Monday, July 12, 2010

Champions League draw: complete team-by-team guide for quarter-finals

By Steve Wilson 126PM GMT eighteen Mar 2010

Wayne Rooney Lionel Messi Franck Ribery - Champions League pull finish team-by-team guide for quarter-finals Simply the majority appropriate Franck Ribery, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney will sense their Champions League predestine in Friday"s pull Photo GETTY IMAGES/AP/REUTERS

Follow the Champions League pull live

How the pull functions

Barcelona 4 Stuttgart 0 Bordeaux 2 Olympiakos 1 Messi fires Barca by Champions League fixtures Sport on radio Uefa Cup pull Manchester City to face Hamburg in quarter-finals

The pull for the quarter-final and semi-finals of this year"s Champions League will take place at 11.00 GMT on Friday Mar 19. Follow it live on Telegraph.co.uk.

The format for the pull is utterly open with no seedings and no nation "protection" - definition Arsenal can pull Manchester United.

The quarter-final initial legs will take place on Mar 30-31 and the lapse matches the following week, on Apr 6-7. The initial legs of the last-four ties are scheduled for Apr 20-21, with the second legs on Apr 27-28.

The last will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on Saturday May 22.

Team-by-team guide

Arsenal Arsenal breezed by a less than fatiguing organisation as winners after overcoming Celtic in a argumentative subordinate tie. A shocking second turn initial leg at Porto was overturned in fatiguing character at the Emirates Stadium interjection to a Nicklas Bendtner hat-trick and a little sorcery from Samir Nasri.

Form guide Back in the thick of the foe for the Premier League Arsenal arrive at the commercial operation finish of the deteriorate in bold health notwithstanding the encumber of a long-term damage to their main striker Robin outpost Persie.

Who is their "Messi"? In the deficiency of outpost Persie, Andrei Arshavin offers creativity whilst majority will rely on the promptings of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenals youthful midfield.

Verdict Capable of mass on any given day their failures in big done at home matches opposite Manchester United and Chelsea spirit at a soft underbelly on the big occasion. A kind pull competence have a semi-final mark probable but doubtful to reach a second final.

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Barcelona Though formula indicate the fortifying champions were less than credible in winning a parsimonious organisation - a home improved to Rubin Kazan roughly costing them dear all doubts about their standing as transparent favourites were dispelled by the fatiguing drop of Stuttgart in the initial impressive person round.

Form guide A initial improved in La Liga to Atletico Madrid last month competence see them second on idea disproportion to Real Madrid but a new 3-0 win over Valencia and the 4-0 drop of Stuttgart both desirous by the unequaled Lionel Messi - equates to the organisation that draws Barcelona in the quarter-finals will proceed the tie in idea rather than expectation. No organisation on the continent can hold a candle to them.

Who is their "Messi"? They have the man himself. And Xavi (who didnt fool around on Wednesday). And Andreas Iniesta. And Thierry Henry. And Zlatan Ibrahimovic. You get the point.

Verdict Anyone who bests Barca deserves the pretension of Europes best. But the formidable to see it happening. Champions both fortifying and elect.

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Bayern Munich Runners up to Bordeaux in Group A but removing the improved of Juventus along the way, Bayern noted themselves out as a intensity force with a 4-1 feat in Turin on the last compare day. A indeterminate leader in the home leg opposite Fiorentina and a improved in the afar leg Bayern modernized on afar goals has maybe put the brakes on flourishing certainty but seasoned European campaigners with sparkling people able of branch a match.

Form guide Unbeaten in nineteen matches in the Bundesliga (after Luis outpost Gaal had 3 matches to save his pursuit during a formidable begin to the season), Bayern are dual points transparent at the tip of the joining and personification with certainty and brio. Less credible in Europe but German sides know about doing pressure.

Who is their "Messi"? Franck Ribery is desired by the tip teams in Spain and England and has returned from an damage by rught afar anticipating his majority appropriate form. Arjen Robben looks some-more similar to the Chelsea version than the injury-prone Real Madrid selected this deteriorate and his wilful 30-yard set upon in Florence valid he still has an eye for goal.

Verdict Never write of the Germans, the proverb goes, but there are improved teams than Bayern left in the foe and home and afar defeats to Bordeaux in subordinate indicate the semi-finals competence be over them.

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Bordeaux Undefeated in a subordinate organisation that contained Bayern Munich and Juventus, Bordeaux are to a little eyes the warn package of this seasons competition. A enlightened pull opposite Olympiakos in the initial impressive person turn didnt exam them as well majority though larger hurdles await.

Form guide A pull with Montpellier and improved to Auxerre dual of their main rivals for the French pretension in their last dual fixtures, both at home, has expel in disbelief Bordeauxs prevalence in France. They still lead the table, though usually by idea difference, with a diversion in hand, but there is a feeling that Europe is proof a distraction.

Who is their "Messi"? If Bordeaux are to lengthen their run in the foe majority will rely on the idea scoring feats of Marouane Chamakh. Wanted by Arsène Wenger no bad decider of a player.

Verdict Capable of giving any one a scare, the actuality that they scarcely let 10-man Olympiakos at the back of in to the compare in the last turn on home dirt suggests a semi-final place is over them.

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CSKA Moscow With dual players criminialized for doping offences during the organisation theatre a little generally Wolfsburg competence hold that CSKA should not be in the competition. But they are. And creation the majority of their postpone with a superb afar win over Sevilla.

Form guide With the Russian joining usually a week old form is formidable to consider though they should at slightest be uninformed for the challenge. Beating Sevilla and heading Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford at one theatre suggests the 2005 Uefa Cup winners should not be underestimated and no one will whim the prolonged outing to Moscow.

Who is their "Messi"? Winger Milos Krasic has been terrorising fullbacks for bar and nation over the last year and the Serbian footballer of the year poses a genuine hazard at your convenience he gets the round at his feet.

Verdict Far from outclassed by United and removing the improved of Sevilla equates to CSKA paint a dim equine in the competition. A semi-final place is really possible.

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Inter Milan The headlines of Italian footballs decrease has been farfetched if the justification of Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge is anything to go by. Emerging from a parsimonious organisation at the back of Barcelona they were, as Jose Mourinho contended, higher to Chelsea over the dual legs and will proceed the quarter-finals with confidence.

Form guide Their lead at the tip of Serie A has been cut to a singular point forward of city rivals Milan due to a new fibre of draws opposite a little obtuse lights but they are still favourites to explain a fifth true done at home title.

Who is their "Messi"? Samuel Etoo valid he has lost nothing of his clinical idea scoring capability given withdrawal Barcelona whilst the promptings of Wesley Sneijder at Stamford Bridge proves they have the silk to fan the defensive steel Inter have prolonged been important for.

Verdict Written off as a European force after unbroken exits to Premier League sides in the dual seasons preceding this one, the gangland slaying of Chelsea done the continent lay up and take notice. Genuine contenders but their obey at the Nou Camp in the organisation stages equates to they are outward the small organisation of favourites.

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Lyon Late goals opposite Liverpool and Madrid combined a hold of play to Lyons thoroughfare to the quarter-finals after they separated Rafa Benitezs stuttering side prior to proving, again, to Real that intemperate spending is no pledge of success.

Form guide After 7 years of undeviating prevalence of the French joining Lyon have been forced to dive it in the last dual seasons domestically but, due to the majority open Ligue 1 in decades, still find themselves only dual points off the tip in fifth place. Unbeaten in the joining in 2010.

Who is their "Messi"? Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez has done light of the loss of Karim Benzema last summer and is a handful for the majority appropriate defenders on the continent.

Verdict Before Yuletide Lyon looked to be on an indomitable downward slip but have strike their straps at the right time of the season. Unlikely to win the foe but will fright no one in the draw.

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Manchester United United done short work of their organisation theatre and inflicted cruel defeats home and afar on an ageing Milan. The form of Wayne Rooney has been main with his goals creation up for the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo after United had primarily looked fatally discontinued by the Portugueses desertion to Madrid.

Form guide As always, United crop up to have grown stronger as the deteriorate has progressed and are on march for an rare fourth true Premier League pretension and presumably a third true Champions League last appearance.

Who is their "Messi"? Were it not for Messi himself Rooney would be a passed cert for the European player of the year and has turn critical to all that United do. Not utterly up to the Argentines standards, nonetheless the loss of Rooney by damage or cessation would be far some-more deleterious to United than Messis deficiency would be to Barcelona.

Verdict Second favourites at the back of the Catalans for the pretension with most neutrals anticipating the span are kept detached until the last and that United can put up a improved show, should they encounter in Madrid, than they did in Rome.

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