The draw for the 2008/2009 UEFA Champions’ League is already finished, and it’s an exciting match-up at this early point of the competition. Interestingly, three of the English teams are matched up against Italian teams – England vs Italy. The first leg will be on Feb 24 and 25, second leg March 10 and 11.

Last 16

Inter Milan vs Manchester United
Chelsea vs Juventus
Villarreal vs Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon vs Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid vs Porto
Lyon vs Barcelona
Arsenal vs RomaReal
Madrid vs Liverpool

The current champ and World Club trophy holder Manchester United will face Jose Mourinho and his Inter Milan team at the San Siro. We all know that Man United fans have a grudge against Mourinho, when the 2004 Porto team he managed eliminated the English Champs at this early and went on to win the finals.

Mourinho continued the rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson when he joined Chelsea and took trophies one after another in his glorious years at the Premier League. But at the European level, Mourinho was not able to repeat the feat. His team was stopped at the semis.

But Jose Mourinho developed a friendship with Sir Alex, the Man U manager and they even drink wine together. And I think that there is a possibility that the former could even succeed the latter when he retires. That would be a future news.

Man U had a winning record over Inter at Europe. The last time the team won, they too went on to win the Championship. It would be another glorious moment for the team who, last year won the finals against Chelsea thru a shoot-out.

Chelsea, on the other hand, will face Juventus. This won’t be a walk on the park for either team. Scolari and his Chelsea team will have their hands full, and will try their best to win the only trophy they lack, which is the Champions’ League. It was a woeful Finals appearance last year. I watched it live on cable, and I could not help recalling that missed shot of John Terry. It is surely a blot that he will remember for a long time.

Arsenal will face Roma. The young gunners will have their skills tested this time against a strong Italian Team. Arsenal, along with Chelsea, does not have a European trophy to boast of.
The winningest English team (5) in Europe, Liverpool, is set to meet the all-time trophy leader (9), Real Madrid. This is somewhat emotional for Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool Manager, who is linked to Real Madrid top spot, many times in the past. The current Premier League leader will do its best again, as it has proven itself in the past, that it can match up against the best in the world.

Another thing of interest is the record that both England and Italy, won 11 of the trophies each. I have a strong feeling that it would still be an English team that will win this year’s edition. I hope I would be able to subscribe to a cable TV before the first leg starts in February.

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