Raúl and Valencia renew ties

"For many of us, this is the most important game of our lives," said Valencia striker Roberto Soldado of his side's Champions League match tonight against Schalke 04 (TVE1, 8.45pm). Having leapfrogged Villarreal into third place in La Liga on the back of an unbeaten run stretching back to December 4, the twice runner-up in Europe's elite club competition is aiming to reach the last eight of this year's tournament.

"This is an important day for those who have been in this situation before and for those of us who haven't," said Valencia coach Unai Emery. "It's a challenge and an opportunity."

Returning to Spain for the first time in a competitive capacity since a summer move to the Bundesliga is Raúl, who has tasted Champions League success previously with Real Madrid, at Valencia's expense in the 2000 final. "Raúl ennobles the tie," opined Emery. "But there are other former Madridistas such as [Cristoph] Metzelder and [Klaas-Jan] Huntelaar, and that says a lot about Schalke's potential. It will be an attractive match."

Valencia's last Champions League campaign in 2007-08 ended miserably, the team finishing bottom of Group B after two losses to Rosenborg. Schalke was in the same group that year and Valencia did not concede against the German side. Emery, though, does not see either side as favorite. "Real and Barcelona are favorites to win the Champions League. Apart from those two, there is a lot of equality, apart from small differences in Manchester United and Inter [Milan]."

Barcelona plays Arsenal on Wednesday in a repeat of the match-up at the same stage of the tournament last season. A 2-2 tie at the Emirates Stadium in London was followed by a remarkable four-goal performance by Leo Messi in Camp Nou that had even Arsène Wenger purring in admiration.

This season, Arsenal is ready to show its claws, according to midfielder Jack Wilshere: "We've got to change our game a bit against Barcelona. We'll learn from last year. We need to be a bit nasty with them and get the ball back."

Aiding the Gunners' cause is the presence of Robin van Persie, who missed last season's tie through injury, and the absence of Barça captain Carles Puyol, without whom the visitor is more vulnerable in defense: Barça has failed to win five domestic games this season. Puyol was absent in all of them. "I think that, if we organize ourselves to put them under pressure, we will create chances," said coach Wenger. "It's something we'll work on before the game. At the Emirates we will try to play our way. We will attack the opposition."