Final 8 are in for a fight
Can anyone stop Barcelona? Does Juventus have enough depth to make up for the loss of its key starters? Is Thierry Henry good enough to lead Arsenal to the final on his own? These are the questions on soccer fans' minds entering the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, which resumes play Tuesday.
With Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid all eliminated in the round of 16, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan are the favorites to raise the trophy in May. Then again, these soccer powerhouses are by no means locks, considering the emergence of giant-killers such as Benfica and, to a lesser extent, Arsenal.
Benfica, Lyon, Arsenal and Inter Milan will play host to the first leg of the two-legged series, while Juventus, Barcelona, Villareal and AC Milan will play host to the second leg.
Here are the matchups:
Arsenal vs. Juventus
Tuesday and April 5
Players to watch: Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Fredrik Ljungberg; Juventus' Patrick Vieira and David Trezeguet.
Quick look: Juventus' Vieira faces his former club of nine seasons for the first time since leaving for the Italian Serie A last summer. Arsenal's confidence is high after eliminating Real Madrid and will face a Juventus squad missing both Pavel Nedved (suspension) and Alessandro Del Piero (thigh) for the first leg.
Prediction: Arsenal.
Benfica vs. Barcelona
Tuesday and April 5
Players to watch: Benfica's Simao; Barcelona's Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o.
Quick look: After stunning Manchester United and defending champion Liverpool, Benfica hopes to repeat the success of fellow Portugal club FC Porto, which won the Champions League in 2004. Former Barca midfielder Simao must outplay Barcelona's Lionel Messi to give his side a chance against the heavy favorites. Benfica's top scorer Nuno Gomes is suspended for the first leg.
Prediction: Barcelona.
Inter Milan vs. Villarreal
Wednesday and April 4
Players to watch: Inter Milan's Alvaro Recoba; Villarreal's Juan Riquelme and Juan Pablo Sorin.
Quick look: Villareal lacks star power but has made the most of its first Champions League appearance, avoiding a close call against Rangers to advance to the quarterfinals. Milan saw its seven-game unbeaten streak end Saturday with a loss to Parma and needs stronger play from its inconsistent forwards.
Prediction: Inter Milan.
Lyon vs. AC Milan
Wednesday and April 4
Players to watch: Lyon's Sylvain Wiltord and John Carew; AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko.
Quick look: Lyon has been eliminated in the quarterfinals the last two seasons and needs another shooting spree from its attack to reverse the trend. AC Milan has scored 27 goals in its last 10 matches while its supposedly over-the-hill defense has allowed only four scores.
Prediction: AC Milan.
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