The team made up of World Cup winning Spaniards and the mercurial Argentine Lionel Messi are the favourites to lift the Champions League this year, and progressed through the last stage with a 4-3 aggregate win over Arsenal. But Barca’s away record in the Champions League isn’t very good and manager Pep Guardiola has never won a knockout game away from home. Shakhtar, however, haven’t lost a home game since October 2008 and have never lost in the Donbass Arena since its grand opening in the summer of 2009.

If Barcelona turn on the style, the tie could be over by the time Shakhtar leave Spain. Barca have had the fewest shots on target against them this campaign, but face a side who have scored 26 goals in their last 10 Champions League games. Shakhtar’s proclivity to signing Brazilians works means the side boasts an impressive attacking line-up.

The last time the two sides met was in the 2009 Super CUp Final, where a Pedro goal deep in extra time saw Barcelona win 1-0. This game is by no means a formality and, in a similar poisiton to Spurs at Madrid, if Shakhtar can leave the Nou Camp still with a chance, their astonishing form at home will lean heavily in their advantage.

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It’s the team managed by a multi-million pound Hollywood manager who has won the tournament twice with two different clubs, against a manager famous for locking Amdy Faye in his house in an effort to sign him.

When Tottenham qualified for the Champions League through Peter Crouch’s winning goal at Manchester City last season, it was games like tonights at the Bernabeu that Spurs fans hoped for. Despite topping the group stages, beating Inter superbly at home on the way, and coming through a two legged game against AC Milan without conceding a goal, Spurs will be the underdogs tonight.

“We are the big underdogs,” manager Harry Redknapp said. “I’ve said all along that the two Spanish teams are the favourites. But we are not just coming here to turn up. The dream is still there for us all and we want to make that dream come true. We want to go all the way.”

This is the first time in seven years that Real Madrid have reached the quarter-final stage of the Champions League and on Saturday manager Jose Mourinho lost his nine year record of being undefeated in home games, stretching back to 2002 when he was manager of Porto. But Madrid will be the heavy favourites and are boosted by the inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Marcelo and Kaka in the squad to face Spurs.

Spurs own injury worries means they may only field six substitutes. All eyes will be on Gareth Bale, who has lit up the European stage and announced himself to the world by ripping apart Brazilian right back Maicon in the two games against Inter. But if Spurs can leave the Bernabeu with a good result, few would bet against them at White Hart Lane. If Madrid turn in a similar performance to some domestically, where they scored eight without reply against Levante and seven against Malaga, Spurs’ dream tie will quickly become a nightmare.

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Real Madrid. Winners of nine European Cups. Employers of some of the best footballers that have ever played the game: di Stefano, Puskas, Zidane, the Brazilian Ronaldo. Today they have Iker Casillas, capable of Gordon Banks-esque saves like against Sevilla in October 2009, as an angry colossus in goal. Sergio Ramos bombing up the right flank, his signature hair product retailing at $80 a barrel. The new Galacticos: Angel Di Maria, Kaka, Gonzalo Higuain – and of course Cristiano Ronaldo. A coach to match the players in Jose Mourinho, who shares the most ardent Madridista’s disdain for their Catalan rivals. They have a glorious arrogance about them – unless you happen to be a Manchester United fan of viruses – and play some remarkable football.

When the two giants of Spanish football meet, sparks tend to fly. While it is never easy to beat Barcelona at Camp Nou, in last season’s match at the Santiago Bernabeu Real Madrid’s tactical naivety was exposed. The then-manager Manuel Pellegrini elected against playing Lassana Diarra as a spoiler in midfield, meaning Xavi had free reign to supply Messi and Pedro for easy finishes.

Barcelona tickets are amongst the most sought after in world football – especially when they face their arch rivals from the Spanish capital. It is called El Clásico for a reason.

Inter Milan are the current European Cup holders, but have since lost coach Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid. In his place they have hired former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, and he won the competition back in 2005. Of course, that year the Reds came from 3-0 down to defeat AC Milan on penalties, and in inflicting such a morale sapping defeat on the Nerrazzuri’s arch rivals Benitez will have done his job prospects no harm at all.

Inter Milan boast plenty of star players. There is the rampaging right back Maicon, who doesn’t view shooting from practically a 180 degree angle as a ridiculous thing to do. For those questioning if the Brazilian’s goal against North Korea (or the Democratic People’s Republic Of Korea if you prefer) was deliberate, he scored a near identical one against Portugal in November 2008. The midfield boasts star names such as Esteban Cambiasso, and Wesley Sneijder, while up front Benitez can choose from Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito, Goran Pandev and Mario Balotelli.

Formidable opposition for UEFA Europa Cup champions Atletico Madrid to tackle.

Still, the Spanish side can call upon a mighty strike pairing themselves. Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero are two of the most feared forwards in Europe, and they are backed up by Jose Antonio Reyes, Simao Sabrosa, Raul Garcia and former Arsenal player Fran Merida. Forlan was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup, and with good reason – he appeared to be the only player to have mastered how to shoot with the Jabulani ball, and was a constant danger.

UEFA Super Cup tickets are on sale now, and Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid on August 27th 2010 ought to be a classic. The fact that it takes place at the Stade Louis II in Monte Carlo, Monaco in the height of summer hardly reduces the attraction…

England’s position as runner up in the Group means that they will not play in their anticipated second round clash on Saturday 26th June between Group C winners and Group D runners up. Instead they will play Group D winners Germany on Sunday 27th June at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, which will be a tantalising clash between two rivals.

Interestingly though, ticket vendors also thought that England would be the winners of Group C, and so Saturday’s Second Round match between the USA and Ghana is now substantially more expensive than the price of England v Germany tickets. While tickets for USA v Ghana are upwards of £209, to see the Three Lions take on the Germans begins at a far more affordable £164 from Seatwave.

In addition, World Cup tickets to all the remaining games of the tournament are on sale, including what looks likely to be a Brazil v Holland fixture at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on July 2nd 2010 for £65 from Viagogo.

Remember, ticket listings have been indexed from websites from around the world for informational purposes. Please check local laws regarding the re-sale of World Cup tickets before transacting.

Tonight the national team will board an aeroplane at Heathrow to OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, and then business will truly begin.

With ten days until England’s opening match against the United States, there is still time to join them in South Africa – and thousands of World Cup tickets are still on sale from just £81.

England v USA tickets at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg are available from £153
England v Algeria tickets at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town are available from £103
England v Slovenia tickets at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth are available from £81

Although Capello’s final squad has attracted plenty of questions, there still remains a very real undercurrent of hope in England that this could be the most successful tournament since the  run to the semi-finals in 1990. A look at their projected path to the final – should they progress that far – shows that the knockout stage features some dangerous teams, but ones that can be beaten.

Having won their most recent two international friendly matches against Mexico and Japan, England are the favourites to top Group C, and in that scenario would play the second placed team in Group D: Germany, Serbia, Ghana, or Australia.

Group C winners v Group D runner-up tickets at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg are available from £123

Should they emerge from the second round victorious, they would be expected to play France in the quarter finals.

World Cup Quarter Final tickets are available from £164

While French coach Raymond Domenech has attracted widespread criticism for his bizarre management style – which reportedly includes selection based on astrology signs – his team still has a number of talented players in their ranks. France have also participated in two of the last three World Cup Finals, in 1998 and 2006.

If England were to triumph over the French, their semi-final would be at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town – against the best national side in football history: Brazil.

World Cup Semi Final tickets are available from £355

Stars of Brazil sides over the years have included Pele, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, and this year’s tournament offers Kaká the chance to shine behind Luis Fabiano up front. With a world class keeper in Julio César, and solid defence thanks to the likes of Lucio, this will be a tremendously difficult task for England to overcome.

There would be no shame in going out at the semi final stage, and a bronze medal might be some consolation.

World Cup Third Place Playoff tickets are available from £131

Still, should they put in an incredible performance and beat Brazil for the first time since March 1990, they would then perhaps face either Spain or Argentina in the World Cup Final.

World Cup Final tickets are available from £560

Capello has publicly stated that he is aiming no lower than the final, but England haven’t beaten Spain since 2001 in Sven-Göran Eriksson’s first match in charge. They have since lost the last three encounters.

The record against Argentina is a sight better, and England v Argentina matches certainly have a history of drama. A wonder goal from the eighteen year old Michael Owen could not prevent England being eliminated on penalties in the 1998 World Cup second round – with David Beckham being sent off for a kick on Diego Simeone. Still, Beckham was redeemed four years later in South Korea, when he scored the winning penalty in the 2002 Group Stage match.

Although he is contracted to Los Angeles Galaxy, there will be no Hollywood climax to Beckham’s career with a World Cup win; an injury to his Achilles tendon has ruled him out of the tournament.  Nevertheless, Beckham is set to play a role in England’s effort to claim the FIFA World Cup trophy – he will travel with the squad as moral support.

You could still do the same yourself.

South Africa 2010 promises to be a truly unque occasion. It will be the first World Cup to be played on African soil and the enthusiasm with which this part of the world has embraced the tournament is unbounded.

The Rainbow Nation will be awash with colour and the noise from the vuvuzuelas that dominate the air at local matches and will be unlike any atmosphere experienced at previous editions of the world’s greatest sporting event. Any football fan who also enjoys a party should make sure that they are involved.

But many supporters have been put off by expensive flights and high ticket prices despite the fact that this could not be further from the truth.

Seats are still available to every single match in the tournament including the opening ceremony and tickets to the World Cup final itself – available from £671, incidentally. Even better news is that prices are dropping all the time.

Three months ago if you wanted to get a ticket to England v USA in Rustenburg you would have paid over £300. Now that same ticket is going for £113.

Likewise, tickets to England v Algeria in Cape Town on June 18. Prices were £280, now they are available from £111. Meanwhile, their final group match – England v Slovenia in the beach resort of Port Elizabeth can be attended for just £85.

Paying around £100 to see a football match may, on the face of it, seem a little expensive  but considering the quality on show, the sense of occasion and the possibility of witnessing a little piece of England football history, it is by no means outlandish especially when you can pay that much to watch a Premier League game.

Even if England isn’t your team or you just want ot be part of football’s big party there are plenty of reasonably priced tickets to watch other teams. Tickets to Brazil v Ivory Coast in Johannesburg – surely the most attractive match of the group stage – can be obtained from £85.

As for flights, you can get a return flight to Johannesburg for just £611 that gets you to South Africa in time for England’s first group game and returns you back to London after their match against Slovenia. Factor in hotel room rates that are constantly being slashed and suddenly the trip of a lifetime seems well within your grasp.

This could be the most vibrant and exotic World Cup to date and it can be done – if not exactly on a shoestring – at a relatively favourable cost.

I’m going and I think you should too.

Brazil are the most feared side in any World Cup, for they are the nation to have won the competition the most, with five triumphs, and their ability to produce supremely gifted players such as Pele, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka is unrivalled in world football.

There are still a limited amount of tickets available to the Ireland vs. Brazil game at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday March 2nd, and Tixdaq.com is the place to get them. This is a fantastic opportunity to see one of the best teams in the world in the UK beginning at the great price of £39, so get yours today!

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Around 80,000 North Koreans regularly attend football matches in the territory, but it is thought that only a few officials will actually make the trip to South Africa. The rest of the tickets will most probably end up on the secondary ticketing market.

Group H at South Africa 2010 has a distinctly latin flavour to it with Spain being accompanied Chile and Honduras. Switzerland are the sole non-hispanic nation.

The reigning European champions will be quietly pleased with the hand that fate has dealt them as they bid to win the greatest prize in sport for the very first time. A peerless qualifying campaign saw them win every single match with only England finding the back of the net more often out of all the other UEFA members. Spain are the pre-tournament favourites alongside Brazil and it is easy to see why. A solid looking back four featuring Carlos Puyol and Sergio Ramos will sit behind a quite staggering midfield of Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas though one of those quartet will almost certainly have to make way for the more defensively-minded Marcos Senna. And to top it off they have arguably the best strike partnership in international football with Fernando Torres lining up next to David Villa. They will win the group and, as long as luck does not desert them, they may well win the competition itself.

Chile completed a stunning qualifying campaign by beating Colombia 4-2 in their own back yard and came second to Brazil by a single point. They have been regular participants at the finals and that pedigree should help them to make it to the second round at least. Chile lack the star names of the past such as Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas but they have plenty of goals in them which is a quality every successful team needs.

Switzerland took advantage of a favourable qualifying group to seal an automatic spot to South Africa. They could even afford a humiliating 2-1 defeat to perennial whipping boys Luxembourg on their way to topping their group ahead of Greece which shows that they are far from being the finished article. However, they are currently marshalled by two-time Champions League winning manager Ottmar Hitzfeld who will no doubt galvanise his team into a tough unit before they take the field in June.

Honduras will be competing in their first World Cup tournament since 1982 and they wil hoping to avoid the heavy defeats they suffered in Spain. They secured their place in the most dramatic fashion when USA scored an injury-time equaliser aginst Costa Rica that gave Honduras an automatic place at the expense of their Central American neighbours who would go on to lose in a playoff to Uruguay. The predatory instincts of David Suazo and the midfield leadership of Tottenham’s Wilson Palacios will give them the platform from which to launch their campaign.

Prediction: Spain to cruise through with Chile finishing second.

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The term ‘Group of Death’ always sounds as if it should be the title of a particularly dire Steven Seagal movie but instead is attributed on a quadrennial basis to an individual FIFA World Cup group. 2002 saw England draw Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria – with the South Americans exiting the tournament – while the Albicelestes then found themselves alongide Ivory Coast, Holland and Serbia-Montenegro in 2006.

This time it is their arch rivals Brazil that find themselves in a pickle as they have been pitted against Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea. The five-time winners should still be relevantly confident of going through but must be cursing England and Italy’s luck who arguably got the most plum draws of all the seeded teams. The grace of Kaka, the thrust of Maicon and the penetration of Luis Fabiano should see them safely through to the next round but they will need to maintain their concentration throughout.

Portugal will be even more disappointed. After a troubled qualifying campaign that only just saw them overhaul Sweden to claim second place they were then drawn against the free-scoring Bosnia-Herzogovina in their playoff. They squeaked through with a 2-0 aggregate win but will have to improve massively if they are to make an impact on the tournament. Able to call on the sublime skills of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and an experienced back four, they will need big performances from them all to guarantee their place in the next round.

Ivory Coast must have spent the last four years routinely trashing every mirror they have come across as they find themselves in a horrible group for the second tournament in succession. Chelsea’s Didier Drogba will need to be fresh and firing for them to have any hope of progressing but if he is then he might just be a contender for the Golden Boot. The Toure brothers and Didier Zokora will be names familiar to most but they do have a talented squad. They will definitely need it.

North Korea have made it to their first finals since 1966 where they famously dumped Italy out of the competition before being eliminated by Portugal in the quarter-finals by a 5-3 scoreline despite taking a 3-0 lead. There is no chance of them recreating this adventure – and you can quote me on that – but just being there will hopefully bring a bit of joy to a people that have lived under a brutally oppresive regime for more than half a century.

Prediction: Brazil to top the group with Ivory Coast bringing tears to Ronaldo’s eyes.

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While seeded teams such as Brazil and Germany have been placed in taxing groups for the FIFA World Cup, the same cannot be said about Italy.

The reigning world champions and their manager Marcello Lippi must have punched the air once the draw for Group F was concluded with their passage to the knockout stages  – force majeur notwithstanding – all but guaranteed. Having gone unbeaten throughout their qualifying campaign despite being pushed all the way by Ireland, they will have to navigate past Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia to book their place in the second round and it would take a brave man to bet against that happening.

Slovakia though will be no pushovers. On the road to South Africa they topped their group ahead of fellow World Cup qualifiers Slovenia, forcing the Czech Republic to watch the tournament from the sofa. They will field Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel in central defence while Napoli’s Marek Hamsik will be putting himself in the shop window with a number of high profile European clubs having already registered an interest in acquiring his services.

Paraguay qualified in impressive style by collecting a record haul of points from their 18 matches. They still only finished third in the oversized CONMEBOL group but they did clinch their place in South Africa by beating Diego Maradona’s Argentina. They found themselves in England’s group in Germany 2006 and failed to make it to the second round. If Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz can get some playing time under his belt before the World Cup they might feel that they have a good chance of improving on that.

New Zealand have made it to their first World Cup finals since 1982 and that itself is a reason for celebration. The All Whites took advantage of Australia’s decision to defect to the Asia qualifying zone and booked their passage with a nervy 1-0 aggregate victory over Bahrain in a trans-federation playoff for the final place in South Africa. Nothing is expected of them except to show commitment in each of their games and they will rely on Blackburn’s Ryan Nelsen to provide the experience that they will need to compete. It’s certainly one of football’s more romantic stories but don’t expect the dream to continue into the second round.

Prediction: Italy to stroll through with Paraguay edging into second place.

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Much has been made about Group G – the so-called ‘Group of Death’ – that has pitted Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast against each other but Group D should not be underestimated for its difficulty.

Germany are the standout team and would certainly be expected to progress into the knockout stages. Their record in the FIFA World Cup is exceptional having made seven appearances in the final, lifting the trophy on three occasions.  Players such as Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose bring extensive tournament experience to the squad but young stars Mesut Ozil and Aaron Hunt will also figure in a more dynamic side than that of the traditional German stereotype.

But it is the the other three sides in the group that will be fighting for the second qualification spot.

Australia’s switch to the Asia zone has paid dividends already as they made a smooth journey to South Africa without the need for a playoff. A rugged side, they might just lack a cutting edge and Everton’s Tim Cahill will be vital to any Australian success.

Ghana are another muscular side who will couple skill and physicality to bustle their way through the competition. Chelsea’s Michael Essien is their marquee player and he will lead the team from midfield with his all-action style. Stephen Appiah will also add know-how to the Black Stars as they bid to make the second round and beyond.

Serbia round off Group D and they are a side that cannot be underestimated. They east European nation qualified ahead of France and have a stern looking defence marshalled by Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. Another physically powerful team, they will be no pushovers.

Prediction: Germany top, Serbia to sneak second place – and lots of yellow cards!

England have been named as one of the top seeds for the FIFA World Cup draw that is to take place in Cape Town on Friday.

There was fear amongst FA officials that England might just miss out on a place amongst the elite and therefore risk being paired with the likes of Spain or Brazil. Thankfully for Fabio Capello and his squad that eventuality has been avoided though with Portugal and France in Pot 2 and a strong Ivory Coast team in Pot 3 there is still no room for complacency.

The draw will be held at 17:15 GMT on Friday 4th December

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