto Nagatomo should be the choice left back, and if so, where does that leave Javier Zanetti. It allows the partnership of Lucio and Ranocchia to further gel, and it allows Júlio César to find where the hell Júlio César went.

And even if Leonardo can't find answers to those questions, there's still Samuel Eto'o and Wesley Sneijder. Schalke's counter? Raul and Jurado.

How They Got Here

Schalke finished first in a group that saw both Lyon and Benfica play below their standards. Benfica bared little resemblance to last year's juggernauts. Lyon was struggling at the bottom of Ligue Un. Despite Schalke also tempting relegation in Germany, they moved on.

In the Round of 16, the Blues gave two impressive performances against Valencia. A second half goal from Raúl got a 1-1 at the Mestalla, while Jefferson Farfán had two goals and an assist int he second, clinching leg.

Inter finished second to Tottenham in group play, earning them a tough Round of 16 match: a 2010 final rematch against Bayern Munich. After losing the first leg at the San Siro and being down 3-1 (aggregate) in the final half hour at the Allianz, Inter found two late goals to even the tie at three, advancing in away goals.

Recent Meetings

None.

Outlook

It's impossible to tell. We don't know much about Schalke, at this point. Ralf Rangnick would be wise to stay with Magath's system, but who knows? He might look at the Miners' personnel as see something completely different than what Magath built. With Schalke having yet to play since Magath was asked to move on, nothing but speculation informs our ... speculation.

Schedule

April 5: Internazionale vs. Schalke, San Siro, Milan

April 12: Schalke vs. Internazionale, Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen

So José Mourinho is special, not only moving Real Madrid over their Round of 16 hurdle but convincingly seeing Los Merengues past Lyon and into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Now comes the truly difficult part. Whereas it was fairly ridiculous that Real Madrid failed to advance to the quarters for six straight years (despite being favored at the Round of 16 every single year), the quarterfinals is where some of the continents big clubs can't help be collide. That's why Manchester United and Arsenal went out at this point last year and United or Chelsea will go out this time.

One of Real Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur will also be out, though nobody would call Spurs one of UEFA's biggest clubs. Yet few would deny that Harry Redknapp's team is one of the continent's most talented teams, and with Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon providing the wide threat that could make Real's 4-2-3-1 into more 4-5-1 than 4-3-3, it's not difficult to see how a first time Champions League participant could take down Europe's most successful club. After all, how comfortable should José Mourinho be with Sergio Ramos and Marcelo asked to lock-down Spurs' wingers, with Ángel Di María and Cristiano Ronaldo providing support?

But Bale and Lennon won't be the most intriguing of Spurs' attackers when it comes to a match with Real Madrid. Rafael van der Vaart - sold by Madrid to Spurs in early fall - had openly said he would relish a chance to face his former team. Ask and ye shall receive. The Dutch playmaker was an early darling at Spurs, his ability to tap in Peter Crouch knockdowns at the edge of the six making him the fans' favorite import since David Ginola.

As those opportunities have faded and injuries have set in, van der Vaart has seemed more van der Vaart-ian, though that takes little away from the story of his Bernabeu return. He didn't want to leave, felt has was never given a chance after moving from Hamburg, and having become an important part of a side that could put Los Merengues out, the half-Spanish attacker would relish giving Jorge Valdano a reason to regret.

But while van der Vaart, Bale and Lennon are of obvious quality, there are still places within Spurs' XI that make you wonder if they're venturing beyond their depth. Can a Champions League contender feel secure with Gomes in net? Are Alan Hutton and Benoit Assou-Ekkoto better equipped to contend with Ronaldo and Di María than Real's fullbacks are to deal with their opposition? Can a team relying on Sandro or Wilson Palacios to anchor their midfield hope for something more than chance?

There is a reason why Spurs are fifth in England, and although they have had more success in Champions League, the reason why Tottenham stumbles behind Manchester United in league is also evident in their match-up with Madrid They don't have the same stable of horses. José Mourinho has Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso at the base of their midfield. Madrid's fullbacks are suspect, but Harry Redknapp would be right to envy a squad that has Ramos and Marcelo. Match-up Ronaldo and Di María with Bale and Lennon and few would be called crazy for picking the former pair. And that doesn't even cover the virtues or Iker Casillas, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho and Mesut Özil.

Real Madrid are rightfully favorites, but within their team you see the cracks that could allow Spurs to go through. Still, Tottenham are upstarts, and starting on April 5, their Champions League gets real.

How They Got Here

Tottenham embraced their first Champions League by winning the tournament's deepest group, finishing above holders (and fellow quarterfinalists) Inter Milan. Redknapp's charge put-up 18 goals along the way, tied (with Arsenal) for the highest total in group play.

In the knockout round, Spurs changed their tact in eliminating Milan. The first leg saw Tottenham get a late goal to take a commanding 1-0 lead back to White Hart Lane. One scoreless draw later, Spurs were moving beyond the seven-time champions.

Real Madrid's 16 points in group was the highest total in the tournament, Los Blancos allowing only two goals to a packet that included Milan and Ajax. In the knockout stage, Madrid snapped a seven-year slump by eliminating Lyon, their 4-1 victory achieving redemption against the club that saw them out of the last tournament.

Recent Meetings

None.

Outlook

José Mourinho has tried to play-down people's desires to celebrate the Lyon win. This is where Real Madrid is supposed to be, he's implied. There's no reason to celebrate, yet.

If Real Madrid defeats Tottenham Hotspur, the same attitude will apply. Though it wouldn't be a huge upset if Spurs reached the semifinals, Real Madrid should be expected to win. Even less cause for celebration: If Real wins, they likely confirm a meeting with Barcelona.

Schedule

April 5: Real Madrid vs. Tottenham Hotspur, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

April 13: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Real Madrid, White Hart Lane, London

Barcelona fans are going to be happy to have drawn Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in UEFA Champions League's quarterfinals. The feeling is not completely inappropriate. After all, they could have gotten Manchester United.

But Shakhtar is a team that just posted a lopsided victory over Roma, and while the Giallorossi were not a threat to win this competition, the Miners gave the type of convincing performance we saw from none of Chelsea, Manchester United, or even Barcelona. They got three road goals at the Stadio Olimpico and finished with a 6-2 aggregate victory. Couple that with winning their group (over Arsenal) and the distance they've put between themselves and Dynamo Kiev in league, and you see a CV that hints at a much stronger Ukraine representative than we're used seeing. Barcelona fans really shouldn't be that happy.

There's also the eye test, always important. Shakhtar looks the dark horse's part. They have a strong system in place, one where players have defined roles in which they've been allowed to excel, the type of combination that allowed expertise to transcend gaps in talent. They have a sprinkling of world class skills to go with a couple of players who are on the verge of reaching beyond the stature of a plucky Eastern European club.

And they also have naivete. This is their first trip to this point in the competition. It's the first time any team from the Ukraine has been here, and aside from Eduardo and Dmytro Chrygrynskiy, they don't have players who have been in clubs who have had this kind of success. Yet there are still players like Darijo Srna and Razvan Rat - veteran talents who've been overlooked for not playing closer to the Atlantic - who will give the side its grounding. There's also those six Brazilians, plauers any club in the world would like to have: Fernandinho, Jádson, Luiz Adriano, Willian, Douglas Costa, Alex Teixeira. Any then there's the coach, Mircea Lucescu, who has been here before, guiding Galatasaray to the 2000-01 quarterfinals.

There, the Lions lost to Real Madrid. Will Barcelona be Lucescu's next Spanish conqueror, or is there something that the Romanian learned from that experience that he can bring to this tie? Even if there is, this Barcelona team is better than the Madrid team Lucescu vanquished in Instabul before succumbing to at the Bernabeu. It's become cliché though still necessary to note, it's not often that you see a team with all of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Alves, Puyol and Piqué.

But as we saw against Arsenal, Barcelona is not invincible, and when we compare results against that like opponent, Shakhtar and Barcelona don't seem a continent apart. Both clubs lost in North London. Both teams beat the Gunners at home.

How They Got Here

Barcelona's group was easy. Though they were drawn with Rubin Kazan, the Russians were much weaker than the team that had shocked them a year before. With two draws, Barcelona went through unbeaten, with FC Copenhagen snatching second place.

In the Round of 16, Barcelona lost 2-1 at Arsenal before having fortune shine on them at Camp Nou. Tied 3-3 and on pace to be eliminated, Arsenal's Robin van Persie controversially saw red. Barcelona would go on to win the tie 5-3.

Shakhtar accumulated more points than Barcelona in group stage (15 to 14) despite being in a more difficult quartet, their only loss coming via a 5-1 drubbing by Arsenal. Donetsk would only allow one other goal in the rest of the phase, advancing to face Roma in the Round of 16.

There, three goals in a 13-minute, first leg span at the Stadio Olimpico put the tie away. The Miners took a 3-2 lead back to Donetsk, where they'd ease to their first quarterfinal appearance.

Recent Meetings

The last time these sides met was the UEFA Super Cup a year-and-a-half ago. Shakhtar was coming off their UEFA Cup victory while Barcelona was celebrating their Champions League title. The match took extra time to settle, with Pedro Rodríguez's 115th minute goal serving as a type of springboard to a breakout season for the former Pedrito.

Outlook

We saw the 4-2-3-1 slow down Spain this summer. Barcelona's basically a better version of the Spanish national team, but employing a system that slowed La Roja this summer, can Shakhtar succeed where the Netherlands and Germany failed?

Of course they can, though over 180 (as opposed to 90) minutes, they're unlikely to replicate the 1-0 losses the Oranje and Nationalmannschaft achieved. But Shakhtar is good enough to where an injury, red card, or bad call at the right time could sway this tie. They're just as dangerous as Arsenal, particularly with the second leg in Donetsk.

Schedule

April 6: Barcelona vs. Shakhtar, Camp Nou, Barcelona

April 12: Shakhtar vs. Barcelona, Donbass Arena, Donetsk

If there was one club Manchester United didn't want to be drawn against in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, it was Chelsea. They're not going to admit it. When was the last time Alex Ferguson betrayed fear of anything? But they have to know Chelsea's got something over them. The Blues have won the clubs' last three meetings, each victory more testament to Chelsea will than physical or tactical superiority.

Unfortunately for United, will is the most ethereal of those three qualities. It's also an area where Manchester United is not used to dealing with deficiencies. They're is usually the side with mental edge. When circumstances that rouse blood pressures arise and the best embrace dreams as their opponents entertain failures, the Red Devils are typically the ones finding the late goal, drawing a late penalty, or holding out for an entire match without giving their opponents a sniff of goal.

Though United lost the 2009 final to Barcelona, they showed these qualities two years earlier, knocking Barça out at the semifinals. They were the last team to see Inter Milan out of the tournament and recently posted a record 21-match unbeaten streak in Champions League. And, of course, they beat Chelsea the last two times the teams met in Champions League, though finding hopes on a penalty kick win is no way to exercise a demon.

If any of those previous results effect the upcoming Chelsea-United tie, we can  discount what we've seen from the recent, English Premier League versions of this match-up. Champions League is different, we can argue, though for what reasons, we aren't exactly sure.

If Champions League is just another venue where you try to kick a round ball into a rectangle, we're forced to search for reasonx why either of these upcoming matches will be different than the results we've seen over the last year-and-a-half.

How They Got Here

After a disappointing Round of 16 elimination last year, Chelsea cruised through group play, a sixth round loss after first place had been secured the only thing keeping the Blues from Champions Leagues' first perfect group stage. In hindsight, the group seems only mildly challenging, with Marseille taking second in the quartet.

In the knockout stage, Chelsea drew the easiest club from the second place pool. As such, Carlo Ancelotti never had to push his team while easing past FC Copenhagen.

Likewise, Manchester United has never had to take the car out of neutral. The Red Devils allowed only one goal in six matches in winning a group that saw Valencia finish second. Against Marseille they allowed their second goal of the competition, a late own goal, progressing after a controlled 2-1 victory.

Recent Meetings

Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalty kicks in the 2008 final, denying Roman Abramovich his most coveted honor in a match played on the owner's home soil turf. The next year, the clubs split their Premier League matches. Since, Chelsea has posted 1-0, 2-1, and 2-1 wins, the last a come-from-behind effort. United did win defeat the Blues in the Community Shield in fall of 2010, but as a hint to how seriously the sides took that match, Michael Owen started for United.

Outlook

Over the course of a league campaign, Manchester United could lose twice to Chelsea and still contend they were the best team in the competition. In Champions League, however, they have to figure out the Blues. Else, they're out.

They have just over two weeks to find a way to get beyond this mental hurdle, though as we sit 19 days away from kick-off at Stamford Bridge, it's difficult to see how they will.

Schedule

April 6: Chelsea vs. Manchester United, Stamford Bridge

April 12: Manchester United vs. Chelsea, Old Trafford