The first legs of the Champions League quarter finals are played on Tuesday and Wednesday with four of the teams coming from the English Premiership. Football betting sites are unusually busy because this is the first time in Champions League history that a single nation has had four teams remaining at this stage of the competition, the previous record being three.

Manchester United will have probably the easiest time with an away game in Roma. United are more or less joint favourites with Barcelona to win the title, according to key sports betting sites, and having the advantage of the second leg on home ground should prove conclusive.

Chelsea, the second favourites meet rank outsiders, Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Wednesday and should withstand the home team’s fan’s customary hostility/enthusiasm to dominate and clean up in the second leg at home.

The most interesting encounter of the first leg has to be Arsenal’s meet with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Liverpool have been in eleven quarter finals and won eight while Arsenal have been in four and won only one. Liverpool do seem to have the knack of pulling every possible rabbit out of the hat on these occasions and must surely defy the bookies view that Arsenal are favoured to win. The second leg will be at Anfield on April 8 and will be a match sports betting fans will want to watch for sure.

If Liverpool and Chelsea advance to the semis they are scheduled to meet in a confrontation where the Blues will be out to avenge their semi-final defeats of 2005 and 2007 by the Reds in this competition.