24/04/2008 11:54 AM
Manchester United and Chelsea might be in pole position right now to reach this year's European Champions League Final but one major hurdle stands in front of both clubs before they can dream about finishing off Barcelona and Liverpool respectively and booking their place in the May 21 final in Moscow.
And that hurdle is each other.
There is no doubt the Red Devils and the Blues are now the favourites to reach the final of the world's most prestigious club competition after scoring valuable draws away from home in their first leg matches this week.
But the two clubs are at a major disadvantage compared to their rivals when it comes to preparing for next week's second leg matches.
And that is because they face each other in between in not just any weekend English Premier League clash but the match of the season and the one that could decide the destination of this year's title.
While Barcelona and Liverpool will have the luxury of resting key players from this weekend's round of domestic matches to ensure they are at full strength for next week's second leg returns, United and Chelsea don't have the same luxury.
Instead they will be engaged in a brutal, bruising battle at Stamford Bridge in the biggest game of the EPL season so far.
After United's shock 1-1 draw with Blackburn last week, Chelsea suddenly finds itself just three points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's team with just three rounds remaining.
So a win for Chelsea at home on Saturday will see Avram Grant's team go level with United at the top of the table with two matches remaining while United can all but sew up the title with a win at a venue where the Blues have not been beaten in the league since February, 2004.
Even if Chelsea does beat United, the title is still the Red Devils' to lose given they will retain an insurmountable lead on goal difference meaning that if they beat lowly West Ham and Wigan in their final two matches they will be crowned champions of England for the 10th time in 16 seasons.
But at what price will a successful title defence for United or a reinvigorated push to regain the crown they held in 2005 and 2006 for Chelsea on Saturday do to their respective Champions League hopes next week.
In contrast Liverpool is all but secure in fourth place - ensuring Champions League football again next season - and has virtually nothing to play for against Birmingham in their EPL match on Saturday, prior to next week's second leg showdown with Chelsea.
There is nothing more certain than the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will have their feet up resting on the weekend while Chelsea's key players such as Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba are involved in an exhausting, last man standing affair with United.
It's the same story in regards to the other semi-final with Barcelona, while still a slim mathematical chance, all but out of contention for the Spanish League title.
The Catalan giants trail arch-rival Real Madrid by 11 points with just five matches or 15 points left to play for this season and like Liverpool, the club no doubt realises that its best chance for glory this season lies in the winning the Champions League.
That means all Barcelona's energies can be directed into beating United at Old Trafford next week and unlike Liverpool - which drew 1-1 at home to Chelsea in the first leg of their semi-final following a John Arne Riise's disastrous own goal in the final minute - a goal in a draw will be enough for Barcelona to go through to the final after the 0-0 first leg draw with United at the Nou Camp.
So while Liverpool and Barcelona know they have a full week in which to prepare for the crucial second leg matches, United and Chelsea could be hit with anything in terms of injuries to key players just days out from those matches given the expected bruising nature of their vital EPL clash on Saturday.
And just what damage that title-deciding match could have on their respective Champions League hopes remains to be seen.