Champions League Quarters

The away teams got a couple crucial goal-draws yesterday in Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg action, with FC Porto grabbing the huge headline of the day with two away goals at Old Trafford in a 2-2 draw, while Arsenal got a spectacular equalizer from Emmanuel Adebayor in the second half to earn Arsenal a 1-1 away draw with game Villareal.

Adebeyor's quasi-bicycle kick off a one-touch from his chest that lasered into the far corner of the Villareal net was surely the moment of the day, though the real story was in the other game, played in Manchester. Oft-invincible United, playing at home in the Champions League, where they are always invincible (save for Milan in '07 and yes, Porto in '04), surrendered a stunningly un-United early goal as a result of poor passing and clearing in their own end. Even more surprising, was that Cristiano Ronaldo set the goal up with his errant pass near midfield. Christian Gonzalez took full advantage and scored the opening stunner for the Portuguese side in the 4th minute. Porto should have stayed 1-0 up and possibly been 2-0 up at half time, but were scolded by a terrible gaffe from Bruno Alves who sent a keeper-intended back pass right into the path of Wayne Rooney, who calmly dispatched into the Porto goal for a 1-1 score. Porto were the better side in the first half, but seemed destined to relent to a much better United in the 2nd, particularly when Carlos Tevez gave the Red Devils the lead in the 83rd. Miraculously, Porto had an answer, from yet another Argentine, Maximo Gonzalez, when they were able to take advantage of a slow United rotating defense and place Gonzales unmarked at the receiving end of a nice cross right in front of Van der Saar's goal, for 2-2.

Porto now get to try and earn merely a draw at home next week, and they'll be able to boast that they've sent United out of Europe twice in five years. That feat alone would be worth its own trophy.

Liverpool-Chelsea and Barcelona-Bayern Munich promise to be intense, entertaining first legs this evening. Liverpool and Barca have to be considered the favorites, but both their opponents are fellow giants on the European stage and will have relatively good chances at going through to the semifinals as well.