Goal.commentary: High Stakes For All Four CL Semifinalists

The Champions League semi-finals are upon us, and that means that the football world is gearing up for two nights of excitement.

We hope that these clashes will be as thrilling and engaging as the quarter-finals, which saw Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Porto, and Villarreal bid farewell to Europe's golden competition.

That leaves four teams remaining, and the stakes are high for each one.

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First off are Manchester United.

The reigning champions need little by way of introduction, given that the lifted the trophy in Moscow last season.

But for Sir Alex Ferguson - whose career is perhaps starting to draw to a close, each trophy is a goal unto itself.

His side have a chance to seal two consecutive league and CL doubles, and given that their weekend result saw a 5-2 comeback win over high-flying Spurs, their opponents would do well to note that Old Trafford really is something of a fortress.

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The opposition are none other than Spurs' London rivals, Arsenal.

These two sides know each other inside-out, given that they've met
204 times in official competition over the years, although none of these matches have taken place in Europe.

At Old Trafford, United have won well over half of the fixtures - 55 of the 96 - and they'll look back fondly to a decade past. In 1999 a memorable two-game FA Cup semi-final saw the sides separated in extra time of the second match; two years later, United managed a 6-1 home win in the Premier League.

But Arsenal know that there are two legs at stake here, and they cannot be taken lightly in such contests. Nonetheless Arsenal remain outsiders due to their 'trophyphobia' - not since the FA Cup of 2005 have they lifted silverware.

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Chelsea bring the Premier League contingent to three.

The Blues ousted Liverpool in perhaps the most captivating of the semi-finals, and seem to be enjoying a new lease of life under Guus Hiddink.

The Dutchman has breathed confidence and effervescence into what used to be seen as a huffing-and-puffing side, but they will remember all too clearly the two near-misses last season both at home and in Europe.

Nonetheless, a propensity towards scoring unlikely goals makes Chelsea a force to be reckoned with.

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Finally, there's FC Barcelona of Spain, the last non-English side in the competition.

The Blaugrana are the bookies' favorites, with Goal.com's friends at bet365 offering 2.62 (13/8) for them to go all the way.

Certainly Barcelona can, when on song, play some of the continent's most attractive football. But with a precarious lead to protect in the Liga - and the small matter of a trip to Real Madrid at the weekend - they could be distracted.

But with the Camp Nou rocking and Barcelona on form, there will be fireworks - no doubt about that.

So, there's much to look forward to. With that in mind, how can one follow all the action as it happens?