After a thrilling night of European football, featuring plenty of goals and moments of sublime skill, it seems the level of the English game is far beyond that of its European counterparts.

It was a night which saw five-time champions Liverpool take Real Madrid to the cleaners, making the Spanish giants look ordinary and ineffective.

Steven Gerrard and his men started the last 16 clash with a definite agenda, and from the first whistle they took the game to their opponents with pace, determination, and aggression.

An early goal from Fernando Torres took the aggregate to 2-0 before the pressure led to a Steven Gerrard penalty and yet more misery for Real.

The pain of being hammered out of the most coveted European competition was not only felt in Spain.

Italy's Juventus shared their misery as they were held to a 2-2 draw which was enough for Chelsea to progress to the next stage.

With Arsenal taking a first-leg lead into Rome, and Manchester United hosting Serie A leaders Inter Milan at home, the English dominance of European and World football seems to be getting stronger.

Will tonight's clashes between Arsenal and Roma be more of the same or could the Italians show a bit of Azzuri class and outplay two of England's big four?

Well, Roma will have the advantage of attempting to overturn their deficit at home, but Jose Mourinho's Inter will have to silence 77,000 fans at Old Trafford.

In their first leg, Inter looked lacklustre and some way off a side worthy of leading Serie A, but could Jose get the best out of his team when it mattered? 

Inter certainly have the talent, boasting some of the top players in the world, including the likes of Ibrahimovich, Adriano, Chivu, and Julio Cesar.

Can Sir Alex Ferguson inspire his high-flying side to produce a memorable European performance and outclass the Italian Giants?

Who will shine on this European night? Who will lead the way for the English champions?

With so many world class players, Sir Alex will have to find the balance.

Personally, I believe United must adopt a similar approach to that adopted by Liverpool, balancing speed and aggression.

These are two qualities for which English sides are renowned, and with the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov, and Tevez, United have a slight edge over their Italian opponents.

However, you can never underestimate the powers of Jose Mourinho.

This will be a clash that will set the world alight, a match that will be so much more than just a last 16 encounter. It's a game for the brave and a mouth-watering spectacle.

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