Spurs boss Redknapp hopes to avoid Barcelona in quarter-finals

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp who on Wednesday saw his side qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League said he hopes to avoid Barcelona in the last-eights.

Redknapp became the first English manager after Terry Venables to take a side to the quarter-finals of the European Cup after Spurs drew 0-0 at the White Hart Lane against AC Milan but went through 1-0 on aggregate after Peter Crouch's goal at the San Siro.

However, he is well aware that a draw against Barcelona could bring the Spurs dream to an end. He said, Barcelona are the team you don't want to play. They made a side like Arsenal, who in our league pass teams to death, almost look out of their depth. I thought Barcelona's performance was one of the finest I have ever seen. They were simply amazing.

For anyone to beat Barcelona will be really difficult. But we want to go as far as we can. Whoever comes our way, it's just great to be in the last eight.

When Redknapp took over at Tottenham, the club was languishing at the bottom fighting relegation. However, under his guidance Spurs finished fourth last season to reach the Champions League for the first time and have gone on to exceed expectations in the competition this year. When queried about his view, Redknapp admitted that he himself was surprised.

This is an impossible dream that we have achieved so far, he said. Two years ago if you would have said that we would have made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, I would have thought you were crazy.

It's our first year in the club's history we have ever made Champions League football so that was a fantastic achievement to have won our group and to do what we have done against AC Milan. We have beaten AC Milan over two legs with two clean sheets and won our group, which was the hardest of the lot.