What We Already Knew is Now Done

All four of the quarterfinals went pretty much as we all thought they would. Here are some quick thoughts on the least compelling second leg set of matches in a while: United v Chelsea- Nicholas Anelka lacked the sharpness he has/had at his peak. Could easily have had two goals. Chelsea, as a team, got caught in bad positions defensively. On both goals for sure but 3 or 4 other times. Barcelona v Shaktar- Watch them play and it feels like every player is a superstar, and in a way that's true. Watching the two games in a guy that really shone was Dani Alves. He still has his moments of concern defensively, but he really is the best attacking fullback in the world. Schalke v Inter- It was a great ride. I saw my team become champions of Europe and then be only the second team to ever come back from losing the first leg at home. Going out to Schalke hurts but I can't complain. Spurs v Real Madrid- It is tough to not be disappointed when being knocked out of a competition but Tottenham have a lot to be proud of. They've been on a great run the last two seasons. Eyes on el primer clasico: I was interested to see how the two Spanish teams would approach their return legs, given that their first show down is this Saturday. With Barcelona 8 points clear at the moment anything but a Real Madrid victory will essentially crown Barsa champions. Barcelona traveled much further to play in the Ukraine than Madrid did to London, but they also have an extra day to recover, so I think the hangover factor is about equal. I was a bit surprised to see neither team rested too many of its regulars. Messi got the full 90 as did a lot of other starters. Real Madrid had a lot of players on the brink of suspension and Ricardo Carvalho got burned. His yellow at White Hart Lane will result in his absence in the first leg of the semi-final. We'll have two head to head games to judge these sides on by the time the semi-final kicks off, but as of now I like Barcelona to go through. A draw in Madrid and a win in Barcelona.