Champions League Semi-Final Line Up Completed

Liverpool vs Chelsea Tue 24 Apr (19:45)
Man Utd vs AC Milan Tue 24 Apr (19:45)
AC Milan vs Man Utd Tue 01 May (19:45)
Chelsea vs Liverpool Tue 01 May (19:45)

Last night saw Liverpool and AC Milan join Chelsea and Manchester United in the Champions League semi-finals, which is being seen as a significant power shift towards the English league as three English teams make the line up for the first time. The prospect of an all English final is a very real possibility, and would further cement the premiership as the major force in European football.

The physical nature and speed of premiership games is said to be the key factor which has elevated the league above the more skillful and tactical games of the Italian and Spanish leagues, but the proliferation of non-English players in the premiership and the awful performances of the national team belie the state of the league, as well as the grip of the large non-UK based sponsors such as Nike, Adidas and Puma.

“Europe in English hands” said an Italian sports newspaper this week - if only English players were at the frontline, the battle would truly be won.