Ferguson: Barca threat to our crown

Sir Alex Ferguson says the recently refocused Barcelona is the biggest threat to United's hopes of retaining their Champions League crown. 

"Barcelona are the form team, they've been terrific this season and everyone's taking notice of them," Sir Alex told the club's official magazine, Inside United, on Tuesday. 

"Their first half performance against Lyon in the second leg of the first knock-out round was absolutely brilliant, they were four up in no time. They can be a threat to anybody and are quite rightly one of the favorites." 

Four English sides -- Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea -- have once again dominated the world's most important club competition this season, reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive time and provening the strength of the Premier League in recent years. 

"Last season we had three in the semi-finals and two in the final, the previous year there were three in the semis and Liverpool made it to the final. But we have to recognize that our threats don't just come from England, the big one will come from Barcelona," he said. 

Sir Alex said he was not sure whether the Catalans had improved a lot under new coach Josep Guardiola, who took over from Frank Rijkaard last year. However, he said that they have had a better defensive record. 

"Guardiola has brought in the awareness that defending is just as important as attacking." 

As Barcelona and United are on the opposite side of the draw, the Catalans will face Bayern Munich in the last eight and would take on either Liverpool or Chelsea in the semis, meaning the Red Devils can only play the La Liga side in the final in Rome. 

United on the other hand has to get past Porto in the quarter finals and the winner in Villarreal vs. Arsenal clash, to book a place in Rome. 

Manchester United was the favorite side to win the Champions League for a forth time, but two consecutive defeats in the English Premier League has cast doubt over the Red's capabilities.