Star-studded quarterfinals

Real-Man Utd highlights Champions League final eight

LONDON (AP) -- With four quarterfinals each worthy of the final, the Champions Cup is at last living up to its name.

In the past, the quarterfinalists have included some real outsiders. This time, defending champion and nine-time winner Real Madrid headlines one of the strongest lineups in the sport.

The star-studded Spanish giant takes on two-time champion Manchester United on Tuesday, while Ajax Amsterdam, a four-time winner, hosts five-time titlist AC Milan.

On Wednesday, three more former winners are in action. Juventus hosts Barcelona, while Inter Milan welcomes Valencia, the only team not to have won European soccer's most coveted club title. But Valencia reached the final in 2000 and 2001 and is the reigning Spanish champion.

The eight teams have won the title 25 times and have a total of 146 domestic league championships.

Real Madrid vs. Manchester United before 75,000 fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium means Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Raul Gonzalez and Roberto Carlos taking on David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane.

"These are the nights you want to be involved in football for," said Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson, whose club won the last of its two titles in 1999. "It's a game which represents the very best Europe has to offer."

The three previous Champions Cup clashes between Madrid and United have produced the winner of the competition that season. Madrid won in 1967, United in '68 and Madrid three years ago.

Ferguson, whose team drew level on points with Arsenal in the Premier League by crushing Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday, appears to be playing mind games again.

The 60-year-old Scot has suggested the quarterfinal draw was rigged to put the Reds up against title favorite Real Madrid, severely weakening Man U's chances of reaching the final at its own Old Trafford stadium May 28.

Ferguson also has called for Tuesday's referee, Sweden's Anders Frisk, to punish any home player who steps out of line. He noted that Roberto Carlos was sent off playing for Brazil against Portugal in a 2-1 loss after barging into the referee.

"My concern is that we get the strongest possible referee," he said. "What Roberto Carlos did when playing for Brazil shows how intimidated referees can be."

Madrid coach Vicente Del Bosque dismissed the comments attributed to Ferguson.

"He's a real gentleman. He has always talked of Madrid with respect," said Del Bosque, who played in a Champions League final in 1981 when Madrid lost 1-0 to Liverpool.

"At Old Trafford three years ago they applauded us and this says a lot in favor of these people. I don't believe these attacks."

The second leg will be played at Old Trafford on April 23.

Ajax cruised to a 4-1 league win over RBC Roosendaal on Saturday and, with his team 3-0 up at half time, coach Ronald Koeman rested star forward Rafael van der Vaart for most of the second half. Co-striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed the game but should shake off hamstring trouble as the Dutch champion seeks its first triumph since beating Milan in the 1995 final.

By contrast the Italians go to Amsterdam seething after a 1-0 loss at Parma when a goal was ruled out because of a dubious offside call.

"There is anger," said striker Filippo Inzaghi. "I don't know if we'll be able to transform it in a positive or negative way. We're surely going to be ticked off flying to Amsterdam."

Milan, whose last Champions Cup win was nine years ago, hopes that Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko will have recovered from a calf muscle injury to partner Inzaghi and Brazilian star Rivaldo in attack.

Serie A leader Juventus, which last won the title in 1996 and was runner-up the next two seasons, may be forced to face Barcelona in Turin without both Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved and French striker David Trezeguet, who both suffered injuries in the cross-city derby with Torino on Saturday.

Although Juve won the game 2-0, Nedved limped off with a bruised right knee and Trezeguet dislocated his shoulder attempting a diving header. The French star is definitely out of action for 10 days or more while Nedved's chances of facing Barca at the same Delle Alpi stadium are 50/50.

"I don't know if Nedved will be able to recuperate," coach Marcello Lippi said. "I really hope so, because it's crucial for us. In any case, we'll try to turn the page quickly and think only about the Champions League."

Barcelona, whose only Champions Cup triumph was 11 years ago, lost on Saturday for the first time in 12 league and cup games since Radomir Antic took over as coach from Louis van Gaal in February.

"Defeats always arrive at the worst moment and often occur just before Champions League matches. I hope for an immediate reaction," Antic said after the 2-0 loss to Villareal.

Despite lying mid-standings in La Liga, Barcelona still has an amazing record of 13 wins and one draw in its 14 Champions Cup matches this season.

Inter Milan vs. Valencia at San Siro brings Inter coach Hector Cuper against the Spanish club he led to two finals.

Second in the Italian league and now five points behind Juventus, Inter, which hasn't won the Champions Cup since 1965, tossed away two points by conceding two late goals in a 3-3 tie with AS Roma on Sunday.

Argentina striker Hernan Crespo, who hasn't played because of injury since mid-January, didn't leave the bench against Roma but could start against Valencia.

The Spanish champion, which lost to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in its two visits to the final, tumbled 2-0 to Real Betis on Sunday to and is without a win in five domestic matches, the club's worst streak since coach Rafael Benitez took charge in the summer of 2002.

Valencia also had midfielder Ruben Baraja and Argentine defender Roberto Ayala ejected.

 

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