UrbanWire

For the first time in 8 years, Manchester United had failed to make the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League no thanks to a narrow and surprising defeat to FC Porto. Juventus, one of Italy’s best clubs suffered the same misfortune as Man U, having lost its place in the quarterfinals to Deportivo La Coruna both at home and away.

2 English clubs may have had more than enough of playing against one another in their domestic league but are slated to clash again in the Champions League – one [of either] doomed to return from Europe empty-handed.

Porto VS Lyon

Portuguese champions Porto caused some controversy by altogether knocking English favourites Man U out of the Champions League with an equaliser in the 90th minute.

The 1st leg of the quarterfinals saw the Portuguese team thrash their visitors 2-0 under the expert guidance of coach Jose Mourinho. Deco [Souza] scored the first goal effortlessly sending the ball into the net with his thigh just minutes before half-time. In the 71st minute, a free kick from Deco delivered the ball over to a perfectly positioned Ricardo Carvalho, who headed it in for a goal.

Now, Lyon’s uphill task is even heavier after falling behind by a 2-0 margin and not having managed to score the precious away goal. They can expect a tough road en route to the semis. Yet it wasn’t too long ago [in the quarterfinals] when Lyon bested Real Sociedad both at home and away to qualify for the last 8.

Expect the 2nd leg to be no less than cracking, with lots of imaginative attacking play from both teams as the stakes get higher. And while Porto’s 2-goal lead may stack in their favour the French may just pull off an upset at home.

AC Milan VS Deportivo

One of the few teams in impeccable form right now, AC Milan is surely the favourite in this tournament. Deportivo’s task is made all the harder as the Italian giant has been in superb form and has within the squad a few top scorers.

In the 1st leg, Deportivo held a 1-0 lead over their Italian hosts for most of the 1st half, with a header by Walter Pandiani in the 11th minute. But their joy was outlived when Kaka scored the equaliser at the stroke of half-time.

Milan then kick-started the 2nd half and surged ahead by finding the back of the net another 3 times, courtesy of Andriy Shevchenko, Kaka, and Andrea Pirlo, leaving Deportivo in the wake of a devastating comeback.

Come the return leg, the Spanish giant needs to improve greatly on its defensive play because any lapse in defence against Milan will prove fatal. Having beaten Juventus in the previous rounds, Deportivo are hoping against all odds to continue their Italian-slaying feat.

Real Madrid VS Monaco

Real Madrid has had a fine history in the Champions League. 9-time winner of the League, this is an imposing team, not just domestically but also in European tournaments.

Real - without star striker Luiz Ronaldo - beat Bayern Munich in the previous round to secure a spot in the final 8 of the Champions League.

The depth of this star-studded team is staggering; [Zinedine] Zidane, [Luis] Figo, [Gonzalez] Raul and [David] Beckham are expected to bring the club to no less than its 13th final.

By the end of the first half in the 1st leg, Monaco held a surprising 1-0 lead over Real Madrid after Squillaci pounced on a loose ball in the 43rd minute.

Come 2nd half, however, the conquistadors of La Liga completed their rout of the French resistance with 4 goals in 30 minutes from Helguera, Zidane, Figo, and Ronaldo, who had pretty much been missing in action due to a thigh injury.

2 minutes after the onslaught, Fernando Morientes, on loan to the French club from Madrid, foiled the Spanish celebration by pulling one back in his highly anticipated return to the Bernabeu.

After a demonstration of their capabilities and resoluteness, Monaco will be looking to turn the tide with some luck at home in Stade Louis II against an all but imminent Spanish victory.

Chelsea VS Arsenal

These 2 English teams have already played against each other 3 times this season back home.

So this quarterfinal lineup comes somewhat as a disappointment as many would have loved to see the Gunners and the Blues play instead against an Italian, Spanish or French side.

Nevertheless there is no denying the return leg would be leave many teetering on the edge, as both teams will be out for blood, with much at stake. Arsene Wenger’s squad is unquestionably the favourite; with arguably the most complete modern striker in [Thierry] Henry, the sublime touch of [Robert] Pires and the dogged tenacity of [Patrick] Vieira in midfield.

On paper a defeat for Chelsea is all but inevitable as no English team has beaten Arsenal all season. The Blues however deserve due credit for having played well to contain their London rivals at Stamford Bridge.

The end of the 1st 45 minutes had only a goalless draw to show for neither team let up in what was a fiercely contested match.

Yet Chelsea surprised everyone by taking an early lead 8 minutes in to the 2nd half courtesy of Eidur Gudjohnsen when Arsenal goalkeeper Lehmann was pulled away from the post. Hitting right back, Pires delivered the crucial equaliser for the all-important away goal.

This is Chelsea’s only glimmer of hope for any silverware this season, with Arsenal in strong contention for all the English titles. And after being knocked out of the FA Cup by the Gunners, Ranieri’s side will certainly be looking to return the favour in the second leg.

Only, the world of football is waiting: The depth of talent of Abramovich’s multi-million dollar signings are after all unquestionable, limited only by time to prove they can work as a team. Keep the fingers crossed then for Chelsea to find the chink in what has been an impenetrable armour all season.