The first leg of the Champions League Quarterfinals was full of surprises. In a league where most teams try to feel each other out in the first game and take whatever they can get, this slate of games was full of attacking creativity, goals, and upsets. In 3 of the 4 games there were 4 or more goals scored, and in each of those games, the winning team won by 3 or more goals. The defending champion was beaten in it's home stadium by a resounding underdog, and a 9 year winless streak on a particular opponent's field was snapped. Let's break down what we can expect next.
Manchester United v Chelsea
This was the only game that was not completely one-sided. Manchester United got exactly what it wanted with an away goal, but getting a win at Stamford Bridge was quite unexpected. It had been 9 years since they won there. But now they head back to Old Trafford with a big time advantage.
Look for Manchester United to start it's most experienced defenders. That will include Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, and possibly John O'shea at right back (Rafael may get the start instead). At midfield, expect more experience. Giggs and Carrick will definitely be in the starting line-up, and I expect Nani and Valencia to be the wide attacking threats. And because Rooney will likely be the lone attacker, Fletcher may be added in the midfield to clog up the center of the field.
Manchester will never play a completely defensive game in it's home stadium, but that will at least be the emphasis in this game. I predict that Chelsea will have the majority of possession, but they won't be able to make the breakthrough. Manchester will advance from the quarterfinals.
Schalke 04 v Inter Milan
This was the big upset of the tournament. Schalke won the first game at the San Siro in Italy 5-2. 5 away goals is unprecedented. Especially when you consider that this Inter Milan team won the Champions League just last year, and Schalke is currently in 9th place in the German Bundesliga, a league not currently considered one of the top in Europe.
To advance to the semi-finals, Inter Milan would have to win by 3 goals just to get the tie on aggregate. Not only that, they have to score at least 5 goals to match Schalke's output of away goals. So, nothing less than a 5-1 win will get them through. On any normal day Inter is the better team, but they aren't good enough to overturn that kind of deficit. Schalke will advance.
The other two games were also completely one-sided, but that was mostly expected. Barcelona is almost unanimously considered the best team in the world right now, so they handled Shakhtar Donetsk without any trouble. It was another complete game and master class as everyone expects from them in every game. The final score was 5-1, and Barcelona won't let up in the second leg. Their goal is to scare any upcoming opponents.
Real Madrid also had a fairly easy outing against Tottenham Hotspur. It was disappointing for the Spurs who have had such a great run up to this point in their first appearance in the Champions League. But the run looks to be over after a 4-0 defeat to Real partially due to an early red card to Peter Crouch. Real Madrid will dispose of Tottenham easily in the next game and set up an all Spanish semi final. And that will be quite the affair considering the caliber of that rivalry.
So despite all of the crazy outcomes and scorelines in the first leg. Don't expect any surprises in the second leg. The only quarterfinal that is in any doubt is the Manchester/Chelsea matchup. But Manchester United is way too experienced to give up a lead at home at this stage in the tournament. Plus, anyone that has seen them play recently knows that they are finally playing at their best.
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