Wembley stage takes the shine off semi-final excitement
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- Written by Darren Douglas
Last weekend the Premiership took the back seat once again as the FA Cup reconvened for what was (for the most part) the quarter-finals. The remaining teams harboured serious thoughts on laying claim to the famous trophy, facing just two matches from a place in the final and a chance to emulate Portsmouth's achievement last year.
Irrespectively the underdogs should have approached their ties this way, but unfortunately for those searching for upsets, the quarter-finals bore witness to the favourites firmly grasping their mantles. The competition may yet spring a surprise, but for this season there will be no teams from outside the Premiership to rock the status quo.
Imagine putting a hand in your pocket only to find a dog turd.
Go back 10-15 years and the goal-poacher was an integral part of any team. The likes of Ian Rush, Gary Lineker, Ian Wright and Andy Cole were some of the game’s most sought after commodities. But today the demand for strikers who prod home from short distances is not what it was. 
As the so-called business end of the Portuguese season approaches it’s time to do some number crunching.
Real Madrid and Barcelona's simultaneous kick-offs on Saturday meant that if results went Real's way they could move to within 1 point of the Catalan league leaders. The form book was certainly with them, having won their last 10 league games compared with Barcelona's run of 5 fixtures without a win, and then there was the fact that Atlético Madrid hadn't won in the Bernabeu for over 10 years.