After drawing one of the most difficult sides in the first knock-out round, Manchester United have potentially an easy route to the final. If we are to beat Porto, we would face Arsenal or Villarreal in the final.

This would mean the only way we could face Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea or Liverpool is if we reach the final with them. However, of all these teams, Sir Alex Ferguson is most fearful of Barca.

“Barcelona are the form team, they have been terrific this season and everyone is taking notice of them,” Ferguson said. “Their first-half performance against Lyon in the second leg of the first knock-out round was absolutely brilliant, they were four up in no time. They can be a threat to anybody and are quite rightly one of the favourites.”

Whilst Ferguson recognises the chances of English teams dominating the Champions League again, he still think Barcelona are the team to beat.

“Last season we had three English teams in the semi-finals and two in the final,” he added. “The previous year there were three in the semis and Liverpool made it to the final. But we have to recognise that our threats don’t just come from England, the big one will come from Barcelona.”

After going through a bit of a blip, drawing before losing two in a row, Barca have now sustained their lead at the top of the team, six points clear of Real Madrid, following their three consecutive wins. With Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry all enjoying fine form this season, I am certainly pleased that we wouldn’t have to play them until the final, if we get there!





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