By Adithya Ananth
18 Mar 2011 13:42:00
UEFA Draw
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Manchester United secretary John Alexander believes that the Red Devils have the advantage with the second leg of their last eight Champions League tie against Chelsea being played at home and feels the matches could have a bearing on the Premier League title race.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were paired with the London club in Friday’s quarter-final draw and Alexander insists the tension in the title race will be heightened as a result of the clash.
He told Sky Sports News: “This is a very exciting prospect for both competitions.
“Both teams are still in with a chance of winning both the Premier League and Champions League, so it heightens the tension. We are very conscious of playing the first leg at Stamford Bridge, and it is generally accepted that home leg in the second leg is an advantage.
“Most teams seem to want to avoid a clash with Barcelona so it gives us a chance to progress to the final at Wembley.”
Chelsea secretary David Barnard, meanwhile, admitted his opinion that the Blues would have picked a potential semi-final tie against Inter or Schalke themselves.
“There’s a great rivalry domestically. People are going to bring up Moscow, but we’ve played eachother before,” he said.
“That semi-final draw is the one we’d pick ourselves. I’m sure Sir Alex thinks the same.”
