Die ding gat ruk innie Champions League this season and I can’t wait to see who draws who in the quarterfinals.
For the first time in three years, we are going to see a new name on the trophy after Real Madrid were finally dethroned by Ajax Amsterdam’s plucky young side.
And now many experts are saying the competition is as open as it has been in years.
It’s true in a way, but I also don’t really agree just because European royalty like Real, AC Milan and Bayern Munich aren’t there.
With 25 titles between them, that’s some real history.
Friday’s draw at 1pm sees no less than six winners from a possible eight, with only Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City not having lifted the Ol’ Big Ears.
All in all, there are 22 titles between Liverpool (with five), Ajax (five), Barcelona (five), Manchester United (three), Juventus (two) and Porto (two).
But with no seedings or restrictions on teams from the same nation playing one another, we could see some insane ties coming up.
Imagine if Liverpool and Man United were to face off.
The whole football world would go mad and not even the SABC could silence Nigel Pierce.
Or Pep Guardiola having to go back to the Nou Camp to face a vuurwarme Barcelona?
After this week’s hattrick by Cristiano Ronaldo to rescue Juventus from elimination against Atletico Madrid, mense were praising the Portuguese as the best ever to play the game and making the Italians a team to avoid.
But Lionel Messi is on fire too, leading the competition in goals.
And his demolition of Olympique Lyon was incredible.
He got two assists and two goals in the crushing 5-1 win, including outrageously dummying two defenders with the same move for his second goal.
The hardy annual “who’s the best debate?” will go to another level if the two superstars should go toe to toe.
Anyway, before the games kick off, seeing who gets who is just as exciting.
Roll on the draw.