Exhilarating UEFA Champions and Europa League Fixtures Decided

After a thrilling week of European fixtures, the scene has finally been set for the quarterfinals of Europe's two big club competitions.

Europa League

Following their stunning comeback victory at French powerhouse Marseille in the , Luisao-led Benfica will lock horns with Rafa Benitez's struggling Liverpool. Despite the latter's bipolar form this season, the return of Spanish superstar Fernando Torres, who had two goals in yesterday's 3-0 defeat of Lille, should bring added confidence to a side that has great potential of reaching the final.

Of course, the team they will have to defeat to get there, Benfica, is probably the most impressive side in the competition and currently  leading the Portuguese Liga above rivals Porto and Sporting Lisbon. The fearsome partnership of Oscar Cardozo and Javier Saviola up-front, with skillful winger Angel Di Maria, playmaker Pablo Aimar, and in-form Uruguayan wingback Maxi Pereira, will certainly be looking to inflict great damage upon Benitez's side, as they seek to win their first continental tournament since 1990's European Cup.

As well, Valencia and Atletico Madrid will meet in an all Spanish quarterfinal, both after securing entertaining draws yesterday against last year's finalists Werder Bremen and Sporting Lisbon, respectively. Red-hot strikers David Villa and Sergio Aguero will be vital if either of their teams expect to earn a place in the semifinals.

Elsewhere, German side Hamburg and Belgian giants Standard Liege will fight it out for a potential berth against winners of the last quarterfinal, Wolfsburg and Fulham. As can be expected, the latter will be in high spirits after an exciting and unexpected comeback against Juventus, defeating them 4-1 at home after a 3-1 reverse away and aiming the block the possibility of an all-German semifinal.

Champions League

If these fixtures are not breathtaking enough, the Champions League will see two of Europe's most classy and entertaining sides clash in last year's winner Barcelona and English powerhouse Arsenal. Cesc Fabregas will return for the first time to the place where he was picked up by Arsene Wenger at the age of 16 and will surely look to leave an impression. And, Wenger should also have quite the desire to prove the critics wrong and defeat a Messi-led Barcelona that has smashed almost every team in their path over the past two seasons. However, despite who triumphs in this clash, the ultimate winner is football.

In Italy, Jose Mourinho will be breathing a big sigh of relief, as Inter avoid the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, and Arsenal to meet relative Russian newcomers CSKA Moscow. Although the former unquestionably appear to have the advantage in this fixture, Leonid Slutsky's team will be no easy pushovers, as they showed in their 2-1 away defeat of Sevilla.

The other two encounters will see Manchester United meet German behemoths Bayern Munich, who they famously defeated in the 1999 final of the Camp Nou, and the clash of the last remaining French representatives, Bordeaux and Lyon.

So what are your predictions for this year's quarterfinals? Will Benfica emerge against Liverpool to fight for a place in the Europa League final? Can Fulham continue on to defeat Wolfsburg and win their first ever major European competition? Will Barcelona fly by Arsenal and seal a semifinal meeting with Inter Milan? What about Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Lyon, who unexpectedly defeated billionaire boys Real Madrid in the last round?

Share your thoughts.