The Tipster: Matchday 13

The going gets tougher for Fantasy Football managers as the first-leg matches of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals get under way this week.

Free transfers
Predicting who will reach the semi-finals, let alone which players will shine, is no easy task. Transfers are free between the end of the second group stage and the quarter-finals, so there is still time to make changes before the transfer deadline on Tuesday at 19.30CET.

Youth versus experience
On Tuesday, AFC Ajax's youngsters take on the experience of AC Milan. The Italians finished top of Group G in the first group stage and underlined their intentions by repeating the feat in Group C in the second group stage, ahead of Real Madrid CF. Expect Milan's highest-scoring players - Filippo Inzaghi, Rui Costa and Paolo Maldini - to feature prominently again. Ajax surprised many by beating Arsenal FC to a quarter-final place, but with the likes of Cristian Chivu, Rafael van der Vaart and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in excellent form, the outcome is no foregone conclusion. Ajax are without the suspended Van der Meyde.

High rollers
Also on Tuesday, champions Madrid face 1999 winners Manchester United FC. Madrid may not be dominating the competition to the extent they did last season, but they have risen to the challenge when required to and will be looking to raise the tempo again at home to an in-form Manchester United. The two highest-scoring players still in the game - Ruud van Nistelrooij and Raúl González - will both start. Phil Neville is suspended for United.

Italy meets Spain
On Wednesday, Héctor Cúper's Internazionale FC host his old side Valencia CF in the first of two Italo-Spanish encounters. Inter will want to bounce back from Sunday's demoralising 3-3 draw against AS Roma - where they conceded two late goals - while Valencia also struggled in the league at the weekend, losing 2-0 away to Real Betis Balompié.

Carew to shine
Valencia's only defeat of the second group stage came at the hands of an Italian side, Roma, but they will draw strength ahead of their trip to Milan from their 2-1 win over Arsenal in their final group game to reach the last eight. Look for John Carew to shine again as he did in that victory when he scored both Valencia goals. The Spanish champions will be without the suspended Mauricio Pellegrino.

Barcelona gather momentum
Italian champions and Serie A leaders Juventus face FC Barcelona, the only team to win their six games in the first group stage. In the second group stage they boasted the best attack (12 goals scored) and the best defence (two goals conceded), winning all but one of their matches. Tipster believes Barcelona can go all the way and they are certainly a gold mine of high-scoring players: the game's highest-scoring defender, for example, is Frank de Boer. Juventus are without David Trezeguet who picked up a shoulder injury in Saturday's 2-0 win over Torino, but expect midfield player Pavel Nedved to start despite a thigh injury sustained in that bruising encounter.