Real Madrid and Barcelona are now likely to meet each other in the Champions League semi finals after both teams recorded big wins in the first leg of their last eight ties. Madrid totally outclassed Spurs at the Bernebeu with a score line of 4-0 while the Catalans gave Shakhtar Donetsk a footballing lesson at the Nou Camp with a 5-1 win.
Real Madrid fans were expecting a tough encounter against high-riding Spurs but an early goal by Adebayor and Peter Crouch's early sending-off literally placed Real in a perfect position to dominate the game. Further goals from Adebayor, Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo summed up their superiority as Los Blancos ran out 4-0 winners.
Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola admitted before the match that Shakhtar was not the team that he wanted to face. However, it only took one minute for the Blaugranas to stamp their authority on the field as Lionel Messi provided a perfect pass for Iniesta to give Barcelona the lead.
As the game progressed, Barcelona dominated more and more of the encounter and scored another four goals through Dani Alves, Gerrard Pique, Seydou Keita and Xavi Hernandez. While Shakhtar did get an away goal through Yaroslav Rakitskiy, it did not represent any sort of a consolation for Mircea Lucescu's side as they now face a mountain to climb in next week's 2nd leg match at home.
With Barcelona and Real Madrid winning, it is almost certain that these two Spanish giants will be facing off each other in the semi finals. Here would be the dates if the clash is confirmed:
April 16: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona in Madrid, La Liga
April 20: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona in Valencia, Copa del Rey final
April 26-27: UEFA Champions League semifinals, first leg
May 3-4: UEFA Champions League semifinals, second leg
Four Clasicos in 17 days would just be mind-blowing for any football fan in every corner of the world. Regarded by many as the two best clubs in the world, Real Madrid and Barcelona will certainly be aware that the level of intensity in these games could probably reach new heights if these clashes are confirmed.
