Hence the never-ending stream of shirt-sellers. Hence the announcement that in the realm of Perez's expertise . . .

making money . . . Madrid have leapfrogged even Manchester United. Hence the team's wretchedness on the pitch.

For all that, they've fallen on their feet in drawing one of the few clubs left in the competition in even greater rag order than they are.

Arsenal are a team for whom the end of the season just can't come quick enough.

With Thierry Henry, they'll always have a puncher's chance but that's about the extent of their threat these days. A decimated back four, a callow midfield and experience ruined by apparent disinterest on the part of Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg. They're in the direst of straits.

Madrid, for all their foibles, have made up ground on Barcelona in recent weeks.

Only their quixotic ability to make a sow's ear out of a silk purse can mean anything other than them taking a heavy advantage to Highbury.

Verdict home win

BENFICA v LIVERPOOL Tuesday, Estadio da Luz, 7.45 Live, TV3, 7.30 By rights, a 0-0 is the least Liverpool should come home with. Ben"ca's strength is in attack, they being the top scorers in Portugal. Even there, however, Liverpool can take solace since the league is the lowest scoring of the main ones in Europe. Liverpool won this competition by doing no more than they needed in each knock-out game last year. Same again, then.

Verdict draw

CHELSEA v BARCELONA Wednesday, Stamford Bridge, 7.45 Live, RTE Two, 7.30 In a way, there's no mystery about either of these sides.

You invariably get what you pay for with both. There's rarely any doubt, for instance, about which Chelsea will turn up. Last week's tonking at Middlesbrough was such an aberration as to be worth ignoring, like an odds-on nap trundling in 30 lengths behind the winner. They're the best side in England because they beat you the same way week after week. Get tight, squeeze the space, take possession, move it fast, Lampard/ Robben/Drogba/Crespo/who ever, three points.

That's why the first 20 minutes of this fixture last year were so mind-blowing. It was a stunning glimpse of what Jose Mourinho could achieve with his team and his master's millions. For 20 minutes, they took the best footballing side in Europe on at their own game and obliterated them. The only reason Barcelona clung on to them was wearing the number 10 shirt and a smile that said he knew more than the rest of us did. And dammit, Ronaldinho almost dragged his side through.

There's no reason to suspect we'll see any such "reworks next week but then neither was there before that game. Barca have slid a touch at the top of La Liga in recent weeks but they've had to get by without Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi. All three will be back on Wednesday.

If Chelsea get through 180 minutes without conceding a goal, they'll have every right to be hailed as one of the great defensive sides of this or any generation. It would be an astounding feat against a side of Barcelona's talent.

What fun it would be, however, if they decided to tackle it the other way round.

Verdict home win

RANGERS v VILLARREAL Wednesday, Ibrox, 7.45 Villarreal turned their season around somewhat over the winter but one win in their last seven games has softened their cough considerably and the chances of them qualifying for next season's Champions League are receding by the weekend.

But for Juan Roman Riquelme, they'd still be in relegation trouble.

Not unlike Madrid, however, they've pulled a plum draw out of the bag here.

Nothing in Rangers' season so far suggest an outcome other than meek surrender of the last vestige of hope in the Alex McLeish era.

Verdict away win