Deciding Day for Champions League First Semifinalist

ManU versus Chelsea and Barca versus Shakhtar, four teams are vying for the first two slots for Champions League semifinals. They are playing later tonight in their second leg quarterfinals. Chelsea was humbled by ManU in the first leg right in their own turf and they will go to the Old Trafford to try to overturn the 1-0 deficit. While Barca will visit Shakhtar with high hopes of going through without any trouble after a 5-1 demolition of Shakhtar in Camp Nou. After Barca’s win last week, many believe that and think that they are just waiting for the results of Real Madrid’s game with the Hotspur tomorrow and that they are already assured to reach the semifinals.

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On the other hand, Madrid will visit the White Hart Lane tomorrow to try to secure and wrap up the game after thrashing the latter at the Bernabeu, 4-0 and it’s almost certain that they are already out of the competition. Tottenham needs a miracle to upend their big deficit in Madrid to reach the semis while many reports suggest that Madrid can remain complacent ahead of their second Clasico meeting three days later. Then they will meet again at the finals of the Copa del Rey four days later. While it is a stiff uphill climb for Tottenham to upset the Los Blancos and history is not in their side either. No team has overturned a 4-0 first leg defeat in European competition. It seems that both Real and Barca are certain to face each other again in the Champions League semis. And if that’s the case may be then Barca and Madrid will be facing each other four times within a month starting from its second Clasico this weekend.

I want to see Chelsea in the semis but it’s hard to beat ManU at Old Trafford. And I think Shakhtar’s day in the Champions League have been decided already.