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"Can Barca rise above the 3 English clubs this year?"
It may well sound like an English Premier League preview but the inclusion of Catalan giants Barcelona ensures that it is definitely the Champions League semi-final that is looming large.
The quarter finals had an explosive number of goals, action and talking points and with the calibre of players on show for the semi-finals, there will only be disappointment if the semi-finals do not match the same high level.
An All English Final Again?
First up is Barcelona versus Chelsea, in the only semi-final clash that will be staged outside of England.
In the same style as last season, three of the four semi-finalists play their football in the Premier League with at least one English club guaranteed to be in the final. Barcelona will be doing their very best to ensure that it is not an all-English final like the one in Moscow in May 2008 and if any team can break the English stranglehold, it is Barcelona.
There is a suggestion that if there is any footballing justice this season, Barcelona will waltz off with the cup as reward for their scintillating football this season.
Few could have predicted when Pep Guardiola took over the managers' position at the start of the season, that Barcelona would transform into such a flowing football machine.
They have the players capable of being the most exciting unit on the planet but under Frank Rijkaard, things never clicked at all in the final season and although they made the Champions League semi losing to a Paul Scholes wonderstrike at Old Trafford, they were limp and insipid. This year has seen Lionel Messi hit top form and Thierry Henry has shown the class and form that left Arsenal fans in love with him.
The Tears of John Terry
They may not have the football purists behind them but Chelsea will have enough strong motivation to overcome the Catalan masters and right a wrong from last season.
Few will forget John Terry's slip as Chelsea looked set to win the Champions League and when Manchester United got a second chance they punished them leaving Terry crying and Chelsea fans hoping that redemption would come in Rome in 2009. The club have given themselves every chance of doing so and this has been helped by the tactical wizardry of Guus Hiddink.
Phil Scolari was a lovely man with a nice word to say and he seemed fairly amiable to many people but there was something lacking in his Chelsea team which left them looking like also-rans very early at the start of 2009.
Roman Abramovich acted swiftly and pulled a few favours to get his friends Mr Hiddink to take over. Guus has a major job as coach of the Russian national team but was persuaded to do both jobs at least until the end of May. Hiddink insists he will still bow out at the end of May, with the FA Cup final being his last game in charge of the club but with a potential Champions League final spot and the league not fully out of their reach, the short term future for the Dutchman looks very busy.
Goals To Flow At Camp Nou
It is hard to predict anything other than goals when these two meet. Barcelona thumped Bayern Munich in their quarter finals and very few people will need reminded that Chelsea and Liverpool played out a 4-4 draw at Anfield in the Champions League quarter final second leg.
Both defences have their shaky moments and with Petr Cech showing a worrying poor run of form, Barcelona will seriously fancy their chances of scoring a goal or two at the Camp Nou in the home tie. With Drogba now returning to his Mourinho level of form for Hiddink, Chelsea are more than capable of notching a crucial away goal and this game does not have the feel of one where both teams will play it cagey and wait for the second leg.
The following night sees Manchester United welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford, with both clubs looking to secure silverware now that the FA Cup is out of reach for both clubs. The Wembley defeats for both clubs would have been difficult to take as the FA Cup would have been Arsenals best chance of a trophy and United needed it for their complete haul which had been talked up so much. The way that both teams bounce back from the set-back may well determine this game but Arsenal have shown they are in no mood to take the defeat easily.
Sadly for Arshavin for the Gunners
Arsenal travelled to play Liverpool in a game far more crucial to Liverpool than the Gunners but they oh so nearly extinguished Liverpool's title ambitions with their clinical finishing.
If people had not realised how great Andrey Arshavin is, they would have to notice at Anfield as the Russian smashed in all four of his sides goals when Liverpool were once again involved in a 4-4 draw.
Sadly for football fans, but more importantly Arsenal fans, Arshavin is cup-tied for the Champions League and this means he will not be able to tease and torment the Manchester United backline. Of course, Arsenal fans shouldn't worry as they always have Bendtner available to come on and miss chance after chance whilst moaning about not being taken seriously in his ludicrous footwear.
United will have been buoyed by Arsenal's draw at Anfield which although helped the Merseyside club back to the top of the league, gave United two games in hand on their rivals whilst they were only behind on goal difference. This boost should see United recover domestically but whether they are good enough to beat Arsenal over two legs remains to be seen. A handsome home victory will be crucial to Alex Ferguson's hopes as they have already lost at the Emirates this season, at a time when Arsenal were playing poorly.
United Tired But Still Champions
United have looked tired and jaded in recent weeks, perhaps the effects of a hard season or two catching up with them and there doesn't appear to be a better time for Arsenal to shock the current Champions League holders by knocking them out.
Whatever happens in the first leg of the Champions League semi finals, nothing is likely to be decided but what happens on Tuesday and Wednesday could have a massive impact on which two teams are heading to Rome on the 27th of May.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
