The last two quarterfinal slots will be decided Wednesday night as Chelsea look to protect their away lead and Real Madrid attempt to overcome their recent record of Champions League futility. Last time around, both games were timid, tepid affairs: fans and neutrals alike must hope the final day of the round of 16 will provide some thrills.
The quarterfinal round will kick off on the 5th and 6th of April and wrap up the following week.
REAL MADRID vs. LYON (tied 1-1; Real have the away goal. TV: Fox Soccer Plus 3PM ET)
Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Madrid is riding on this one game. Failure to progress out of the round of 16 is likely to mean that one of Europe’s greatest coaches will be packing his bags. Sounds harsh for a team that’s in the Copa del Rey finals and sits second in La Liga, trailing only Barcelona, no?
Nonetheless, it’s been seven long seasons since Real Madrid made the quarterfinals, and the pressure on the team is tremendous. It doesn’t help that the team that booted them last season at this time is the same one they must get a result against today.
On paper, it’s not such a tall order: Lyon are hardly world-beaters and Real Madrid boast some of the top global talent. In fact, last time Lyon needed a late rescue in a game they should have lost: Batefimbi Gomis saved his team when he beat Ricardo Carvlaho to a free kick with just seven minutes left on the first leg clock.
That was a bad let-off for a Madrid side that had played a savvy, stolid and defense-first game at the Stade de Gerland for nearly an hour, then used the guile of Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo to cut through an out-classed Lyon central defense. Mourinho has to hope it’s not an omen.
Ronaldo has been injured for Madrid but is expected to make his return tonight, and Mourinho - never one to take risks - rested three other key players on the weekend in a routine 2-0 triumph over Hercules. That allowed them to trim Barcelona’s lead in La Liga to five points. Madrid of course are missing Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain to long-term injuries, but otherwise will field their strongest possible side.
The same is not true for Lyon, who lose Michel Bastos to suspension and have Yoann Gourcuff (toe) and Aly Cissokho (thigh) banged up but expected to start. However, Lisandro Lopez returns from injury, and he’s on a hot streak with four goals in two games.
Lyon of course have the advantage of having no pressure on them: they are still right there in what is the tightest Ligue 1 race in recent memory, sitting just four points off Lille. They can throw the kitchen sink at Madrid and see what sticks.
CHELSEA vs. COPENHAGEN (Chelsea lead 2-0 and hold two away goals. TV: Fox Soccer, 3PM ET)
A resurgent Chelsea look to put the upstarts to the sword in style at Stamford Bridge in a match that most observers think will be a cakewalk.
Copenhagen, previously unbeatable at home, cracked last time under withering pressure and two goals from Nicolas Anelka. It was nothing more than professional - in fact, it was deadly dull - but it proved to be a pivotal game. For, since then, Chelsea have flickered back to life, taking a bite out of Manchester United en route to finally looking like the team they were last fall.
While all eyes remain on the expensive bust that is Fernando Torres - and no, he hasn’t scored yet in a blue uniform - the fact is that this is Chelsea’s last stand. The Premier League title is most likely out of reach, and they were knocked out of the other two cups some time ago. For Carlo Ancelotti - and for what is an aging and increasingly creaky squad - this tournament is all they have left to play for.
Copenhagen have talent - their problem is that they lack speed and incision. Admittedly, the Danes were idle for several long weeks prior to the first leg game because of their league’s winter break, but few expected the sloppiness they displayed. UEFA generously credited the Danes with seven 'shots,' but the truth was that Petr Cech could have sat in the stands in what was the second-most impotent performance we’ve seen in this round.
Cesar Santin and Christian Bolanos were particularly terrible, former Chelsea man Jesper Gronkjaer gifted the Blues their first goal, and Chelsea so dominated proceedings that at times the Londoners played at a walking pace.
Jamie Trecker is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering the UEFA Champions League and the Barclay's Premier League.
