LONDON (Reuters) - The English Premier League is odds-on to provide three of the four Champions League semi-finalists for the second successive season this week, with Barcelona on course to complete the quartet.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool made it through a year ago and all are well-placed to return, with Arsenal also hoping to have a say.
United's hugely impressive 2-0 win at AS Roma had left the Italians with a mountain to climb as, in 67 Champions League home games, the English champions have never lost by two goals and as they are currently in hot form, look extremely unlikely to buck that trend on Wednesday.
Liverpool, beaten in the final by AC Milan last season, have earned the advantage in the all-English quarter-final after their 1-1 draw at Arsenal - a result the two repeated on Saturday in a Premier League game when both sides made several changes.
Chelsea should also go through despite their unexpected 2-1 defeat by Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
The Turks, in the last eight for the first time, celebrated that victory as if they had won the trophy but though they need only a goalless draw to progress the cold reality of their away form, where they have lost 11 of their 16 away games in the Champions League, still means the tie is weighted strongly in Chelsea's favour.
Schalke 04 will not be totally without hope when they travel to Barcelona having created a series of chances in their first-leg 1-0 home defeat but the experienced Spaniards, unbeaten in their last 10 Champions League games, will expect to advance to a mouth-watering last-four meeting with United.
TOUGHER PROPOSITION
Barcelona and United both drew their weekend league games, the Spaniards held goalless at home by Getafe and the English champions drawing 2-2 at Middlesbrough, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his 37th goal of the season and Wayne Rooney also on target.
Barcelona's Ronaldinho will definitely miss Wednesday's game and could be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring strain while Lionel Messi and Deco still look doubtful.
Schalke can point to a 3-0 European win in Barcelona only two years ago but that was in the UEFA Cup, and against Espanyol.
Their city rivals, in the Nou Camp, represent a far tougher proposition, however, and it is difficult to see anything but progress for the Spaniards.
Roma's already slim hopes of securing a two-goal victory at Old Trafford were further dented by the news that striker Francesco Totti, who missed the first leg and Saturday's 3-2 win over Genoa, will not recover in time to feature.
Chelsea may not have the flair of United or Barcelona but there is no denying their ability to get results and in Europe they have been more than solid.
With several players rested they were uninspired on Saturday but still had little trouble beating Manchester City 2-0 away
They are unbeaten in their last 10 Champions League home games, conceding only three goals, but it is the other end that matters on Wednesday as they have to score.
Didier Drogba, rested on Saturday, will lead the line and manager Avram Grant is confident his side can turn the tie around.
"We have a lot of quality and can beat anyone," he said.
The Turks beat Kayserispor 2-1 with an injury time goal on Saturday to consolidate their league lead and, with a view to the likely shape of Tuesday's game, rested goalkeeper Volkan Demirel.
The final part of the Arsenal-Liverpool trilogy takes place at Anfield on Tuesday after parts one and two ended 1-1 at The Emirates.
Arsenal, having won in Milan after a 0-0 first leg draw in the last round, will not feel overawed by travelling to Anfield needing a result and Tuesday's match looks the most open of the four.
(Editing by Miles Evans)
