It seems like last year’s final between Real Madrid and Liverpool was just months ago. But, the year is almost passed and the campaign is coming to a close, with some new names in the Champions League semifinals.
Well, two new names, the other two faced off in a legendary Final last season, which saw Real Madrid lift the trophy in a 1-0 victory.
What can soccer fans expect from these matchups? If you browse any betting site for football, you will see many questions regarding this topic. Can Real Madrid reach another Champions League final and maybe win their 15th title? Will Manchester City capture their maiden title? Can Inter win their fourth or will their nemesis, Milan, win their eighth?
Those are the burning questions this text will answer by analyzing the teams in the semifinals of Europe’s most elite soccer competition.
Real Madrid
When it comes to Real Madrid, it is safe to say that many people are not surprised to see them at this stage. This is Madrid’s competition and they deserve that status by winning it an amazing 14 times already. Carlo Ancelotti’s squad will look to capture their first back-to-back titles since Christiano Ronaldo led Madrid to its latest repeat in 2017 and 2018.
Before their semifinals match with Manchester City, they beat the wounded Chelsea who were dreadful this season. But, Chelsea also knows how to play Champions League matches, having won the title twice before. This is why Don Carlo was careful when playing against his former club.
But, in the end, the match was one-sided and Los Blancos managed to get to the semifinals easily. Waiting for them there was a familiar foe, Manchester City.
At the time of writing this article, Real Madrid and Manchester City drew their first leg of the semifinal match as it ended 1-1. The match at Bernabeu was a feast that only lacked more goals. However, it did not tell us who is closer to reaching the final. This tie will likely be decided by individual genius or an untimely mistake.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola is on a sacred quest to bring the holy grail to the blue part of Machester. Will he do it this season?
When he saw that he will have to play against Tomas Tuchel, the man who deprived him of the Champions League title two years ago, he had revenge on his mind. This season, he showed that he learned from his mistakes and his City squad defeated Bayern Munich 4-1 on aggregate.
Now City faces the team that broke their hearts in the last moments of their match one season ago. As previously mentioned, the match in Madrid was wonderful, but it did not indicate who will punch their ticket to the Final in Istanbul. The only thing it told us is that the Real Madrid defenders have thus far managed to stop Halland from scoring. But, if the goalscoring genius finds a way to score in Etihad, it will be a whole different story.
AC Milan
If anyone knows how to win this title, it’s AC Milan. The Italian side has won it 7 times in the past and twice under Don Carlo. What are the chances for Milan to win it this season? Well, last season they won the Italian Serie A and it is safe to say that they are not having a season as great as that one.
But, Stefano Pioli is one of the most talented coaches in club football today and he definitely knows what he is doing. It seems that he is willing to sacrifice the Serie A campaign this season in favor of the Champions League glory.
Milan has players who can win the match out of the blue, like Leao or Giroud. But, their team strength is what makes them dangerous. The players on the pitch believe in the Pioli’s vision and they know how to execute it.
Their matchup with Napoli was close, but Milan showed that they are more experienced in Champions League matches.
The Milan derby is a whole other story. The passion can change things on the pitch and fans will see which team will find their way in the fiery ambiance of San Siro.
Inter
It seems that most people give Inter the least amount of chance to win the Champions League this campaign. They have won it three times in the past and will bring that experience into the semifinals against cross-city rivals, AC Milan.
Sure, this season was rather unpredictable for the club, but they played well in the Champions League. They destroyed Benfica in the quarterfinals and that surely has given them confidence.
The last time both Milan teams faced one another in this competition was in the quarterfinals back in 2004 and Milan won both legs.
That was a long time ago. This season, Inter is a bit better in Serie A than their archrivals, but that will not be important when the referee blows his whistle for the start of another Milan derby under the lights of San Siro.
Only time will tell which two clubs will be competing for Europe’s most-coveted trophy this June in Istanbul. But if past years are any indication of how the semis and final will be this time around, soccer fans are in for a treat.