Premier League may be marked absent but the show goes on

No disrespect to the Premier League but there has been a distinct lack of wailing and gnashing of teeth elsewhere in Europe at the absence of English clubs from the Champions League quarter-finals.

The draw has set up four ties that are full of intrigue. It has also created the chance of classic semi-finals involving the two La Liga giants and the Bundesliga’s best. Spain-Germany was the match most people wanted to see at the European Championships last year, with Germany’s youngsters offering the best challenge to Spanish supremacy.

In the build-up to the World Cup next year there’s now a chance of a different sort of head-to-head. And in a season where the title-winners are already more or less decided in Germany, Spain and Italy as well as England the Champions League is certain to be the most competitive event.