Flyer

Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: espn.com Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo looks to help his squad keep the UEFA Champions League title in Old Trafford.

The UEFA Champions League entered its version of the Final Four, as three of the Premier League's best will cast their lot for a place at the Stadio Olimpico on the May 27.

Defending champions Manchester United lead a trifecta of English squads that include Arsenal and Chelsea. Barcelona is the Premier League's only obstruction to another English champion.

At the Camp Nou, Messi leads a star studded attack minded squad in the first leg against the imposing physicality of Chelsea on the April 28. While the Blues will carry the second leg on the May 6.

And Old Trafford will host the first leg on the April 29, in an all English League affair, as Manchester United welcome the young and quite upcoming Arsenal squad. The Gunners will look to their home crowd at the Emirates on the May 5 for the second leg.

Manchester United have a schedule into the final month that is the envy of many clubs. Not only are the Red Devils in contention for another Champions League crown, but they are a Premier League to boot as well.

Arsenal is coming off of a dominate victory over perennial Spanish power Villareal and Manchester United defeated F.C. Porto on a 3-2 aggregate. United became the first English team to win at the Estadio de Dragao in Porto, Portugal.

Pacing the champions is reigning player of the year Christiano Ronaldo. Running mate Wayne Rooney and Bulgarian International Dimitar Berbatov will pace a United attack against a pair of French Internationals in Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna.

The most talked back end in futbol right now is that of Manchester United's back four. The sporadic bunch has caused eye soars for the Red Devil faithful with the play of Patrice Evra as well as Gary Neville. They will be tested by the striking duo of Robin Van Persei and Emmanuel Adebayor. Although, the twosome's fitness could be in doubt as Persei is fighting a groin injury while Adebayor, a hamstring of the same variety.

The lone representative not of English premier is Barca. The La Liga leaders are paced by a creative and inventive attack that is led by the aforementioned Argentine International Messi along with Henry as well as Samuel Eto'o, La Liga's leading goal scorer.

Chelsea is flying high after a classic Quarterfinal against English mates Liverpool that saw them pass through on a 7-5 aggregate. While Barca easily handled Bundesliga power Bayern Munich 5-1 on aggregate.

This go around at the Camp Nou as well as Stamford Bridge will come down to Chelsea's ability to muck the match up and bring their physical nature to the smaller, but quicker Barca squad.

The smart money is on a rematch of last year's final as Manchester United and Chelsea appear to be on another collision course, this time in Rome.

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