UEFA CL is heating up

Mar 24, 2012 - Abhishek Parameswaran

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It would take a brave man — one willing to part with an arm or leg as punishment for sticking it out so callously; a brave man, to predict the outcome of the quarter finals of the Champions League.

The draw for the quarters served up a couple of mouth-watering clashes,and a couple of potentially heart racing fixtures in the semis. Chelsea were drawn against Portuguese heavyweights Benfica, a club their newer signings David Luiz and Ramires arrived from. Chelsea scraped through their Round of 16 tie against Napoli, winning in extra time at Stamford Bridge after going down 3-1 in the first leg in Naples. Benfica proved to be lions at home too, as they clinched their tie at the Estadio da Luz. This quarters tie could be decided by who manages to play better away from home.

Chelsea, going through their bleakest season in years, cling to hope of major silverware, but the shadow of Barca and Messi looks ominous, although AC Milan,their opponents in the quarters shouldn’t be discounted just yet. A creditable showing in the league stage at the Nou Camp makes them the very kind who could lose you an arm or leg.

Real Madrid face outsiders APOEL, who could realise that they are slightly out of their depth, and Bay-ern face a tricky Marseille. The dream remains alive for these teams, but one would have to say that Chelsea, Barca, Real and Bayern look set to chase it further.

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