Champions League Promises More Fun

There are just 8 teams left in the uefa champions league race out of the 32 that started.The Road to the final in Moscow is getting clearer by the day.The road promises to be fun and tough with four games coming up in April alone.

Yes, for the first time, both quarter-finals and both semi-finals will take place in one month, thanks largely to the looming European Championships.

As such, the importance of having a squad, and the effect of telling engagements in domestic competitions threatens to be greater than ever.

The Draw has paired Arsenal against Liverpool,Manchester Against Roma in a game that Roma will definitely want to win in search of revenge of last season's 7-1 defeat to Manchester United,Barcelona will be Up against Schalke In a tricky match that Barca is expected to win without much problems,Chelsea got their prayers answered when they were paired against Fenerbahce in a game that chelsea will must definitely win

Admittedly, Schalke and Fenerbahce are being considered relative outsiders, but the Germans progressed from a group containing Chelsea and Valencia, while the Turks dealt with Inter and PSV in proud fashion. Then, the steel shown to hold their own and win penalty shoot-outs on away turf can not be ignored either.

Barcelona and Roma, meanwhile, won both home and away, and showed that they can be unstoppable on their day.

It is also the right time to remember some of the legendary clubs that will not be here, talking about the likes of Nine time champions Real Madrid and the defending champions Ac Milan. Bernd Schuster's and Carlo Ancelotti's sides were sent out by two young and energetic sides that proved to Europe that football is not all about the big bucks. Roma and Arsenal, as such, will be very difficult to eliminate, for sheer ebullience if nothing else.

Then we have Chelsea and Liverpool, two sides that have been humiliated in the FA Cup this season (Barnsley take a bow), but who will prove to be an entirely different proposition over two legs. Absolutely nobody will be rested, and there is no chance they will be complacent, for both managers need silverware to secure their respective positions.

And finally, we have Manchester United, who have been installed as favourites for the competition by 90% of the bookmakers, due largely to the fact that they are a lot stronger than the side that looked lost at San Siro last April.

Of course, there is the individual angle as well. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the running for the Ballon d'Or, and can silence any doubters by guiding their team to glory. Lionel Messi is unlikely to be fit for the quarter-finals, but even he remains in the fray, along with new entrant Fernando Torres.

The Spaniard has not been mentioned as a candidate yet, but with 26 goals already, if he can guide Liverpool to the Champions League and score a few for Spain this summer, he will probably have 40 for the season. Francesco Totti is another player who has always been overlooked for major awards largely because of lack of silverware. Could European glory offer just the excuse to the jury?

Much will depend on the path that is laid out in front of them - whom they face, whether they play home or away first - and it will all be unveiled on Friday afternoon.

Updates:

1. The 8-0 hammering of Besiktas makes Liverpool the team with the most goals in the competition - 21 from eight games.

Barcelona and Arsenal come in second with 16, while Schalke are last, with just six in eight games. Meawhile, Barcelona are runaway leaders in terms of total shots on target - a mammoth 66.

Team Goals scored in 8 games Liverpool 21 Barcelona 16 Arsenal 16 Roma 15 Manchester United 14 = Chelsea 14 Fenerbahce 13 Schalke 6

2. On the defensive front, Chelsea have been the most miserly, having conceded just the two in eight games, which is what makes them one of the most difficult to knock-out.

Attack-minded Arsenal are the surprise second placed team with four, just ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona and Schalke. Fenerbahce conceded five at the last 16 stage to ensure they bring up the rear.

The list, more than anything, indicates just how mean you have to be to win this trophy in the modern era.

Team Goals conceded in 8 games Chelsea 2 Arsenal 4 Liverpool 5 = Barcelona 5 = Manchester United 5 = Schalke 5 Roma 8 Fenerbahce 11

3. Finally, if we measure success as the number of points picked up from eight games (allocating points even for the two knock-out games for the sake of analysis), we find Barcelona at the top of the pile, being chased down by Arsenal, Roma and Manchester United.

As an aside, Barcelona, Man Utd and Chelsea are the only unbeaten teams in the competition. Schalke bring up the rear after having practically squeezed through at every stage thus far.

Team Points from 8 games Barcelona 20 Arsenal 17 =Roma 17 = Manchester United 17 Liverpool 16 = Chelsea 16 Fenerbahce 14 Schalke 11

The Quarter finals promise to be full of intrigues,goals ,tackles and so much surprises.I just can't wait to see the games

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