History-makers hungry for more

There may be no Raúl González tonight but you can expect no shortage of stardust when four of European football's most evocative names take the field in the two remaining UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Continental expedition
Holders Real Madrid CF travel to Manchester United FC defending a 3-1 lead without their leading scorer Raúl, sidelined by appendicitis, while at the San Siro AC Milan and AFC Ajax will seek to break the stalemate of their first meeting in Amsterdam. Between them they have 19 European crowns but for two this season's continental expedition ends here.

Madrid the favourites
At Old Trafford, Madrid will start the night as favourites to progress to a semi-final against Juventus FC. They shone in the first leg at the Bernabéu yet since then have spluttered, losing at Real Sociedad and drawing with FC Barcelona.

Scholes suspended
United, on the other hand, have found their form - "probably our best of the season", according to their manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Like Madrid, however, they miss a key player in the in-form Paul Scholes, who is suspended along with Gary Neville.

Two goals behind
Seven times United have entered a second-leg tie in Europe trailing by two goals and three times they have turned it around. In 1957 they failed to rescue themselves from an identical position in their European Champion Clubs' Cup semi-final against Madrid, the return ending 2-2.

Recent memory
United gained revenge in the 1968 semi-final but it is the sides' quarter-final three years ago that is freshest in the mind. Then Madrid won 3-2 at Old Trafford en route to the final in Paris. A repeat performance tonight and few would bet against the nine-times winners returning to Old Trafford for the final on 28 May.

No formality
At the San Siro, meanwhile, a win for Milan would set up a semi-final against neighbours Internazionale FC. Despite their 0-0 draw at Ajax, however, a home victory is anything but a formality. The Dutch champions have lost just once in six away matches in this season's competition and their prospects of a possibly vital away goal are encouraging given Milan have only kept two clean sheets in their last 18 Champions League home games.

Milan beaten by Empoli
Moreover, Milan lost their unbeaten home record in Serie A at the weekend, beaten 1-0 by Empoli FC. Statistics are funny things, however. Take the fact that Ajax have won only three of their 13 matches in the competition this season yet stand 90 minutes away from the last four. They may have to get there without Rafael van der Vaart, Tomáš Galásek and Maxwell, who are all doubtful. Milan, meanwhile, miss the suspended Gennaro Gattuso.

Rich history
As at Old Trafford, this is a fixture with a rich history. Milan beat Ajax to lift the 1969 European Champion Clubs' Cup, while the Dutch side avenged that loss in the 1995 final. Milan have five European Cups and Ajax four; by the end of the night, however, only one will be dreaming of more.