Arsenal meet Villareal - and then it could be United

SPANISH side Villareal, who like the Gunners are outside the top three of their own league, stand in the way of Arsenal s path to the semi-finals of the Champions League. And Arsenal in turn could be the team to destroy Manchester United s bid to win five

SPANISH side Villareal, who like the Gunners are outside the top three of their own league, stand in the way of Arsenal's path to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

And Arsenal in turn could be the team to destroy Manchester United's bid to win five trophies this season.

This morning's Champions League draw pitched Villareal and Arsenal together, with the winners facing either Manchester United or Portugese side Porto in the semi-finals - both of them winners of the tournament within the past five years.

Arsenal will be confident of progressing against Villareal, the small-town team with big ambitions from Castellon, an hour north of Valencia.

They have two former Arsenal players in their squad, former Gunners captain Robert Pires and defender Pascal Cygan, but are currently off the pace in the Spanish first division and have won just 12 of their 27 league games this season.

In the other ties, due to be played on April 7 and 8 with the second leg on April 14 and 15, Liverpool and Chelsea have been drawn together yet again and Barcelona take on Bayern Munich.

So a repeat of the Barca v Arsenal final is a real possibility.

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