UEFA Champions League: Predicting the Likely Winners from the Semi-Finals
The four UEFA Champions League semi-finalists have learned their fate, with the path now laid out all to the grand finale on May 28. Villarreal and Real Madrid first made it through with their opponents confirmed as Manchester City and Liverpool progressed respectively the following day.
Just like the quarter-finals, we would be expecting to see a clash of some European heavyweights in the semi-finals. The last eight of this year's Champions League, produced some memorable moments as we saw heavyweights like Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid bow out of the competition.
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We could also expect surprises in the semi-finals as the English and Spanish teams go head-on. Manchester City will take on Real Madrid on April 26 and May 4, while Liverpool will take on Villarreal on 27 April and 3 May.
The UCL knockout stages are known for their entertainment and unpredictability. Hence, we'll put the four teams under a scanner to prognosticate the teams that will book their spot in the Stade de France.
Manchester City vs Real Madrid - Champions League SF 1
Having survived an exit scare from the reigning champions, Real Madrid will go into a clash with Guardiola's men as the undisputed king of European football. Carlo Ancelotti's men secured a 5-4 win aggregate win over Chelsea in the last eight. Although Chelsea produced a spirited comeback in the second leg, a moment of ingenuity from Luka Modric and Karim Benzema made the difference.
Whilst many may see their victory against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea as a fluke, there is no doubt that it is what they do best. Real Madrid have shown the world that they cannot be written off with their talisman Karim Benzema in such lethal form.
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Manchester City, on the other hand, have an in-depth squad that is matchless across Europe. Having ended as runners-up in the 2020-21 campaign, they will be keen to end their Champions League hoodoo. Besides, their thirst for the Champions League trophy remains as intense as ever. The tie will definitely serve up some mouth-watering scenes.
The last encounter between both sides in this competition was in the 2019-20 campaign where Man City won 4-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 stage. In the meeting prior to that in 2015-16, Real Madrid emerged 1-0 aggregate winners in the semi-final stage and went on to lift the trophy.
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Although Los Blancos have a reputation for excelling in the Champions League knockout stages, their defensive struggles against PSG and Chelsea show that they can be exposed. And in all honesty, Guardiola's expert attackers are extremely proficient at taking advantage of their opponent's flaws as they are prolific in creating chances. Manchester City also have a more in-depth squad than Real Madrid at the moment.
Hence we expect the Cityzens to triumph over the Whites across two legs and enter their second consecutive final.
Liverpool vs Villarreal - Champions League SF 2
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Liverpool's chase for their seventh Champions League trophy and an unprecedented quadruple continues as they take on Unai Emery's men in the last four. Having tasted defeat only thrice across all their games in all competitions this season, Jurgen Klopp's men have shown that they have what it takes to win every trophy available to them.
Unai Emery's men, though not fancied by many, have shown that they are capable of upsetting teams stronger than themselves. No one would have picked them to cause havoc against the Bavarians and Juventus. As a football fan, one cannot help but give them credit for getting this far.
OFFICIAL: Villarreal are charging just €20 for their CL semi final tie vs Liverpool for season ticket holders and €10 for u25s.
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Villarreal will, of course, pose more of a threat to Liverpool than Benfica as they can count on the likes of Gerard Moreno, Arnaut Danjuma, Daniel Parejo, and other key players. Liverpool have already won the EFL Cup and look set to brush aside City all the way in the Premier League title race.
The last meeting between the two sides in a European competition was in the 2015-16 Europa League semi-finals where the Reds emerged victors on a 4-1 aggregate. The tie will also be a fascinating one. But the truth of the matter is that Liverpool are just too good and we see them shutting up the tie at Anfield.