The next 48 hours in the Champions League will determine the strength of the English challenge to Spain in the ongoing struggle to fill the vacuum left by the partial but still significant eclipse of Italy in the world's most prestigious club tournament.

Leeds United are already through to the quarter-finals and Manchester United are all but there. Arsenal's chances, however, are on a knife edge.

The Spanish clubs are in a similar situation, with Real Madrid, the holders, in the last eight, Valencia as close to qualifying as Manchester United and Deportivo La Coruna, like Arsenal, caught up in a three-way fight as the second group phase approaches the finish.

With Lazio long gone, Milan are left to pursue Italian interests and will reach the knockout stage if they beat Deportivo at the San Siro tonight. A Milanese failure and it could be up to Bayern Munich or Galatasaray to prevent the rest of the competition becoming an Anglo-Spanish carve-up.

Anyone tempted to write off Manchester United's hopes this season should remember Real's metamorphosis last time. Assuming Alex Ferguson's side go through tonight, which they will unless Sturm Graz win by more than two goals in Manchester, they will want to forget the first round defeats against PSV and Anderlecht in Eindhoven and Brussels as well as last Wednesday's narrow squeak in Athens, when only Paul Scholes's goal in stoppage time denied Panathinaikos victory.

"It's embarrassing that we find ourselves in this position and we have to do something," Ferguson said yesterday. "But it's not the result that's important it's the performance - we need that to give us back our trust in the players. We know they haven't reached their capabilities."

For a side that thrives on adrenalin the lack of a serious challenge in the domestic league has arguably made it harder for the players to raise their game when less intimidated opponents are prepared to take them on at their own passing game.

While the 3-1 defeat by PSV last September was precipitated by Ferguson's decision to rotate his side in the Champions League to keep legs fresh for the match at Arsenal the following Sunday, the limp way United lost to Anderlecht raised serious questions about their ability to make serious progress.

Order appeared to have been fully restored when United drew 0-0 in Valencia three weeks ago. But the 1-1 draw in the return a week later, combined with last week's error-ridden performance in Athens, has reawakened doubts about how far Ferguson's side can go in the Champions League this season.

Not least among their problems is the fact that Valencia will win the group if they beat Panathinaikos in the Mestalla Stadium.