Pep Guardiola said it was the last thing he wanted to see, but no one really believed him. Sure, the trip east won't be much fun, but a matchup against Shakhtar looked like the perfect draw for his Barcelona team in the Champions League quarterfinals. As the details sunk in, it appeared more daunting. But on the face of it, Barcelona had drawn one of the weakest teams left. And a team that opens up: Shakhtar scores goals, true, but it concedes them as well. Guardiola's men had avoided the defensive tough nuts, the teams that, in Xavi Hernandez's words, come to frustrate them. Barcelona had also avoided the most dangerous sides: Chelsea and Manchester United and Inter Milan. And Real Madrid, of course.
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