UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Preview: Barcelona Vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Well, the Champions League draw seems to have favoured Barcelona and not the English clubs, which conspiracy theorists will say doesn’t surprise them.

Having said that, Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk is a pretty handy draw for the Catalans. One of the best sides left in the tournament, Barcelona, has been handed one of the easiest teams left in the tournament, on paper that is.

They play an attack minded Ukrainian side full of confidence and not lacking in talent. They beat a much fancied Arsenal to top their group and then dumped Roma out of the competition in the last 16, winning both home and away comprehensively.

Many pundits are calling this as a stern test for Barcelona with the winners meeting Jose Mourinho or a Gareth Bale led Tottenham side

Both teams have netted 18 goals in the tournament so far, so you could not have asked for a more competitive quarterfinal.

Barcelona topped their Group D, a relatively easy group compared to that of Shakhtar with the likes of Rubin Kazan, Panathinaikos and FC Copenhagen, while Shakhtar had a much fancied Arsenal side alongside AC Braga and FK Partizan. Shakhtar's only defeat in the tournament came through the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates, where Barcelona lost as well

The teams have met three times, and the results have been too tight, so that already provides a number quite close—and yes, the Ukrainians have beaten Barcelona at Camp Nou!—so things will not be any easier for the Catalan team.

In the UEFA Super Cup Final, Barcelona beat Shakhtar 1-0 with a Pedro Rodríguez goal deep in extra time in Monaco. The previous season they also played in the UEFA Champions League group stages, both games finishing as away wins—Guardiola’s side triumphing 2-1 in Ukraine with Lionel Messi’s added-time winner but losing 3-2 at home.

Unlike three-time champions Barcelona, who would face Real Madrid CF in the semifinals if both win their ties, Shakhtar are in the last eight for the first time. Lucescu, though, would rather have drawn someone else.

"Of course, it will be very difficult to face Barcelona, they are undoubted favourites in this tie. We are perfectly aware of how Barça like to play, though we are not a secret to them as well. For a club from eastern Europe, being among the last eight in the Champions League is a fantastic achievement. But we are not going to finish here and will do our best to go further

It would be a 'dream' to return to Liverpool - Rafael Benitez

Rafael Benitez has admitted that he harbours a "dream" of returning to manage Liverpool.

The Spaniard parted ways with the club last summer, after an underwhelming campaign that saw the Reds miss out on a Champions League place.

The Merseyside outfit brought in Roy Hodgson from Fulham, but have since replaced him with club legend Kenny Dalglish - who was the last manager to guide the club to the league title.

Meanwhile, the ex-Valencia boss succeeded Jose Mourinho at Inter, but has since left the Italian club after a poor start to the season.

Now he admits that a return to the Reds would be a dream come true, but admits that current boss Dalglish is doing a good job.

"I am really proud of being the manager of Liverpool Football Club and I would like to come back in the future," Benitez told Sky Sports News.

"You never know [when] because Kenny is doing a really good job. It's a question of time. You never know in the future.

"It would be a dream. I would be really pleased to come back in the future."

Benitez also conceded that he is ready to manage another club in England, but hinted that he would not entertain offers from either Everton or Manchester United.

He said: "Fans in Liverpool know the teams I would not go [to] but I think these clubs wouldn't offer me a job.

"I'm a professional but obviously some clubs I would not go to, especially the big rivals of Liverpool. I won't say the names, but it's not difficult!"

Van Persie: Barca should stop nagging

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie claims he was disappointed by the constant 'complaining' of the Barcelona players when the two sides met in the Champions League.

Van Persie was sent off for kicking the ball away after an offside decision having earlier been booked for a scuffle with Dani Alves, and the Dutchman also caused tempers to flare with a tackle on Lionel Messi that saw Barcelona defender Eric Abidal grab him by the throat.

Arsenal lost the game 3-1 to crash out of the competition on aggregate and now Van Persie claims he was annoyed by the overall behaviour of the Catalan giants' players, likening them to Chelsea in England.

"I really didn't understand all the fuss about the foul I committed on [Lionel] Messi. Everybody got angry with me, but I didn't treat him any different than I treat other opponents. Nobody would have complained about it if I fouled Mascherano," Van Persie told De Telegraaf.

"Meanwhile, the Barcelona players tend to nag about everything that happens on the pitch. I was a bit disappointed with that. It's something that the Chelsea players do in England.

"Barcelona are still a fantastic team, but they should really stop nagging and complaining that much. That is becoming extremely annoying on the pitch."