Spanish and German Big Boys Emphasise New European Order
After the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, it is not a huge surprise that the two Spanish giants of Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the two teams at the pinnacle of German football, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are all in pole position to qualify for the semi-finals.
Should all four clubs negotiate the second-leg successfully and qualify for a semi-final tie, the draw for the last four will be a huge focus of attention for everyone involved. In all probability, all of the clubs involved would probably rather avoid their compatriots in the semi-finals. On the other hand, a Barcelona-Real Madrid final in particular would be such a massive occasion that the pressure on both teams would be absolutely phenomenal.
Certainly, though this season’s Champions League has confirmed a suspicion that many football followers across Europe have had for some time, which is that the German and Spanish leagues have moved ahead of their Italian and English rivals at the head of the European game. This has already been confirmed by the UEFA nation rankings, in which England will slip to third place in the co-efficients at the end of this season. At present there seems to be no match for the brilliance of Barcelona, the rapier attacks of Real, the ruthless efficiency of Bayern, and the imaginative play of Dortmund in either England or Italy.
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