The final four of the UEFA Champions League is now set, and with the exception of Barcelona, it's one big Premiership party. Thanks to an extremely clutch goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, three English teams fill out the semifinal slots, which means there's a good chance we could be seeing an All-English final in Rome for the second year in a row. Europe's premier club championship has been relegated to an EPL battle royale with the 2006 champions trying to crash the party. In one semifinal, the champions of Spain will be pitted against Chelsea, a club that has become prone to defensive meltdowns recently, while bitter rivals Arsenal and Manchester United collide in another. Here's a look at each team's outlook as they prepare for their upcoming tilts in two weeks.
Manchester United: The defending champions looked to be in dire straits after Porto earned a hard-fought draw at Old Trafford in the first leg, but thanks to the FIFA Player of the Year, they got what they needed to steal a 1-0 game in Portugal. Ronaldo's boot from over 30 feet has to be the goal of the tournament to this point, and thanks to an inspired defensive effort, they managed to subdue their opponents and advance with a 3-2 aggregate. Ronaldo's goal keeps United's dream alive for an unprecedented quintuple trophies and a shot to become the first club to ever repeat in this tournament. Facing Arsenal, a team they know very well, Sir Alex Ferguson's team has to feel good about their chances to advance.
Arsenal: Since finishing as the runner-up to Barcelona in the 2006 competition, the Gunners have struggled to post a meaningful result, both domestically and in Europe. But, thanks to a favorable draw that avoided any of the true giants, Arsenal finds itself in the final four. After giving up an early goal to Villareal in the first leg, Arsenal took control of the quarterfinal tie, and scored the final four goals to claim a convincing victory. However, their luck has run dry and they aren't avoiding the big dogs anymore as arguably the biggest one of all stands in front of Arsene Wenger's club. With the first leg of the semifinals on the road, it's imperative for Arsenal to get off to a quick start and put the champions on their heels.
Barcelona: This offensive machine cruised into the semifinals after a stress-free 4-0 win over Bayern Munich in the first tie at home two weeks ago. Bayern needed a miracle at home to extend the tie, but could only come away with a 1-1 draw. That was more than enough for Barcelona to advance. Lionel Messi has spearheaded the offense and is firing on all cylinders, leading the competition with eight goals, including two in the quarterfinal round. Last season, this club fell to an English side that became the eventual champions, losing 1-0 on aggregate to United. This club hopes to avenge that defeat by taking on an equally imposing side in Chelsea. It sets up for quite a blockbuster matchup, but one where offensive opportunities should present themselves.
Chelsea: The Blues endured quite a scare at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool, mostly because of a defense that broke down on numerous occasions. Chelsea has allowed seven goals in their last two matches, suffering through a 4-3 win over Bolton where they blew a 4-0 lead at the 70th minute, and an epic 4-4 draw against Liverpool that was just enough to advance. The lack of defense that has been exhibited by this team is a red flag with Barca coming up. Despite being worlds away on the map, Chelsea is very familiar with Barcelona as this will mark the third time in five years that they will knock heads. They have split the previous two meetings, and will take a spirited effort from Chelsea, especially on defense, if this team wants to get the upper hand.
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