UEFA Champions League Power Rankings: Is Barcelona vs. Arsenal an Early Final?

This Tuesday will know the first two Quarterfinalists of the UEFA Champions League with the second leg of the series Barcelona vs Arsenal and Shakthar Donetsk vs AS Roma. Two more teams will join them on Wednesday and the last four will be decided next week.

Three weeks ago I ranked the last 16 teams in the tournament according to their chances to win the championship this season. Let’s see what has changed since then.

16. FC Copenhagen

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COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - FEBRUARY 22: Jesper Gronkjaer of FC Copenhagen is tackled by Ramires of Chelsea during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between FC Copenhagen and Chelsea at Parken Stadium on February 22, 2011 in Copenhagen, D

Ranking before the first leg: 16^th

First leg score: FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea

How are they doing since then?

Danish Superligaen just returned to activity this last weekend after their usual winter stoppage. FC Copenhagen lost 2-0 at Midtjylland, but they still have a 19 points lead in the table.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

Their journey ends next Wednesday in Stamford Bridge. They already did more than expected by reaching the last 16, but they are no match for the other teams still in competition.

15. AS Roma

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LECCE, ITALY - MARCH 04: David Pizarro and Marco Borriello of Roma celebrate a victory goal during the Serie A match between US Lecce and AS Roma at Stadio Via del Mare on March 4, 2011 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

Ranking before the first leg: 14^th

First leg score: AS Roma 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk

How are they doing since then?

Roma lost 4-3 at Genoa four days after the first leg, but they have bounced back since then with victories at Bologna and Lecce, plus a draw against Parma.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

Not only they lost the first leg at home, but they conceded three goals, so now they have to win by two in Ukraine. It seems it’s time to focus on their recovery in the Serie A. Right now they are five points behind neighbors Lazio in the fight for the last spot in the next UCL.

14. Olympique Marseille

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MARSEILLE, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 23: Gabriel Heinze of Marseille gestures during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Marseille and Manchester United at the Stade Velodrome on February 23, 2011 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Michae

Ranking before the first leg: 13^th

First leg score: Olympique Marseille 0-0 Manchester United

How are they doing since then?

Marseille took a big step back in the Ligue 1 by losing 1-2 at home against Lille this Sunday. They are now fourth in the French tournament, four points behind Lille and Stade Rennes.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

The fact they didn’t concede a single goal at home could help them in case they manage to score first at Old Trafford, but the truth is that their chances are slim. They will probably say goodbye to Europe next Tuesday.

13. Olympique Lyon

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LYON, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 22: Sami Khedira Real Madrid (C) in action with Aly Cissokho (L) and Dejan Lovren of Lyon during the Champions League match between Lyon and Real Madrid at Stade Gerland on February 22, 2011 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Scott Heave

Ranking before the first leg: 11^th

First leg score: Olympique Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid

How are they doing since then?

They got a good 1-1 draw at Lille and then crushed Arles 5-0 this Sunday. They are third in the Ligue 1, tied with Marseille in points but with better goal average.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

The logic dictates they are done after next week, but they have a long history of upsetting Real Madrid, so let’s not rule out them yet.

12. Schalke 04

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LYON, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 14: Raul Gonzalez of Schalke during the UEFA Champions League Group B match between Olympique Lyonnais and FC Schalke 04 at the Stade de Gerland on September 14, 2010 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Ranking before the first leg: 15^th

First leg score: Valencia 1-1 Schalke 04

How are they doing since then?

They have been awful in the Bundesliga, with two defeats at Borussia Monchengladbach and Stuttgart. Schalke did better in the German Cup, reaching the Final after beating Bayern Munich.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

Getting a draw at Mestalla was a great result for Schalke, but their next results were a remainder of their inconsistency. Despite their home advantage for the second leg, they are still underdogs against Valencia.

11. Inter Milan

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MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Samuel Eto o (L) and Wesley Sneijder (C) of Inter Milan look dejection during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Inter Milan v FC Bayern Muenchen on February 23, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Vale

Ranking before the first leg: 6^th

First leg score: Inter Milan 0-1 Bayern Munich

How are they doing since then?

The defending champions bounced back with convincing victories against Sampdoria and Genoa in the Italian league, where they are now 2^nd five points behind AC Milan.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

Inter disappointed in the first leg and now to stay alive they have to win at Germany. Good luck with that. It seems the nerazzurri’s reign will be very short.

10. Shakhtar Donetsk

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ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 16: Douglas Costa (C) of Shakhtar Donetsk celebrates after scoring his second goal as players of AS Roma show his dejection during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between AS Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk at Stadio

Ranking before the first leg: 12^th

First leg score: AS Roma 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk

How are they doing since then?

Shakthtar won 0-1 at Sevastopol in their only game since upsetting Roma three weeks ago. They have a comfortable lead of 12 points above Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukrainian Premier League.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

They took advantage of Roma’s struggles in the first leg, so they now have one foot and a half in the Quarterfinals. They will face a much stronger opponent in the round and that should be all for them in the cup.

9. AC Milan

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MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 15: Gennaro Gattuso of AC Milan reacts during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 15, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Ge

Ranking before the first leg: 4^th

First leg score: AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

How are they doing since then?

The rossoneri won their last three games, including a season defining 3-0 over Napoli and a 0-1 at Juventus last Saturday. They seem on the track to get their first Scudetto since 2003-04.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

They are in a very complicated situation right now, but they still could take advantage of their rivals’ inexperience to come back in their series.

8. Valencia

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VALENCIA, SPAIN - MARCH 02: Sergio Busquets (L) of Barcelona strikes the ball flanked by Roberto Soldado of Valencia during the la Liga match between Valencia and Barcelona at Estadio Mestalla on March 2, 2011 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Jasper Juinen

Ranking before the first leg: 9^th

First leg score: Valencia 1-1 Schalke 04

How are they doing since then?

Los Chés are doing much better away from Mestalla than at their own stadium. They drew 0-0 against Sporting and lost 0-1 against Barcelona at home, while they got 1-2 victories in their trips to Bilbao and Mallorca.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

They could repeat the trend showed in La Liga with a victory in Gelsenkirchen. After that, it will depend on their luck in the Quarterfinals draw.

7. Bayern Munich

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MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Cristian Chivu of Inter Milan competes with Arjen Robben of FC Bayern Muenchen during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Inter Milan v FC Bayern Muenchen on February 23, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo

Ranking before the first leg: 8^th

First leg score: Inter Milan 0-1 Bayern Munich

How are they doing since then?

Three games, three defeats for Bayern. They felt to the 5^th place in the Bundesliga after losing against Borussia Dortmund and Hannover 96, while Schalke 04 kicked them out of the German Cup in the Semifinals.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

The UCL is now the only realistic chance for them to get a title this season. They are almost in the Quarterfinals, but they will need to raise their game if they want to advance more rounds.

6. Tottenham Hotspur

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MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 15: Peter Crouch of Tottenham Hotspur scores the winning goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 15, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Ph

Ranking before the first leg: 10^th

First leg score: AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

How are they doing since then?

The Spurs shocked everybody by winning at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium… and then they lost 3-1 at Blackpool and drew 3-3 at Wolverhampton. That speaks bad of the Italian League, but also reminds us Tottenham are still not used to being a top contender.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

I’m still not sold on this team. They got a great result at Milan, but let’s see if they are able to make use of it in the second leg.

5. Real Madrid

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LYON, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 22: Cristiano Ronlado of Real Madridargues with an assistant referee during the Champions League match between Lyon and Real Madrid at Stade Gerland on February 22, 2011 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images)

Ranking before the first leg: 7^th

First leg score: Olympique Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid

How are they doing since then?

Los Merengues lost two points at Riazor with a 0-0 draw against Deportivo, then crushed Malaga’s deputies 7-0 and defeat Racing 1-3 this Sunday.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

It’s time for Real Madrid to end their bad streak in the Last 16 round. Once they do it we can discuss if they are real contenders this year.

4. Manchester United

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MARSEILLE, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 23: Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United is challenged by Stephane Mbia of Marseille during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Marseille and Manchester United at the Stade Velodrome on February 23,

Ranking before the first leg: 2^nd

First leg score: Olympique Marseille 0-0 Manchester United

How are they doing since then?

They followed the draw in France with a 0-4 victory at Wigan, but last week they lost back-to-back matches against Chelsea and Liverpool.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

The Red Devils are still leading the Premiership, but after losing three of their last five league games and a so-so display in Marseille, one have to wonder if they are starting to fade.

3. Chelsea

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COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - FEBRUARY 22: Fernando Torres of Chelsea reacts during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between FC Copenhagen and Chelsea at Parken Stadium on February 22, 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/

Ranking before the first leg: 3^rd

First leg score: FC Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea

How are they doing since then?

The Blues defeated Manchester United last Tuesday and will visit Blackpool this Monday. They are now fourth in the English table, 12 points behind the Red Devils.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

Already out in the FA Cup and with virtually no chances of defending the Premier League title, Chelsea will focus on finally winning in Europe. They are definitely among the favorites.

2. Arsenal

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LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: Robin van Persie of Arsenal celebrates Arsenal's first goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Arsenal and Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium on February 16, 2011 in London, England. (Photo

Ranking before the first leg: 5^th

First leg score: Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

How are they doing since then?

It’s been a very busy schedule for Arsenal in the last three weeks, with five matches in total, the biggest number among the teams in the UCL. They reached the FA Cup Quarterfinals after beating Leyton Orient, lost the Carling Cup Final against Birmingham City and wasted a great chance to get closer to Manchester United last Saturday, getting only a 0-0 draw against Sunderland.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

The Gunners made an impressive come back in the last 15 minutes of the first leg to take the lead against Barcelona. They will definitely be the favorites to win La Orejona if they reach the next round… the only problem is that they still have to face Los Culés at Camp Nou.

1. Barcelona

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LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 16: David Villa (R) of Barcelona celebrates scoring the opening goal with Lionel Messi during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Arsenal and Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium on February 16, 2011 in L

Ranking before the first leg: 1^st

First leg score: Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

How are they doing since then?

Just impressive, as they have been all season. Barcelona won four league games in 14 days despite having several absences due to injuries. Being seven points ahead of Real Madrid, it seems just matter of time for them to celebrate a new title in La Liga.

How far can they go in the Champions League?

Even after losing in the first leg, they are still the clear cut candidates to win another European title. I wouldn’t be surprised if they repeat a performance like last season against Arsenal, when they beat the Gunners 4-1 at Camp Nou after a 2-2 in Emirates Stadium.

Prediction: Barcelona 2-0 Chelsea

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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Adidas present the Official Match Ball for the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium on March 3, 2011 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Gary Prior/Getty Images for adidas)

Three weeks ago I said I expect Los Culés to beat Man U in a 2009 Final replay to win their fourth European Cup.

I still think Pep Guardiola will lead Barça to the championship, but now I feel they will get their third different English side in the Final.

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