Champions League Quarterfinal Draw

1 Arsenal v Liverpool
2 Roma v Manchester Utd
3 Schalke v Barcelona
4 Fenerbahce v Chelsea

Semifinal draw:
1 Arsenal/Liverpool v Fenerbahce/Chelsea
2 Schalke/Barcelona v Roma/Manchester Utd

So now, Liverpool plays Arsenal on the 2nd and 8th of April in the CL quarterfinals, and in the league on the 5th. Three matches against the current league leaders in a week. The run of games for that time frame will be United (A), Everton (H), Arsenal (A – CL), Arsenal (A), and Arsenal (H - CL) in the space of 17 days. Super.

I’d written that the results over the past month had set Liverpool up nicely for the tough streak at the end of March into April, but now, this will be an utterly hellish run, and it’ll go a long way towards deciding how people judge the season as a whole.

If Liverpool manages to get through, chances are it’ll be Chelsea in the CL semis for the third time in four years.

And while it’s supremely early to even contemplate, the draw sets up so it’s a possibility that United and Liverpool meet in the final. Which I’m sure would be a sparsely attended and serene final in Moscow.

So not only is it one of the toughest possible draws for Liverpool, United’s on the other side of the bracket, drawn against a team they beat 7-1 last year, and with a possible tie against Barca in the semis.

I mean what I wrote when I said that Liverpool shouldn’t fear anyone in Europe with their record and how they’ve played against Inter. But this is probably the draw I’d least prefer.

I’m surprised Platini couldn’t find a way to get all four English squads on the same side of the bracket, but three out of four isn’t bad.

At least Liverpool’s home in the second leg of the quarterfinals.