Date:15/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031557002100.htm

Sport - Football

Champions League draw: Arsenal takes on Liverpool

Man Utd comes up against Roma

Chelsea to play Fenerbahce
Barcelona faces Schalke

NYON: Arsenal will meet fellow English giant Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinals following the draw made here on Friday.

Four English clubs are in the final eight and Arsene Wenger’s side was the first out of the hat for its first leg at home on April 1-2, with the return leg against the 2005 champion at Anfield on April 8-9.

The tie means that Arsenal and Liverpool will play each other three times in one week as the two European legs sandwich a Premier League game.

Unfortunate

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry told Sky Sports: “we’d hoped to avoid the English teams at this stage but statistically there were bound to be two coming together and unfortunately it’s us.

“We play Arsenal in a league game in between so we’ll be playing them three times in a week.”

“The three games are going to be very, very tight. I don’t think the Champions League is going to be any different, it’s tough.”

He added: “we’ve successfully avoided a trip to Turkey (to face Fenerbahce) so that’s a bonus.”

Old foe

Manchester United comes up against old foe AS Roma.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side inflicted a 7-1 thrashing of the Italians in the return leg of the quarterfinals last season for an 8-3 aggregate win.

The two clubs also crossed swords in the current campaign’s group stage.

Chelsea opens at Fenerbahce while German Bundesliga side Schalke 04 hosts Barcelona.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, who expressed relief at avoiding another English side, remarked: “It’s the first time we’ve ever played Fenerbahce so there’s no history between the two clubs and I think everyone will be looking forward to a good quarterfinal.”

The winner of the Arsenal versus Liverpool fixture will then face Chelsea or Fenerbahce in the semifinals, with Manchester United or Roma taking on either Barcelona or Schalke 04.

The draw: Quarterfinals: Arsenal v Liverpool; AS Roma v Manchester United; Schalke 04 v Barcelona; Fenerbahce v Chelsea.Semifinals: Arsenal /Liverpool v Fenerbahce /Chelsea; Schalke 04 /Barcelona v AS Roma/Manchester United Quarterfinals: First leg on April 1-2 and return leg on April 8-9. Semifinals: April 22/23 and April 29/30

Final: May 24 (Moscow)