UEFA Champions League: The 10 Biggest Storylines as the Second Leg Begins
It's time to find out who the final eight clubs in the UEFA Champions League will be. The group stage has passed. The first leg of the round of 16 is complete. It's time for some seriously dramatic matches.
Storylines abound. Teams are backed into the corner looking for a desperate comeback in the second leg.
Other teams will be without key players due to injury or suspension. Other clubs hope to have players back from injury in time.
Meanwhile, the three Italian clubs are all in danger of being eliminated while all four English clubs are in promising position to advance.
Let's take a look at the 10 biggest storylines in advance of the second leg of the round of 16.
10. Internazionale Vs. Bayern Munich Will Finish 2010 Final Rematch
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The first leg of the 2011 UEFA Champions League match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich provided plenty of drama as a tight-knit match got its breakthrough in the 90th minute, when Mario Gomez put visiting Bayern on top.
Now the tie goes to Munich, Germany. Inter has its work cut out for it but is by no means out of contention. If it's able to steal its own 1-0 lead after regulation, the defending champs can force extra time and even a shootout.
Neither club has experienced the form it enjoyed last season. Bayern hopes a win sparks it back to rare air.
9. Gerard Pique Suspended for Second Leg
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Barcelona central defender Gerard Pique picked up his third yellow card of the UEFA Champions League campaign against Arsenal in the first leg, thus earning a one-match ban.
Pique surely hopes that he hasn't played his last match of the 2011 Champions League season.
Even with Pique and without team captain and fellow defender Carles Puyol, Barca's defense looked very penetrable in the first leg.
Arsenal earned two goals but had other gilt-edged opportunities as well, including Robin Van Persie's close-range shot early in the first half that was parried away by Victor Valdes.
8. Chelsea Finding Dominant Form in Champions League
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Chelsea F.C. may be out of the FA Cup and it may be nearly impossible for the London club to win the English Premier League, but that hasn't stopped the Blues from likely burgeoning into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Chelsea delivered a routine 2-0 win over Kobenhavn in the first leg after earning 15 out of a possible 18 points in the group stage.
There is a storm brewing in West London fueled by the likes of Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and more.
Chelsea's home leg should end up as a cruising tuneup for the quarterfinals.
7. Carles Puyol May Return to Barca Backline
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Barcelona central back Carles Puyol returned to training Thursday after spending more than a month rehabbing knee surgery.
The Catalan club couldn't be happier.
After Arsenal picked apart the Barca defense in the first leg of their Champions League tie, central defender Gerard Pique will miss the second leg, serving a suspension for bookings.
Puyol, the team captain, hopes to be back in time for the March 8 meeting in Barcelona with his club against a 2-1 decision in London.
6. Can Shakhtar Donetsk Make the Quarterfinal?
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Shakhtar Donetsk shocked AS Roma in the first leg of their Champions League matchup, nabbing a 3-2 division as the away side.
Now the Ukrainian club looks to force its way into the last eight for the first time in team history. All it needs to do is hold its position.
Expect the Pitmen to sit back in defense and push out with possession when possible. With three away goals in tow, there isn't much reason to be aggressive.
5. Real Madrid's Sami Khedira to Miss Second Leg with Lyon; Ronaldo, Too?
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Real Madrid is starting to find reasons to worry. After drawing with Lyon in France in the first leg, the Merengues have only suffered losses since.
The first loss is midfielder Sami Khedira, who suffered a thigh injury in the first leg that will leave him out of the second match. But he may not be the only one.
Cristiano Rinaldo suffered his own thigh injury while scoring a hat trick over Malaga FC Thursday. The injury is expected to keep Ronaldo sidelined for 10-15 days, with the second leg to be played March 16.
If Ronaldo is unfit, the pressure to score falls to Karim Benezma—who leads the team with five tournament-phase goals—Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka, who should be returned to the Champions League lineup after recovering from knee surgery.
4. Will Arsenal's Robin Van Persie Miss Second Leg?
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Arsenal didn't just lose a decision to Birmingham City 2-1 in the English Cup Final, they lost their striker for three weeks.
Robin Van Persie suffered a knee injury that has led Gunners manager Arsene Wenger to determine the flying Dutchman "definitely out" for the second leg of Arsenal's round of 16 tie with Barcelona.
Van Persie was the most dangerous player on the pitch in the first leg—Samir Nasri could make an argument himself—and will be sorely missed.
The Gunners now hope that Andrei Arshavin's impressive game-winning strike in the first leg wasn't just one strike of genius but the start of more to come.
3. Will All Three Italian Clubs Be Eliminated?
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Internazionale, AC Milan and especially AS Roma are all in big trouble.
Roma particularly disappointed in the first leg when Shakhtar Donetsk defeated them 3-2 in Italy. Inter fell at home in the 90th minute to Bayern Munich 1-0, and AC Milan was beaten 1-0 at home by Tottenham Hotspur.
To advance, all three Serie A clubs must do what has only been done once in Champions League history: overturn a first leg deficit away from home.
Inter and Milan obviously have the easier road in doing so, albeit against stout competition. However, it is not hard to imagine Inter's Wesley Sneijder or Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic providing the necessary magic. For Roma, however, a 2-0 win in the second leg is the easiest way to a clean advance.
Could no Serie A team be in the last eight?
2. Fabregas Questionable, Walcott Doubtful for Arsenal's Second Leg with Barca
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The fact that Robin Van Persie is out for Arsenal's second leg against Barcelona in Camp Nou only compounds the Gunners' attack uncertainty.
Attacking mid Cesc Fabregas and winger Theo Walcott both suffered injuries Feb. 23. Walcott's ankle injury has all but ruled him out and Fabregas' hamstring injury has him questionable for the second leg, although he has stated that he's on schedule to return.
The pressure now falls to Andrei Arshavin, Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh. Both Bendtner and Chamakh scored in a 5-0 FA Cup fifth-round rout of Leyton Orient in relief of the injured starters.
Undoubtedly, the Arsenal attack is crippled.
1. Could Four EPL Teams Advance to Quarterfinals?
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English domination could be back. A year after only two English Premier League clubs made it to the quarterfinals, with neither advancing, four are set up nicely to advance to the last eight.
Tottenham Hotspur earned a 1-0 away decision over AC Milan and Chelsea F.C. earned a 2-0 away decision over Kobenhavn in first-leg ties. Arsenal snatched a 2-1 home win over Barcelona and Manchester United earned a 0-0 draw at Marseille.
Tottenham and Chelsea look to be in comfortable position. Manchester United should find a breakthrough at home after dominating the first leg and just not finding the net.
Arsenal looked to be in great position before a rash of injuries has limited its lineup for the second leg vs. Barcelona.
It's more difficult to see the Gunners holding on in Spain with Barca only needing a 1-0 decision to advance.
