Following the internationals and domestic competitions, the focus returns to Champions League activity this week, with the first quarter-finals taking place on Tuesday.
Here is a look at both matches: Real Madrid v Tottenham and Inter Milan v Schalke 04.
Spurs have enjoyed a tremendous first campaign in the competition, surprising many on their route to the last eight. However, they take on the biggest of the big boys in a mouth-watering clash against nine-time winners, Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants are second favourites in the outright betting at 19/5 so it is no surprise to see them installed at 4/11 in the match betting to take a lead to White Hart Lane, with Spurs available at 7/1 to cause yet another surprise. The draw is on offer at 7/2.
Jose Mourinho’s men have been a different class domestically to most of their rivals but have run into the obvious problem of Barcelona, while Los Merengues have put recent European troubles behind them on their march to the quarter-finals.
Mourinho lost his nine-year, 150-match unbeaten home league run (accumulated as coach of Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Madrid) at the weekend with a shock 1-0 defeat to Sporting Gijon at the Bernabeu which may tempt some into taking the 7/1 on Spurs, who did of course triumph 1-0 at the San Siro against AC Milan in the last-16.
However, the Gijon defeat will surely sharpen the focus for the Champions League, not least because Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona potentially await in the semis and as the saying goes, lightning never strikes twice.
Real have won all four games at the Bernabeu in the Champions League without conceding a goal, which included a 3-0 win over bogey-side Lyon in the last-16 clash when the wheat had been sorted from the chaff.
They also finally ended their last-16 hoodoo, reaching the quarters for the first time in seven years, and will be keen to make amends for the weekend loss which has all but ended their hopes of usurping Barca in La Liga.
Harry Redknapp’s men have of course given huge entertainment to anyone who has seen them in Europe this season, with the possible exception of Arsenal supporters, but in the last-16 clash against AC Milan there appeared to be a change of focus, with less emphasis on the all-guns blazing approach.
Spurs sneaked the away goal at the San Siro to win 1-0 but they had struggled in the group stages with defensive frailties undermining their obvious goal threat. They scored eight goals in three away matches but did not win a game.
There has been much talk about Gareth Bale’s heroics in the second-half against Inter but it should not be forgotten they were played off the park in the first half and went in at the break 4-0 down.
The 1-0 win against AC Milan probably says more about the Italians than it does about Spurs, who have recently let in three goals each to Premier League strugglers Blackpool and Wolves, while they have not won in five matches since that San Siro success.
Injuries have also not helped Spurs and although Redknapp believes Bale will be fit for the first leg, perhaps more worryingly for his side is that Cristiano Ronaldo (3/1 to be First/Last Goalscorer) is expected to turn out for Real.
Real certainly have the pedigree to come up with the goods and the best Spurs can hope for is an away-goal to keep them in the tie, with the return-leg at White Hart Lane on April 13.
Defending champions Inter are 1/2 favourites to make home advantage count in the night’s other encounter but they go into the match on the back of a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of arch rivals AC.
The Italian giants did of course lose 1-0 in the home leg of their last-16 clash against Bundesliga opposition Bayern Munich, only to win 3-2 away and go through on away goals.
Schalke are available at 11/2 to cause a shock, with the draw on offer at 11/4, but backers will be hoping that the Germans can keep their European form going because they have been anything but consistent in their domestic campaign.
Ralf Rangnick recently took over the reins at Schalke but it was Felix Magath who steered the side past Valencia in the last-16, with a 1-1 draw at the Mestalla before a 3-1 success at home sealed progression.
It looks a tall order for the German side to follow in Bayern’s footsteps with a win at the San Siro and Inter are fancied to edge a tight contest.
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