Although Frank Lampard has been struggling to regain his form and fitness, class is permanent. But a lone goal by star striker Darwin Nunez with 13 minutes remaining gave Benfica the edge they needed to get through in Amsterdam, shocking Ajax fans in the process. Reigning champions Chelsea eased to a comfortable 2-0 home win over Lille in the first leg, thanks to goals from young forwards Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic. He is far from being above criticism but the reshaping of Chelsea will demand more invention no matter who happens to be in the thick of the attacks. I believe a 2-0 result at Old Trafford will see United through 3-1 on aggregate, where either Inter Milan, or Schalke will be waiting. Football on TV this week: Matches to watch & live stream in India today, tomorrow & this weekend. Liverpool arguably have the most favourable draw among the three English sides, with Jurgen Klopps side facing Benfica, who surprisingly eliminated Ajax in the last-16. Wayne Rooney and John Terry are old friends, but also very familiar rivals in the Premier League. The French side need to win by two goals just to force extra time.

A loss will see them bow out. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. Liverpool are the third English side still in the running for Champions League glory this season, and Jurgen Klopps side face Portuguese foes in Benfica. However, the Spanish side clawed a goal back in the 66th minute through Dani Parejo with this series now on an absolute knife-edge going into the second leg in Italy. The German had joked he would drive a seven-seater if it meant getting his team to their last-16 tie in Lille earlier this week.

All rights reserved. Express. If Chelsea had thoughts of completing an unlikely fightback, they were snuffed out almost immediately as another Giggs cross found Park unmarked on the angle of the penalty area, the South Korean making the most of the time and space afforded to him to beat Petr Cech. Fletcher will surely cause Lampard some problems, and make the midfield battle anything but a cake walk, but in the end I see Lampard having a slight edge over Fletcher. DON'T MISSCristiano Ronaldo's telling Man Utd training ground actions[ANALYSIS]Angry Man City boss Guardiola gives brutal answer over Kyle Walker ban[NEWS]Arsenal beating Man Utd to Champions League would hit Kroenke hard[LATEST]. The first leg of that encounter will take place at Santiago Bernabeu, despite Chelsea being drawn out first, as the two Madrid sides cannot play at home on the same day and Atletico get priority as La Liga title holders. Ancelotti could not be passive either and Salomon Kalou took over from Nicolas Anelka after an hour. Champions League quarter-final draw: When could Man Utd learn fate? Think otherwise on my prediction or verdict for key battles? The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Ancelotti took the gamble of favouring the British record 50m capture from Liverpool ahead of Drogba in an attempt to overhaul the one-goal advantage United were protecting from the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic rounded off a decent home victory for the west Londoners. Ancelotti made the big call in selecting Torres ahead of Drogba and the early signs looked good for Chelsea as they took the game to United with ambition and purpose in pursuit of the goal they required. The other tie sees 2020 winners Bayern Munich in action against Europa League champions Villarreal. The Rojiblancos have their own meeting with Premier League opposition to contend with as, after dumping Manchester United out in the last-16, they are set to lock horns with Manchester City and former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. United keeper Van der Sar made light of his 40 years with a sprightly dash from goal to make a perfectly timed tackle and clearance on Anelka as the Chelsea striker escaped the attentions of his markers. Champions League action will be returning this week, as Liverpool and Manchester City aim to cement their place in this year's quarter-finals. With Chelsea likely to operate with a three-man midfield, the battle for supremacy in the middle of the park will be vital to the outcome of the match. Nicolas Anelka was twice narrowly off target and Frank Lampard should have done better than shoot straight at Edwin van der Sar following good work by Florent Malouda.

Barca finally get letter W back, Karim Benzema hit top form when downing Paris Saint-Germain, dumping Manchester United out in the last-16. With the form Nani has been in, its simply too hard for any defender to slow down Nani.

Scorers Hernandez and Park celebrate with team-mate Wayne Rooney (right), Drogba gave Chelsea hope in the second half at Old Trafford, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites, Hernandez was full of movement and menace - in sharp contrast to Torres, who played in a fog of lost confidence, a pale shadow of his former quicksilver and predatory self, Ferguson unsurprised by Chelsea selection. Despite Rooney's appetite for the game, Rooney has been less than prolific against Chelsea.

Now, if the two teams are level on goals after 180 minutes, then extra time (consisting of two 15-minute halves) will be played, with penalties to follow if the deadlock still hasn't been broken.

It is very hard to think that limited time remains for the Welshman in football, even though the plain facts of physiology mean that, before too long, time will run out even onhim. Copyright 2022 Sporting News Holdings Limited. This key battle is truly important for both teams, as both key players have the ability to change a match. Although Torres is strugling to regain his top form, Vidic is struggling to regain his fitness. UEFA will provide a free live stream of the draw on their official website. Liverpool's other Colombian: Could Anderson Arroyo's incredible journey end with a Luis Diaz reunion in red? A loss and they're out. John O'Shea fashioned the original opening with a perfect pass inside Anelka and Giggs was equally incisive with a cross that was bundled into the roof of the net in trademark fashion by the predatory Hernandez. Access the best of Getty Images and iStock with our simple subscription plan.

A loss will eliminate the English side. A win for the Dutch side by any scoreline would see them qualify, but any draw would see them go to extra time. It was his replacement, the 33-year-old Didier Drogba, who scored to tie this match at 1-1. A loss would see them eliminated. Although eight years his junior, Essien has certainly been around for a while and has arguably been Chelsea's most consistent performer since moving form Lyon in 2005. Both stars embody the culture of their club, and are viewed as leaders on the pitch. The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on 5-6 April, with the return legs a week later on 12-13 April. There is, of course, no sentiment and Paul Scholes, for example, remained on the bench here, just as he had at StamfordBridge. They are reduced in stature and also saw their numbers cut here when the midfielder Ramires, already booked, was sent off with a second yellow card after he had fouled Nani 20 minutes from the end.

Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Almost immediately, Park Ji-sung was in an abundance of space to restore his side's lead in the game. Big week in the #UCL! That being said, Terry will likely employ a deep defensive line to cater to the pace and power of United's attack. The quarter-finals will get underway in April with the draw to be held later this month. When Chelsea travels to Old Trafford, I think United will put the game away.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. The desperation was shown most vividly in the red card that ended Ramires's night and Chelsea's already dwindling hopes. Both Frank Lampard and Darren Fletcher have shone in recent clashes between the two perennial title contenders. The away goals rule, which saw goals scored away from home serve as the tiebreaker in case teams were even on aggregate goals scored, had been in place since 1965.

It's the same story for Villarreal: Win and advance, draw and go to extra time.

Showing Editorial results for chelsea v manchester united uefa champions league quarter final.

The draw for the semi-finals will also be made.

This stage concludes with reigning Champions League holders Chelsea traveling to Lille and Juventus welcoming Villarreal to Turin. As a Manchester United fan, I hope United can reopen the same wounds left in 2008, when United pipped Chelsea to Europe's ultimate honor, in a penalty shoot-out in Russia. Third last year in Portugals Primeira Liga and third once more this season 12 points behind leaders Porto Benfica are into this stage of the Champions League for the first time in six years, while they last reached the semis in 1990, when they went on to make the final and lose to AC Milan.

Live text and data provided by The Press Association. He has been astute as ever, introducing new faces while still tapping the talent of some senior footballers. A reminder that away goals will not count as a tiebreaker beginning this season. The newly re-instated England stalwart will have to count on his defensive skill and experience in shutting down some of the most talented players in the world.

It was honors even in the first leg, with Ajax taking the lead twice, only to be pegged back by the Portuguese side, leaving this series firmly in the balance going into the second leg. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. There won't be any seedings or country protection for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In the past three seasons, Nemanja Vidic has been sent of four times while playing against the Spanish Torres.

All the same, nothing could suppress Manchester United for long. This service is provided on talkSPORT Ltd's Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy. The South Korean had been picked out by the outstanding figure in this contest. There was no scope left for etiquette on Ancelotti's part and Torres was withdrawn. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Javier Hernndez celebrates scoring Manchester United's first goal against Chelsea in their Champions League quarter-final. Time limits and T&Cs apply 18+ Begambleaware.org. The Red Devils hit the woodwork and then watched Atletico Madrid take the lead through Renan Lodi. An evening such as this will, all the same, keep him safe from melancholy. All of the teams still involved at this stage of the competition are hoping to make their way to the final at Stade de France on May 28 with that contest having been moved from Saint Petersburg in Russia.

it to the Stade de France in Paris on May 28. talkSPORT.com is also running a live blog. Javier Hernndez was ruled offside by a fraction as headed in a splendid cross by Wayne Rooney when the Mexican, in effect, was barely leaning beyond his marker. Chelsea's efforts to somehow snatch at a lifeline suffered a setback with 20 minutes left when Ramires flew into a reckless tackle on Nani and left referee Oligario Benquerenca with no option other that to brandish a second yellow card.

Round of 16 concludes It will be broadcast live from the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. Although Chelsea is a strong side, Stamford Bridge is not the fortress it once was.

That means any team can play against anyone else in the competition, regardless of whether they play their domestic football in the same league.

Elsewhere in the last eight, Manchester City will take on Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich must make their way past Villarreal. It is safe to say that Fernando Torres has always been a constant thorn in Nemanja Vidic's side. None of that will have weighed on the minds of an Old Trafford crowd that has witnessed Sir Alex Ferguson reassert his command so swiftly. All eight teams will be drawn one-by-one to reveal the four fixtures - similar to an FA Cup or Carabao Cup draw. Lille have only lost once at home this season and will provide a tough challenge for the English side. The attacker is the embodiment of the perceptiveness with which Ferguson has reinforced hissquad. Scholes' powerful presence and inherent leadership qualities make him one of the most respected players currently playing. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Drogba then gave Chelsea hope, if only for a matter of seconds, when he took Michael Essien's pass on his chest and drilled a low finish beyond Van der Sar. See you soon, @LFC!#EPluribusUnum #UCLdraw #UCL pic.twitter.com/GgJEJLPXuI. The final will now be held at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday 28 May. Starting with this season, the away goals tiebreaker will no longer be in place in the Champions League knockout rounds. Nani has been in superb form this term, and appears to have improved his all-round game immensely.He has scored 9 goals and set up 16 this season in all competitions and has a league efficiently ratio of a goal or assist every 92.86 minutes. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services.

The Reds remain in the hunt for a possible quadruple this season and will be desperate to their hands on a seventh European cup.