The beauty of Champions League pairings

By Zain Alvi | 22nd March 2010

The beauty of Champions League pairings | read this item

This past Friday, football fans around the world were eagerly anticipating an exciting UEFA Champions League quarterfinals draw. To say the least, what they got was pretty darn exciting. With powerhouses such as both of last season’s finalists - winners FC Barcelona and runner-up Manchester United – still in the running, it was always expected that teams who draw either of those two clubs in the quarter-finals would be less than impressed with the task at hand. Nevertheless, once all was said and done at the draw, there is no denying that four mouth-watering ties were scheduled between eight of the competition’s most consistent teams.

The very first fixture that came into effect, for instance, features two of France’s most dominant teams in Olympique Lyonnais and Girondins Bordeaux. While Lyon has been by far the most successful club with an entire collection of Ligue 1 titles in the last decade, the men from Bordeaux can boast of being the current French champions. Basically, as much as these two teams dislike playing each other at this stage of the competition, the entire nation of France will watch with zeal as the country’s most promising team will be its sole representative in the semi-finals. Over 180 exhausting minutes of football, Lyon and Bordeaux will be fighting for a lot more than just progress in the Champions League.

The second quarterfinal fixture that was announced during Friday’s draw pits Germany’s most celebrated club in Bayern Munich against England’s most successful side in Manchester United. Yes, that’s right – we will very soon have ourselves a repeat of the epic final between Bayern and United. On that night, the Red Devils scored twice in the last couple of minutes to deny the Bavarians a well-deserved Champions League title. Few, if any, had imagined that Sir Alex Ferguson’s men would recover from a 1-0 deficit with a pair of goals in quick succession.

Of course, the Old Trafford outfit claimed a famous treble that season and never looked back ever since. Bayern haven’t done too bad to dominate in Germany either but it is no secret that they have some unfinished business against United. This season in the Champions League, they will finally get their opportunity to settle the scores.

With only four teams now left in the draw, there was once again the prospect of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side being paired with the reigning champions Barca, who took the Nerazzuri apart in the group stages. Following Inter’s amazing elimination of Chelsea, which some consider to be even more impressive than Lyon’s elimination of Real Madrid, it could have been a great chance for the Italian giants to settle their scores with the Catalans too. But as it turned out, another team was given the opportunity to get even with Pep Guardiola’s men. This team, as we know now, turned out to be none other than Arsenal.

Barcelona, of course, denied the Gunners the Champions League title almost four years ago despite the fact that the North Londoners led 1-0 for most of the game with only 10 men in the tournament final played in Paris. The following summer, Barca also signed Arsenal’s talismanic striker Thierry Henry to leave Arsene Wenger’s men in rebuilding mode. Sure, there were apprehensions during the rebuilding stages but the Gunners remained confident as they proudly announced the emergence of a new leader in Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas. The Catalans, who once had Cesc as a member of their youth academy, went on to further sever ties with Arsenal by shamelessly pursuing their skipper in public.

Now, after four years of frustration that they have suffered at the hands of Barcelona, Arsenal will get a shot at redemption if they can send the holders packing. Thierry Henry will return to North London for one night and Cesc Fabregas will return to Barcelona for one night over two legs of competitive football between two sides that are known for their fluid passing. Given all the tension that exists between these two sides, it is truly tough to tell whether their beautiful brand of football will prevail over the ugly side of competition that could very well come out at The Emirates and Camp Nou.

Last, but not least, the fourth quarterfinal between CSKA Moscow and Internazionale may not seem that intriguing on paper but it is a match-up that should provide ample challenge to both teams. The Russians certainly proved their mettle against a persistent Sevilla side and by overcoming one of the tournament’s favorites in Inter, they can go on to prove that their success has been no fluke. Inter, on the other hand, will need to deliver in a tough trip to Eastern Europe in order to verify that they have truly left behind their days as one of the biggest underachievers in European competitions.

It will surely be a tough wait until the end of the month when the quarterfinals begin. Will Barcelona still be in contention to retain their title? Can Manchester United once again hand Bayern Munich a reality check? Does Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side actually pose a serious threat to the rest of the quarter-finalists? And let’s not forget, who will prevail in the battle between two of France’s most successful teams?

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