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
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