Barca, Man Utd boosted by Champions League omens

Favourites Barcelona and three-times winners Manchester United have the Champions League formbook on their side ahead of this week's quarter-final first legs when Europe's top table again offers a veritable feast.
United's opponents Chelsea could only draw 1-1 in the Premier League at Stoke City on Saturday when a host of Champions League sides also struggled with Real Madrid going down 1-0 at home and Inter Milan losing the Milan derby.
United visit Chelsea on Wednesday knowing the away side in the first leg have gone on to win the tie in each of the last two seasons when there was an all-English quarter-final.
Chelsea managed the feat in 2009 when they eliminated Liverpool after a 3-1 first-leg victory at Anfield and Liverpool prevailed over Arsenal in 2008 following a 1-1 draw in the opener at the Emirates.
The only one-nation quarter-final last term, when Olympique Lyon beat Girondins Bordeaux, reversed the trend to give Chelsea European hope having seemingly lost touch with United in the Premier League title race.
Another carrot for Carlo Ancelotti's side is the chance to be the first team since Inter in 1965 to win the European Cup in their home city with the final being played at Wembley.
Getting past Alex Ferguson's machine, who just keep on winning despite never hitting top gear and appearing to lack the class of old, will be difficult, though, with United gunning for another league, cup and Champions League treble.
"It's great to be in competition for three trophies but obviously that doesn't mean anything if you don't win," said fit-again centre back Nemanja Vidic, who remembers United's 1999 treble when Ferguson won the first of his two European Cups. 
"It would be a great achievement to win all three trophies but it will be very hard to do, especially if you look at the teams we are facing. It is possible, though."
MOUTHWATERING TREAT
Chelsea's task is not quite as tough as knockout round novices Shakhtar Donetsk's mission when they travel to the Nou Camp on Wednesday to face Barca, 1-0 winners at Villarreal on Saturday to take a big step towards the Spanish title.
Barcelona got through a thrilling last-16 tie with Arsenal and if their quarter-final mirrors that high-class drama, soccer fans across Europe are in for another treat.
"What makes the difference is the desire to be champion," said Barca coach Pep Guardiola, while acknowledging the importance of world player of the year Lionel Messi.
"He has played a lot of games and is not injured, that's a good sign."
The omens are not good for Shakhtar given that in the past four seasons, the two outsiders in the quarter-final draw have always been eliminated, although the Catalans did lose at home to the Ukrainians in the group stage in 2008.
Schalke will not like that statistic either before Tuesday's game at holders Inter, although their 3-0 capitulation to Milan in the scudetto race on Saturday will boost the Germans.
Former Inter coach Jose Mourinho, bidding to be the first manager to win the Champions league with three clubs, lost his first domestic home league game for nine years when Real went down 1-0 to Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
The nine-times winners welcome Champions League debutants Tottenham Hotspur, whose path to the final in their home city looks slightly easier given the doubts over Real main man Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness for Tuesday's first leg.
Mourinho is, however, a master at playing games with the opposition long before the players cross the white line and no one would be surprised to see the Portugal winger in the team, especially an injury-hit Spurs defence.