UCL Quarter Finals

One of the things that get me going are the UEFA Champions league quarter finals! Today was the drawing for the UEFA champions league Quarter Finals, and this is how the match ups came about

1st Leg
APril 05 2011 12:45 PST

Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspurs
Inter Milan vs Shalke 04
 April 06 2011 12:45 PST
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Barcelona vs Shaktar Donetsk


2nd Leg
APril 12 2011 12:45 PST
Manchester United vs Chelsea
Shaktar Donetsk vs Barcelona
APril 13 2011 12:45 PST
Tottenham Hotspurs vs Real Madrid
Shalke 04  vs Inter Milan

One of things i noticed is that most of the major teams aspiring to win the cup or the favorites are the ones playing the first leg ; Madrid, barca, inter, and Chelsea, Only exception is Manchester for obvious reasons. Which goes to show that all the smaller teams have the upper hand, Teams like to close in their home stadiums it makes for a better. atmosphere for the team mainly.. BUT it doesn't always work. Look at last years elimination from Barca and this years Bayern Exit. I say doesn't matter where you play last it just matters how you play period. Another curiosity is that if Barca and Madrid are to progress to the semifinals they will face each other, which could give up to 5 Spanish Classicos in one season. How those games play out will be interesting.. Barca have beat them at the nou camp by 5 goals this season BUT if there is anything we have learned from Mourinho is that it doesn't happen twice.. see the group stages how they were beaten last season and on the semifinals the lost to Inter. I don't think Neither Barca or Madrid will get a treble. A lot of bad things can be said about Mourinho but he is alive in all three competetions from a team that had the potential but couldn't win anything last season.

My predictions for semifinals are
Manchester Move Through
Shalke 04(underdog Moves Through)
Barcelona (Hard but will move through)
R Madrid (tough time as well but move through)