England with three teams in last eight

For the umpteenth time in European club football, English teams rule the roost with the number of representatives in the Champions League quarter-finals.

This season, although Arsenal dropped by the wayside in the previous round, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are still fighting it out for the silverware.

The other five teams still in the competition hail from...

Spain − Barcelona, Real Madrid.
Italy – Inter.
Germany − Schalke 04.
Ukraine − Shakhtar Donetsk.

Last season, England had two teams and France the same number but this year the latter nation finished with nil. There have been 12 previous occasions that, at least, three teams from one country reached the last eight, as follows:

England (5) − 2000-01, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11.
Spain (4) − 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03.
Italy (2) − 2004-05, 2005-06.
Germany (1) − 1997-98.

Since Arsenal started playing for the first time in the Champions League, this is the ninth time that they were eliminated in the knock-out phase of the elite tournament.

2000-01 − quarter-final to Valencia (home 2-1, away 0-1).
2003-04 − quarter-final to Chelsea (away 1-1, home 1-2).
2004-05 – last 16 to Bayern Munich (away 1-3, home 1-0).
2005-06 − final to Barcelona in Paris (1-2).
2006-07 – last 16 to PSV Eindhoven (away 0-1, home 1-1).
2007-08 − quarter-final to Liverpool (home 1-1, away 2-4).
2008-09 − semi-final to Manchester United (away 0-1, home 1-3).
2009-10 − quarter-final to Barcelona (home 2-2, away 1-4).
2010-11 – last 16 to Barcelona (home 2-1, away 1-3).

All-England clash

For the second time in the competition’s history, Chelsea and Manchester United will cross each others’ shadows in the continent.

The first occasion was in the 2008 final of the Champions League in Moscow where United prevailed in a tense penalty shoot-out.

The first clash at Stamford Bridge is scheduled for next Tuesday.

This will be the 18th occasion that two English sides will play against each other in European football.

The entire list reads:

• 1963-64 (Cup Winners’ Cup, second round): Man. United-Tottenham: Home 4-1, Away 0-2 (4-3).

• 1964-65 (Fairs Cup, third round): Man. United-Everton: Home 1-1, Away 2-1 (3-2).

• 1969-70 (Fairs Cup, third round): Newcastle-Southampton: Home 0-0, Away 1-1 (1-1).

• 1970-71 (Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final): Chelsea-Manchester City: Home 1-0, Away 1-0 (2-0).

• 1970-71 (Fairs Cup SF): Leeds-Liverpool: Home 0-0, Away 1-0 (1-0).

• 1971-72 (UEFA Cup final): Tottenham-Wolves: Away 2-1, Home 1-1 (3-2).

• 1972-73 (UEFA Cup semi-final): Liverpool-Tottenham: Home 1-0, Away 1-2 (2-2).

• 1978-79 (European Cup, first round): Nottingham Forest-Liverpool: Home 2-0, Away 0-0 (2-0).

• 2003-04 (Champions League quarter-final): Chelsea-Arsenal: Home 1-1, Away 2-1 (3-2).

• 2004-05 (Champions League semi-final): Liverpool-Chelsea: Away 0-0, Home 1-0 (1-0).

• 2005-06 (Champions League, group match): Liverpool-Chelsea: Home 0-0, Away 0-0.

• 2006-07 (Champions League semi-final): Liverpool-Chelsea: Away 0-1, Home 1-0 (1-1) aet, Liverpool win 4-1 on penalties)

• 2007-08 (Champions League quarter-final): Liverpool-Arsenal: Away 1-1, Home 4-2 (5-3).

• 2007-08 (Champions League semi-final): Chelsea-Liverpool: Away 1-1, Home 3-2 (4-3).

• 2008 (final in Moscow): Manchester United-Chelsea 1-1 aet − United won 6-5 on penalties.

• 2008-09 (Champions League quarter-final): Liverpool-Chelsea: Home 1-3, Away 4-4 (5-7).

• 2008-09 (Champions League semi-final): Manchester United-Arsenal: Home 1-0, Away 3-1 (4-1).

After having the better of Inter and Milan, Tottenham face another hard task after they were pitted against Real Madrid.

This tie could turn into a real thriller since both sides were the leading scorers in the group phase with 19 goals each.

Real and Tottenham met once previously in the UEFA Cup semi-final in 1985, when the Spaniards won 1-0 on aggregate after beating Spurs at White Hart Lane.