English pair set ominous example

After watching Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC power through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday it looks as if it will once again take something special to oust England's four representatives this season.

Ominous
The manner with which Liverpool brushed aside Madrid was particularly ominous for their European rivals. Madrid have won ten of their past eleven Liga games and drawn the other yet had no answer to the waves of Liverpool attacks in the early stages at Anfield and the tie was over long before Steven Gerrard drove in their third shortly after half-time. Liverpool's commanding 4-0 victory suggests that whatever difficulties they might be enduring in the Premier League, they remain a force to reckoned with on the European stage.

Chelsea determination
The same can be said of Chelsea FC who have turned the corner under Guus Hiddink and showed in their 2-2 draw against Juventus in Turin the same resilience and determination that took them to within a spot-kick of winning the competition last May. With Didier Drogba fit and scoring again and the driving force of Michael Essien back in the side, they look like they might be peaking at the right time.

Bayern dazzle
FC Bayern München's emphatic, record-breaking 12-1 aggregate defeat of Sporting Clube de Portugal certainly turned heads – they had taken six group-stage games to score the same number of goals – but it will be interesting to see how they do against tougher opposition in the last eight. Villarreal CF reached the semi-finals in 2006 and showed they can still spring a surprise with an impressive 2-1 win against Panathinaikos FC in Athens. Should they get through, FC Barcelona might be considered more likely to provide a more realistic challenge from Spain, but Pep Guardiola's side struggled against Olympique Lyonnais in the first leg, and the French champions will be far from overawed at the Camp Nou tonight.

Italian pride
Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC look well postitioned to complete England's quartet in the last eight, but their respective opponents FC Internazionale Milano and AS Roma could yet strike a blow for Serie A clubs. FC Porto showed with their 2-2 first-leg draw against Club Atlético de Madrid that with their pedigree in the competition they should never be ruled out. After Liverpool and Chelsea's performances last night, though, England's grip on the competition is looking tighter than ever.