UEFA Champions League and Europa League draw: Timing, where to watch it live
Tomorrow, the four remaining teams in the Champions League will find out who they play in the semi-finals. Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Juventus and AS Monaco are the teams that will fight it out to emerge as the champions of Europe at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff – the venue for this year's grand finale.
Timing of the draw
The semi-final draw will be held on Friday, April 21 at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. It will take place at 15:30 IST and will be followed by the Europa League draw for the final four teams, an hour later. Manchester United will be the major attraction in the Europa League’s last four draw if they make it past Anderlecht.
Coming back to the Champions League, all the remaining teams in the draw will be unseeded which means an all-Madrid affair is a possibility in the semis. The team that is picked out from the bowl first will play the first leg at home with an extra 'administrative' round deciding the 'home' team for the final.
How can I watch the draw live?
The draw can be followed live on UEFA.com with the governing body's official website streaming the event live.
Sportskeeda will also provide a live blow-by-blow account of the all-important semi-final draw where we will deliver updates as soon as the action unfolds in Nyon.
The Ten network will also telecast the draw live and fans can watch the entire ceremony on Ten 1 and Ten 1 HD.
Dates of the semi-final matches
The four teams will face off over the span of two weeks in May with the matches being played as usual on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first legs will be played on May 2 and May 3 while the second leg will be played a week later on May 9 and May 10. Meanwhile, the Europa League semi-finals will be played on May 4 and May 11.
Venue of the final
The ultimate showdown will occur at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on June 4 at 12:15 IST. It is the home ground of the Welsh national rugby team while the football team also play their matches at this venue. Meanwhile, the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, will be the venue for this season’s Europa League final.
How did the teams reach the semi-finals?
Atletico Madrid were the first team to reach the last four as the Rojiblancos overcame Leicester City's fairytale challenge. After winning the first leg 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon, Atletico Madrid managed a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium to book their place in the semis. Juventus, meanwhile, ended FC Barcelona's European dreams as a 3-0 first leg win was enough for the Bianconeri to secure a place in the last four of the competition.
AS Monaco scored three goals in both the legs against Borussia Dortmund to reach the semis of the Champions League after a long hiatus. On the other hand, Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich home and away with Cristiano Ronaldo the architect of the two-legged win over the Bavarians.
Meanwhile, in the Europa League, Ajax are the favourites to reach the semis after beating Schalke 2-0 in the first leg at home whereas Lyon have the advantage over Besiktas after beating them 2-1 in the first leg. Manchester United face a tough home game against Anderlecht after drawing 1-1 in Belgium while Celta Vigo have a 3-2 advantage over Genk.