Man United face Chelsea in Champions League QF

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LONDON: While Real Madrid, Barcelona and improbably Schalke 04 should this week complete the formality of reaching the Champions League semifinals, Manchester United and Chelsea are likely to provide all the drama in the Champions League quarter-finals this week.
Real, looking for a record-extending 10th European Cup success, take a 4-0 first-leg lead to Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona go to Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 up and Schalke should protect a 5-2 advantage at home to Inter Milan whose reign as champions looks set to end.
Barring the most unlikely of upsets, Real are set to face Barcelona in one semifinal while Schalke will meet the winners of the all-English clash between United and Chelsea.
United begin Tuesday’s (today’s) second-leg as strong favourites after a 1-0 win at Chelsea but, as visiting manager Alex Ferguson said after Wayne Rooney’s goal secured last week’s victory, the tie is far from over.
Ferguson’s men are boosted by the knowledge they have not lost a home Champions League match for six years and have conceded only two goals in the competition this season.
“Our biggest advantage is Old Trafford — the fans will be fantastic and there will be an electric atmosphere,” he told reporters.
“We’ve only got a one-goal lead and have to be very careful and give a top performance.”
United have never lost a two-legged Champions League fixture after winning the away match first. And striker Wayne Rooney will be raring to go after starting his two-match domestic suspension on Saturday against Fulham for swearing into a TV camera.
And Ferguson expects the sense of injustice to “spur on” Rooney.
“There’s the bonus for us of knowing he will be fit and fresh,” Ferguson said. “I want us to make it clear that we can rise above recent problems and that we are a club who can overcome all attempts to knock us off our perch. This is the fighting spirit that makes Manchester United such a great club.”
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, by contrast, is hoping his side can repeat their 2-1 Premier League win at United last season. A repeat result would take the London club through to the semifinals on away goals.
“We know it will be difficult to win there,” Ancelotti said, “but we have the confidence to do it. Last year we won at Old Trafford.”
And a victory is vital, with United on course to snatch the Premier League trophy away from Ancelotti’s side.
“Everyone knows we are playing to save our season,” Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun told the British media. “From here, it’s most likely we’ll finish in the top three or four and be in the Champions League next season — that’s almost done. The only thing left is to try to win a trophy and the only trophy we can win is the Champions League.
“Everyone knows it’s the most important game of the season. I’m sure that if we beat United, we will go to the end and win the trophy.”
Meanwhile, Barca coach Pep Guardiola will be unwilling to take too many unnecessary risks against Shakhtar on Tuesday and the suspension of Andres Iniesta could be seen as a blessing in disguise.
Guardiola has called up Thiago Alcantara, Andreu Fontas and Jonathan dos Santos with Eric Abidal, Carles Puyol and Bojan Krkic all injured.
Barcelona players are trying to avoid appearing complacent as they head to Ukraine with a four-goal cushion.
Striker Pedro insisted on Sunday that “we will not change the way we play” in spite the first-leg lead.
Shakhtar remain unbeaten at home in the last two years and will look to restore some pride after the Camp Nou rout. “We need to pick ourselves up and show our character,” captain Dario Srna said.