The Champions League's first knock-out stage is upon us, and there are already several match-ups that can make any fan drool with anticipation. Here's how things look up this year.
On Wednesday, the two must-see games will probably be Chelsea against Juventus and Real Madrid against Liverpool.
Claudio Ranieri's men have surprised most observers this year with a terrific run in the group stage where they defeated both Real Madrid and Zenit St. Petersburg. The partnership of Alessandro Del Piero and Brazilian striker Amauri proves to be a deadly combination in both the Champions League and in the Serie A. As For Chelsea, they're entering this stage of the competition with a new manager at the helm. Since it's too early to evaluate Hiddink's impact, I don't quite know what to expect of Chelsea on Wednesday. We'll see if they'll go with both Anelka and Drogba in front once again.
Over at Madrid, the Meringues seem to be rejuvenated since the arrival of Juande Ramos. They are currently on a eight-game winning streak in La Liga, hanging on seven points behind Barcelona. The acquisition of Lassana Diarra was a stroke of genius as the midfielder has proved to be a real annoyance for opposition midfielders. In Diarra, Madrid have finally found Makelele's replacement for the defensive aspect of midfield. In front, Ramos can count on the veteran Raul who, although he has no legs, can score with his head on any angle. Higuain has also proved to be a revelation this year, and if Arjen Robben can stay in shape, look out. Their opponent, Liverpool, have one major weakness lack of creativity. Benitez has a strict system in place, and if you can stifle the Reds, the match becomes a lot more easier. Gerrard is a question mark, so that's a big piece of their attack and midfield missing in action.
The two other games will pit Villareal against Panathinaikos, and Bayern Munich against Sporting. The Yellow Submarine have a solid club from front to back. Their defense is probably their only weakness, but I don't Panathinaikos will be able to kick them out. The same goes for Bayern who, theoritically, will easily oust Sporting.
Chelsea CFR Cluj: 2-1
The return of Joe Cole and Didier Drogba proved to be instrumental in Chelsea's qualification for the next round as Droga scored the winning goal after coming on as a substitute.
Roma Bordeaux: 2-0
Bordeaux needed to win this game to pass AS Roma in the group standings and qualify for the next round, so it was disconcerting to see the Girondins putting up only a half-hearted effort. Budding star Yoann Gourcuff was surprisingly invisible in this important game.
Teams going through: AS Roma (12 pts), Chelsea (11 pts)
Group B
Panathinaikos Anorthosis: 1-0
Werder Bremen Inter Milan: 2-1
Inter need to clean up their act quick if they want to get far in this competition. Their last couple of results have been worrisome.
Teams going through: Panathinaikos (10 pts), Internazionale Milano (8 pts)
Group C
Basel Sporting: 0-1
Barcelona Shakhtar: 2-3
Facing a second-string Barcelona squad, Shakthar was able to get a win at the Camp Nou but it wasn't enough to get them qualified.
Marseille Atletico Madrid: 0-0
It's been a disappointing showing for Marseille in the Champions League this year as they weren't able to make the group a tightly-contested affair as expected.
Teams going through: Liverpool (14 pts), Atletico Madrid (12 pts)
Group E
Manchester United Aallborg: 2-2
It's a surprising result to say the least, but United were already going through to the next stage. Still, Aallborg should be commended for their effort.
Teams going through: Porto (12 pts), Arsenal (11 pts)
Group H
Juventus BATE: 0-0
Real Madrid Zenit: 3-0
Juande Ramos bagged his first win with Real Madrid after the sacking of Bernd Schuster while Raul's double allowed him to take the lead of the all-time top goalscorers of the Champions League.
Bordeaux Chelsea: 1-1
What is going with the Blues lately? Not only they are slowing down in the Premiership, their Champions League latest performances are leaving a lot to be desired. After convincingly defeating Bordeaux 4-0 in Matchday 1, they could only get a draw in the return match. Are they simply exhausted or are other teams figuring them out? Thanks to this draw, Bordeaux still have a chance to qualify. They'll have to defeat Roma on Matchday 6 to get through.
Inter Milan Panathinaikos: 0-1
Chelsea aren't the only ones struggling. Lately, Mourinho's men have had trouble finding the back of the net. That explains their 1-0 defeat against Panathinaikos.
Anorthosis Werder Bremen: 2-2
Anorthosis have been surprising a lot of people in this competition. They have only one win, but their three draws leave them hanging on to the two leaders. A win on Matchday 6 will send them through to next stage.
Sporting Barcelona: 2-5
With Lionel Messi in the line-up, Barcelona are virtually unstoppable. One has to wonder who will stop them from going all the way.
Group D
Atletico Madrid PSV: 2-1
Liverpool Marseille: 1-0
One goal was enough for Liverpool to dispatch Marseille, but the win comes with a cost as they lost Torres to an injury for the second time this season.
Group E
Villareal Manchester United: 0-0
Both teams needed only one point to qualify for the next round, so the atmosphere on the pitch was a bit subdued Tuesday night. Not taking any risks, Sir Alex Ferguson clogged up the middle of the park with a five-man midfield with Carrick and Fletcher in defensive roles while Anderson supported Rooney who was alone in front. The game opened up a bit in the second half when Senna was replaced due to an injury. Still, I was disappointed by the performance of Villareal's wingers Cazorla looked dangerous only on one play while Robert Pires was conspicuously invisible. Villareal's strength comes from their midfield, and on that night, they were dominated by Manchester's wingers on that front. As a matter of fact, both Rooney and Ronaldo came close to scoring, but Lopez's stood tall on Ronaldo's opportunity, deflecting the winger's shot on the crossbar while Rooney's deflected cross turned into a lob and was saved off the line by defender Capdevila who was later sent off for a dangerous tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo. In the end, both confrontations between the two teams finished on a 0-0 draw, and their identical run in the group stage will send both teams to the next round.
Arsenal Dynamo Kyiv: 1-0
About a week after William Gallas' incendiary comments on his teammates, the French veteran was stripped off his Arsenal captaincy which was given to Cesc Fabregas. The young midfielder showed why he deserved this title by being the architect of the match's lone goal, sending a superbly lofted pass straight in the path of Nicklas Bendtner who hammered in the winner at the 87th minute. The win sees both Arsenal and Porto go through to the next stage.
Zenit Juventus: 0-0
In the infamous group of death, Juventus have been the most consistent club, and after a two-year absence from the competition they now go on to the next stage.
Chelsea CFR Cluj: 0-0
Cluj are continuing to impress everyone on the European stage. After defeating Roma 2-1 on Day 1, they held Chelsea to a scoreless draw which keeps them in second place. Granted, Chelsea didn't play very well. Without Joe Cole on the wing, they lacked the mobility necessary to stretch Cluj's compact defense. The Blues started with a 4-3-3 formation but suprisingly looked better with a 4-4-2 once Anelka came on in the second half. However, Drogba's injury before the hour-mark erased all the momentum they had at the start of the second period while Cluj gained in confidence as time went on. The Romanian even tested Cech late in the game but everyone could tell that they were equally satisfied with a draw
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