It would’ve taken probably the most accurate of footballing scholars to predict the final four that remain in this season’s UEFA Champions League. Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid remain the fortunate ones to survive this far in the tournament.
No matter who wins this edition of Europe’s biggest club competition, at the end each one will have its own unparalleled tale to tell. Manchester City take on Real Madrid and Bavarian giants Bayern Munich will take on the other side from the Spanish capital Atletico Madrid.
Two in search of their first ever Champions League trophy while the other two in search of their extending their grand European legacy. Let’s take a look at each of these four’s ride into the tournament thus far:
Atletico Madrid
Group Stages:
Probably the lesser known team of the two, Atletico Madrid better known as the RojiBlancos (Red and whites) have for the second time in three years made the last four of the competition and once again it’s been their reliable backline that has been at the heart of this.
Drawn in a group containing Benfica, Galatasaray and debutants Asthana, the Madrid side were always favourites to progress to the round of sixteen, given their strength in depth. A home defeat against Benfica did pull off a shock of sorts but positive results in all of their remaining five games meant that Atletico topped their group with relative ease.
Round of 16:
The round of 16 bought a tricky tie against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. Defensively solid, the Dutch side proved to be one hell of a challenge for the Rojiblancos.
A goalless draw away was followed by a goalless draw at home, meaning a penalty shootout would decide the winner of this round. Juanfran’s goal after Narsingh’s miss meant that Atletico for the second year running had qualified for the quarter finals on penalties.
Quarter Final stage:
The last eight draws bought out a repeat of the 2013-14 quarter final tie between Atletico and holders Barcelona. The tie promised to be a scintillating one; both teams looking to outdo each other through completely different ideologies.
The first leg at the Camp Nou saw Atleti go ahead through Fernando Torres, but a couple of mad moments from the former Chelsea man saw him shown a second yellow in six minutes reducing Atletico to 10 men against an attacking Barcelona side. Those moments proved to be decisive as Luis Suarez scored twice to get Barcelona a 2-1 home win. The second leg at Calderon was to be a tough one for the home side coming from behind but a solid defensive display and a brace from their Frenchman Antoinne Greizmann proved to be too much for the Catalans as Atleti repeated their 2013/14 feat. to once overcome Barcelona at this stage and thus continuing the Champions League jinx.
Bayern Munich
Group Stage:
One of the most decorated side in the history of the competition, Bayern Munich have earned the respect of the top sides from around Europe owing to their past performances. Making it to each of the last four semi-finals Bayern had been deemed favourites once again to lift the coveted trophy and with Pep anxious to make his stay a success this was always going to be an important season.
Placed alongside Arsenal, Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb, the group was never going to be straight forward even for someone as strong as the Bavarian outfit. A loss at the Emirates just proved as Bayern were halted by a good Arsenal side. But that proved to be just a blip as the decorated German side cruised past their opponents in the remaining of their matches in comfortable manner, topping the group in the process.
Round of 16:
Arguably the fixture of the round, Bayern Munich taking on last season’s runners up Juventus themselves hadn’t had a good group stage finishing second to Manchester City. The first leg at Turin looked set to be going Bayern’s way after the Bavarian’s struck twice but Juventus’ second half display made Bayern look ordinary as they got two back to level the tie 2-2 going into the second leg.
The second started in pretty much the opposite fashion to the first half. Juventus this time taking an early two goal lead at the Allianz arena making it all to do for the home side. But Bayern did what something that not a lot of teams would have imagined.
First Lewandowski and then Muller in injury time bought the game back on level for the Bavarians. After that there was no coming back for Juventus, first Thiago and then through Juventus loanee Coman. Bayern scored twice in extra time to round off an intense yet comfortable looking win in the end.
Quarter finals:
Compared to Juventus, this arguably was an easier fixture for the German giants. Benfica have proven to be a difficult side in recent times but was relatively an easier one given how the other draws had panned out.
Bayern through Arturo Vidal scored early in the first which also proved to be the only goal in what was surprisingly close game from a neutral’s perspective. The second leg however proved to be much more exciting as Benfica took the initiative and scored early through Jimenez which brought the tie back to level pegging.
Bayern however as they had done scored back two goals through Vidal and Muller to pretty much seal the deal. The match finished with another 2-2 taking Bayern comfortably into the yet another anther semis for the fifth consecutive time.
Manchester City
Group stage:
There was perhaps more frustration than excitement surrounding Manchester City at the start of their Champions League given their financial strength and the depth in squad which could very easily match any side in Europe’s top competition.
The draw as again was not kind to the citizens placing them alongside Juventus, Europa league winners Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach. The frustration must have surely piled on after City let one goal lead to hand Juventus a win at the Etihad. It was a tough group but City did manage to sneak out results as they went on to win four out of their remaining five games to somewhat surprisingly top the group.
Round of 16:
Unlike previous seasons City had topped their group and topping a Champions League group has its own perks. Something that City experienced as they got a favourable draw against Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine. A 3-1 away win pretty much set them on their course for a last eight spot. A goalless draw at home wasn’t exactly convincing but made sure that City progressed in the last eight with little risk.
Quarter Finals:
It was perhaps their toughest assignment yet. City were paired against the high flying Paris Saint Germain.
Both teams who were of little prominence a decade ago were now at World football’s peak going head to head to find a place in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition. It was as also a tale of two managers both looking to be successful on the European stage after dominating their respective leagues.
Perhaps the best chance these two have had since they were playing in the competition. The first leg was one of the most exciting contests, while glaring mistakes existed the game was never short of entertainment. Joe Hart saved a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty to keep the Parisiens in check.
Big money signing De Bruyne scored but an error from Fernando meant PSG were back in the game through Zlatan. Rabiot then scored from a Hart save to push PSG into the lead. However Fernandinho pulled it back to make it 2-2 on the night and handling a vital advantage to City in the tie.
The second leg at Etihad was always going to be a tough one for PSG given their away performances hadn’t been that convincing. PSG did dominate possession but failed to register any decent chance. Manchester City defended well for large parts and then a piece of brilliance from De Bruyne once again put City ahead. Only this time City held on to a famous win for the blues moving them top the last four of the tournament at the expense of an expensive PSG side.
Real Madrid
Group Stage:
Arguably the most decorated club in the history of the game. Real Madrid have been the epitome of success for many years but recent performances have not gone onto make that statement look correct.
The expectations were high as always from the ‘’Los Blancos’’ and this time it was under new manager Rafael Benitez who had previously won the competition with Liverpool back in 2005. Madrid were drawn alongside a strong Paris Saint Germain side, Shakhtar Donetsk and Swede side Malmo FF. The season began on a good note Madrid keeping clean sheets and registering wins against Shakhtar and Malmo.
Games against PSG were also going to be a tough task and would give an ideal feedback as to how the team had been performing. Real did manage to get four point out of the Parisians but the performances remained far from convincing. Madrid remained unbeaten without conceding a single goal in the group stages; a unique feat in itself.
Round of 16:
The round of 16 bought Madrid against a former foe in AS Roma who were now under manager Luciano Spalleti, the same manager who guided Roma to a famous in over Real in 2008.
Things however were different now as Madrid themselves had undergone a massive change in the form of Zinedine Zidane who had now taken over as the club’s manager. A difficult 2-0 win at the StadioOlympico made sure that Madrid had a massive advantage going into the second leg.
The second leg saw Roma create a host of chances only to scuff them all away. Madrid took their chances and ended up winning rather comfortably in the end. Not convincing again but Madrid securing another last eight spot.
Quarter Finals:
Wolfsburg was assigned the task of facing Real and boy did they take that well! Wolfsburg played almost the perfect game at home to comfortably beat a star studded Madrid side 2-0 in Germany.
A Madrid side which clearly lacked intensity coming off a huge clasico win. The second leg at the Bernabeu was being called as the season defining (season saving) moment for the madridistas as a Champions League exit would pretty much end their season trophyless. Only 15% of sides trailing 2-0 from the first leg had overturned the deficit. Surely this was too much even for the Galacticos of Real Madrid.
The game began pretty much as expected with Real playing with a lot of intensity. The tie was soon bought back to life with two Cristiano Ronaldo goals in a gap of a minute. Ronaldo soon struck his and Madrid’s third through a wall splitting free kick to put Madrid in lead and on course for a possible comeback.
Benzema and Jese almost made it more but Wolfsburg hung on, giving Real a famous win on a famous night at the Bernabeu. One of the many that have taken place in the Bernabeu Madrid like all the other sides moving to the last four with an aggregate of 3-2. Keeping hopes of ‘’Undecima’’ alive.
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| UEFA Champions League |
Two in search of their first ever Champions League trophy while the other two in search of their extending their grand European legacy. Let’s take a look at each of these four’s ride into the tournament thus far:
Atletico Madrid
Group Stages:
Probably the lesser known team of the two, Atletico Madrid better known as the RojiBlancos (Red and whites) have for the second time in three years made the last four of the competition and once again it’s been their reliable backline that has been at the heart of this.
Drawn in a group containing Benfica, Galatasaray and debutants Asthana, the Madrid side were always favourites to progress to the round of sixteen, given their strength in depth. A home defeat against Benfica did pull off a shock of sorts but positive results in all of their remaining five games meant that Atletico topped their group with relative ease.
Round of 16:
The round of 16 bought a tricky tie against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. Defensively solid, the Dutch side proved to be one hell of a challenge for the Rojiblancos.
A goalless draw away was followed by a goalless draw at home, meaning a penalty shootout would decide the winner of this round. Juanfran’s goal after Narsingh’s miss meant that Atletico for the second year running had qualified for the quarter finals on penalties.
Quarter Final stage:
The last eight draws bought out a repeat of the 2013-14 quarter final tie between Atletico and holders Barcelona. The tie promised to be a scintillating one; both teams looking to outdo each other through completely different ideologies.
The first leg at the Camp Nou saw Atleti go ahead through Fernando Torres, but a couple of mad moments from the former Chelsea man saw him shown a second yellow in six minutes reducing Atletico to 10 men against an attacking Barcelona side. Those moments proved to be decisive as Luis Suarez scored twice to get Barcelona a 2-1 home win. The second leg at Calderon was to be a tough one for the home side coming from behind but a solid defensive display and a brace from their Frenchman Antoinne Greizmann proved to be too much for the Catalans as Atleti repeated their 2013/14 feat. to once overcome Barcelona at this stage and thus continuing the Champions League jinx.
Bayern Munich
Group Stage:
One of the most decorated side in the history of the competition, Bayern Munich have earned the respect of the top sides from around Europe owing to their past performances. Making it to each of the last four semi-finals Bayern had been deemed favourites once again to lift the coveted trophy and with Pep anxious to make his stay a success this was always going to be an important season.
Placed alongside Arsenal, Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb, the group was never going to be straight forward even for someone as strong as the Bavarian outfit. A loss at the Emirates just proved as Bayern were halted by a good Arsenal side. But that proved to be just a blip as the decorated German side cruised past their opponents in the remaining of their matches in comfortable manner, topping the group in the process.
Round of 16:
Arguably the fixture of the round, Bayern Munich taking on last season’s runners up Juventus themselves hadn’t had a good group stage finishing second to Manchester City. The first leg at Turin looked set to be going Bayern’s way after the Bavarian’s struck twice but Juventus’ second half display made Bayern look ordinary as they got two back to level the tie 2-2 going into the second leg.
The second started in pretty much the opposite fashion to the first half. Juventus this time taking an early two goal lead at the Allianz arena making it all to do for the home side. But Bayern did what something that not a lot of teams would have imagined.
First Lewandowski and then Muller in injury time bought the game back on level for the Bavarians. After that there was no coming back for Juventus, first Thiago and then through Juventus loanee Coman. Bayern scored twice in extra time to round off an intense yet comfortable looking win in the end.
Quarter finals:
Compared to Juventus, this arguably was an easier fixture for the German giants. Benfica have proven to be a difficult side in recent times but was relatively an easier one given how the other draws had panned out.
Bayern through Arturo Vidal scored early in the first which also proved to be the only goal in what was surprisingly close game from a neutral’s perspective. The second leg however proved to be much more exciting as Benfica took the initiative and scored early through Jimenez which brought the tie back to level pegging.
Bayern however as they had done scored back two goals through Vidal and Muller to pretty much seal the deal. The match finished with another 2-2 taking Bayern comfortably into the yet another anther semis for the fifth consecutive time.
Manchester City
Group stage:
There was perhaps more frustration than excitement surrounding Manchester City at the start of their Champions League given their financial strength and the depth in squad which could very easily match any side in Europe’s top competition.
The draw as again was not kind to the citizens placing them alongside Juventus, Europa league winners Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach. The frustration must have surely piled on after City let one goal lead to hand Juventus a win at the Etihad. It was a tough group but City did manage to sneak out results as they went on to win four out of their remaining five games to somewhat surprisingly top the group.
Round of 16:
Unlike previous seasons City had topped their group and topping a Champions League group has its own perks. Something that City experienced as they got a favourable draw against Dynamo Kyiv of Ukraine. A 3-1 away win pretty much set them on their course for a last eight spot. A goalless draw at home wasn’t exactly convincing but made sure that City progressed in the last eight with little risk.
Quarter Finals:
It was perhaps their toughest assignment yet. City were paired against the high flying Paris Saint Germain.
Both teams who were of little prominence a decade ago were now at World football’s peak going head to head to find a place in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition. It was as also a tale of two managers both looking to be successful on the European stage after dominating their respective leagues.
Perhaps the best chance these two have had since they were playing in the competition. The first leg was one of the most exciting contests, while glaring mistakes existed the game was never short of entertainment. Joe Hart saved a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty to keep the Parisiens in check.
Big money signing De Bruyne scored but an error from Fernando meant PSG were back in the game through Zlatan. Rabiot then scored from a Hart save to push PSG into the lead. However Fernandinho pulled it back to make it 2-2 on the night and handling a vital advantage to City in the tie.
The second leg at Etihad was always going to be a tough one for PSG given their away performances hadn’t been that convincing. PSG did dominate possession but failed to register any decent chance. Manchester City defended well for large parts and then a piece of brilliance from De Bruyne once again put City ahead. Only this time City held on to a famous win for the blues moving them top the last four of the tournament at the expense of an expensive PSG side.
Real Madrid
Group Stage:
Arguably the most decorated club in the history of the game. Real Madrid have been the epitome of success for many years but recent performances have not gone onto make that statement look correct.
The expectations were high as always from the ‘’Los Blancos’’ and this time it was under new manager Rafael Benitez who had previously won the competition with Liverpool back in 2005. Madrid were drawn alongside a strong Paris Saint Germain side, Shakhtar Donetsk and Swede side Malmo FF. The season began on a good note Madrid keeping clean sheets and registering wins against Shakhtar and Malmo.
Games against PSG were also going to be a tough task and would give an ideal feedback as to how the team had been performing. Real did manage to get four point out of the Parisians but the performances remained far from convincing. Madrid remained unbeaten without conceding a single goal in the group stages; a unique feat in itself.
Round of 16:
The round of 16 bought Madrid against a former foe in AS Roma who were now under manager Luciano Spalleti, the same manager who guided Roma to a famous in over Real in 2008.
Things however were different now as Madrid themselves had undergone a massive change in the form of Zinedine Zidane who had now taken over as the club’s manager. A difficult 2-0 win at the StadioOlympico made sure that Madrid had a massive advantage going into the second leg.
The second leg saw Roma create a host of chances only to scuff them all away. Madrid took their chances and ended up winning rather comfortably in the end. Not convincing again but Madrid securing another last eight spot.
Quarter Finals:
Wolfsburg was assigned the task of facing Real and boy did they take that well! Wolfsburg played almost the perfect game at home to comfortably beat a star studded Madrid side 2-0 in Germany.
A Madrid side which clearly lacked intensity coming off a huge clasico win. The second leg at the Bernabeu was being called as the season defining (season saving) moment for the madridistas as a Champions League exit would pretty much end their season trophyless. Only 15% of sides trailing 2-0 from the first leg had overturned the deficit. Surely this was too much even for the Galacticos of Real Madrid.
The game began pretty much as expected with Real playing with a lot of intensity. The tie was soon bought back to life with two Cristiano Ronaldo goals in a gap of a minute. Ronaldo soon struck his and Madrid’s third through a wall splitting free kick to put Madrid in lead and on course for a possible comeback.
Benzema and Jese almost made it more but Wolfsburg hung on, giving Real a famous win on a famous night at the Bernabeu. One of the many that have taken place in the Bernabeu Madrid like all the other sides moving to the last four with an aggregate of 3-2. Keeping hopes of ‘’Undecima’’ alive.
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