Pep Guardiola's team won 1-0
at Villarreal on Saturday to establish an eight-point lead over rival Real
Madrid, which was upset 1-0 by Sporting Gijon to end coach Jose Mourinho's run
of nine years without a home defeat in league play.
While Madrid must regroup
before facing English side Tottenham in the first leg of its Champions League
quarterfinal on Tuesday, Barca is in prime shape heading into a match pitting
the competition's favorite against its dark horse.
“Our confidence is at a
maximum level,” Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said. “It will be a tough
series but we are excited to play and the victory (against Villarreal) will
help us a lot.”
In the other two first legs,
Chelsea hosts Premier League rival Manchester United on Wednesday in a repeat
of the 2008 final and Schalke visits defending champion Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Three-time European champion
Barcelona remains the team to beat, however, as the Catalan club's form has been
stellar lately, both on the domestic front and in Europe.
The team has played so well,
in fact, that Guardiola started the game against Villarreal with star forward
Lionel Messi on the bench, meaning the Argentine — the Champions League's joint
top scorer with eight goals — will be fresh for Shakhtar on Wednesday.
Playmaker Xavi Hernandez will
also be fully rested, having missed Saturday's match because of suspension.
Unfortunately for Mourinho,
Real doesn't have such luxuries in selection.
Portugal forward Cristiano
Ronaldo missed the match against Sporting on Saturday with a hamstring problem
and is a doubt for the visit of Spurs, while striker Karim Benzema and defender
Marcelo are also struggling with injuries.
“If Cristiano plays, it is
because he and I risk it,” Mourinho said.
With Tottenham being the
competition's surprise package this season after topping a group that included
Inter and seeing off AC Milan in the last 16, Mourinho is predicting a close
quarterfinal.
“Against Tottenham, a (0-0)
is a good result,” he said about the first leg. “Or, at least, it is not a
drama.” After losing to Manchester United in the 2008 final in Moscow, Chelsea
is looking to take a measure of revenge when the two English powers meet in the
quarterfinals.
Chelsea manager Carlo
Ancelotti said it is the team's “destiny” to have to get past United in its bid
to win the Champions League for the first time.
“This could really be the
time for Chelsea to do something in the Champions League,” said Ancelotti, who
won the competition with Milan in 2007.
“It's important to have tradition and history in the
Champions League. The experience of the team, the personality of the player,
the character, are very important for this kind of game where there is a lot of
pressure.” Chelsea looks like it will relinquish its English title to United,
which moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League at the weekend
thanks to Wayne Rooney's hat trick in the 4-2 win at West Ham on Saturday.
Indeed, with the team having
also made it through to the semifinals of the FA Cup, United is still on course
to repeat its exploits of 1999 when it won the treble.
“When you look at the teams
we will be facing in the next games, it is going to be very hard,” captain
Nemanja Vidic said. “It is possible, though, and I feel the best way to
approach it is just to assess each game.
“It is dangerous to start
looking too far ahead. The achievement would be great but we all know one game
can change everything.” Inter Milan is looking to become the first team in
Champions League history to retain the title, and is also attempting to avenge
its defeat to Schalke in the UEFA Cup final in 1997. Inter coach Leonardo will
have to pick his team up, however, after its 3-0 loss to Milan on Saturday that
left the defending champions five points off the lead.
Schalke has progressed
through to the last eight of the Champions League even though it is struggling
in the German league, lying just five points above the relegation zone.
