The first leg of the Champions League's Round of 16 continues this week as the best clubs in Europe continue on toward Wembley.
Eight more teams kick off their respective knockout fixtures today and tomorrow, and like last week, there are some great matchups that should get fans excited.
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Let's have a look at this week's games:
Tuesday, February 22
FC Copenhagen v. Chelsea - On paper, this should be a very lopsided pairing, as Chelsea have established themselves as a genuinely world class side over the past half decade or so.
Of course, this year has not gone so well for the Londoners, with Carlo Ancelotti's side looking at times like world beaters, but at other times very beatable. The problem for Chelsea is that they've spent considerably more time this season looking like also-rans rather than the dominant club that could has roughshod over some very good teams the past few years.
Over the transfer window Chelsea broke the bank for Fernando Torres, and they are still waiting for him to look the part. While Torres takes his time getting acclimated, the already fragile team chemistry seems to have taken a hit.
Copenhagen have drawn Chelsea at just the right time. And while they still have to be considered the underdogs of this pairing, they certainly wouldn't shock anyone if they were to pull off a positive result at home today.
Lyon v. Real Madrid - Two clubs that have both spent the better part of the season chasing a league rival that has just been out of reach.
Lyon is playing great football this season, as per usual. Currently second in Ligue 1 behind Lille, Lyon have translated their league form to Champions League play. They've been near perfect at home, and if not for a disastrous visit to Gelsenkirchen, they likely would have topped their group.
Finishing second in Group B means that they have to take on Group G winners Real Madrid, a daunting proposition for almost any club. Lyon has the advantage of hosting the first leg, and will need to hold the Spanish giants to a decent scoreline if they want to have any shot of pulling off a miracle at the Bernabeu.
Wednesday, February 23
Marseille v. Manchester United - The Red Devils are firmly in first place in the English Premier League, and were hardly troubled in the group stage of the Champions League.
This is hardly new territory for Manchester United, and yet this season's edition of the team seems different somehow. Perhaps it's because superstar striker Wayne Rooney has - outside of his world class strike ten days ago - been completely underwhelming on the pitch, meaning that United have had to rely on a cast of characters that is hardly the array of sublime talents that an Alex Ferguson team usually boasts.
That's not to say that the players aren't individually very good - they are - but the current Man United side seems one that is much more of a team rather than the collection of hyper-talented individuals that has worn the red and black in recent years.
While Dimitar Berbatov and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez are both great players (and I firmly believe that Hernandez is on his way to big things), it is interesting to see them take on the brunt of the goalscoring void created by Rooney's dip in form (and also, Cristiano Ronaldo's departure a couple of years back) and run with it. No matter though, it's working.
As for Marseille, they don't really stand a chance over the two legs of this fixture. Stranger things have happened, of course, but it wouldn't be surprising to see United win both legs rather handily.
Inter Milan v. Bayern Munich - Over the past few years, this would have been a likely pairing for the Champions League Final. Hell, it was the pairing for the final a few months ago. This season, however, both sides have struggled to live up to their massive histories, instead limping along as also-rans in their respective leagues.
Both are still better than just about every club in the world, and yet neither side could really be considered among the truly elite teams on the planet right now.
Inter got humbled by a plucky Tottenham side in the group stage, while Bayern took care of business on their end but have been struggling (relatively) in the Bundesliga thus far this season.
Both sides will be eager to use this fixture to jump start the stretch run of their respective seasons, plus the Bayern players must surely be looking for redemption after being thoroughly dominated by their opponents in that aforementioned Champions League Final back in May, which means that this could become an epic battle over the two legs.