As the UEFA Champions League advances to its penultimate stage, The Hard Tackle delves deeper closely analyzing potential outcomes.
The UEFA Champions League always tends to live up to the expectations. We have already witnessed some edge-of-the-seat thrillers so far this season and in less than two weeks’ time, we are all set to be treated with two interesting semi-final ties.
Before we try to predict the outcome of those fixtures, let us have a closer look at how things have panned out for the four semi-finalists: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and PSG.
Los Blancos go past the defending champions
Real Madrid have been a dominant force in all competitions this season. They squared up against Manchester City in the quarter-finals. The first leg was an end-to-end affair which ended 3-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu, and it looked like an uphill task for Los Blancos from there.
They had never defeated Manchester City at the Etihad and had lost the second leg of the semi-finals 4-0 last season. As a result, there was a lot of pressure on Carlo Ancelotti’s men. They ended up producing a defensive master class against the defending champions, it ended 1-1 after extra time, and the team in white progressed via a penalty shootout.
Bayern Munich hold off Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich might not have had the best of times in the league this season but have surely done a lot of things right to have made it this far in the Champions League. They did not have the best of outings at the Emirates but still ended up playing out a 2-2 draw against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the first leg of the quarter-finals.
While Arsenal did have the opportunities, they failed to make it count in the second leg. Eventually, Bayern’s experience of playing such big games is what helped them seal the deal at home. Joshua Kimmich gave them the lead in the 63rd minute, and they managed to keep it intact until the final whistle securing another semi-final appearance.
A night to remember at Signal Iduna Park
Borussia Dortmund scripted an incredible comeback against Atletico Madrid to make it this far. They lost the first leg of the quarter-finals to Atletico Madrid (2-1) away from home. The Black and Yellows scored twice in the first half of the second leg to take the lead. But, Diego Simeone’s team bounced back with two strikes early in the second half.
However, the team in yellow were determined to go past the Spanish giants. They kept the pressure on and just ten minutes after Atletico took the lead, Dortmund were back on top. It was a night that every fan of Dortmund will remember for years to come. Despite all the troubles, their team made it happen.
🟡⚫️ Borussia Dortmund beat Atlético 4-2! pic.twitter.com/d8SHW3Liol
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 16, 2024
PSG’s incredible comeback away from home
PSG were also in a similar position to that of Borussia Dortmund heading into the second leg. The only difference was they had lost the first leg at home (3-2) and needed to come from a goal behind to defeat Barcelona in their backyard. While Raphinha made it 4-2 in their favour in the 12th minute of the match, Ronald Araujo was sent off in the 29th minute, opening the floodgates.
The Blaugrana were down to ten men against one of the most dangerous attacks in world football. They suffered at the hands of PSG, who found the back of the net on four occasions before the final whistle. Les Parisiens made it to the semi-finals by winning 6-4 on aggregate.
Real Madrid will go up against Bayern Munich while PSG will face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals this time around. All four teams are capable enough to make it to the final, but whoever manages to rise to the occasion shall make it to the end game that will played at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both fixtures and tries to predict the outcomes.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Champions League semi-finals:
🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich 🇩🇪
🇫🇷 PSG vs. Dortmund 🇩🇪Who is winning the trophy from here? #UCL pic.twitter.com/mhJfMbLWMJ
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 17, 2024
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have been two of the most dominant forces in Europe over the past few decades. They have squared up against each other on 26 occasions, with the team in white winning 12 and the team in red coming out on top on 11 occasions.
The two teams have squared up against each other in the knockout rounds of the tournament on 12 occasions, and Los Blancos have progressed to the next round on seven of those occasions. They clearly have the upper at this point in time. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have won each of the last three knockout ties between the two teams.
Bayern Munich might have made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League. But their overall form has not been good enough. For the first time in over a decade, they have failed to win the Bundesliga, and things are not really going according to plan for them.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have almost secured the league title following their 3-2 win over Barcelona on Sunday. With the league done and dusted, their entire focus will be on winning the Champions League. The Merengues have been a dominant force throughout, and the win over Manchester City and Barcelona will only be an added boost.
The second leg of this tie will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that will be a huge advantage for the team in white. They are the most dangerous when they play at home, and as a result, it won’t be a surprise to see things fairly even heading into the second leg before the Real Madrid players make it count in their backyard.
Semi-finals ✅#UCL pic.twitter.com/lhFBmp3M2X
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 18, 2024
PSG vs Borussia Dortmund
PSG and Borussia Dortmund have squared up against each other on four occasions. The Black and Yellows have won once, while Les Parisiens have come out on top twice.
Both teams were in the same group at the start of the tournament. While Dortmund did finish the group at the top, they failed to defeat PSG back then. The German club lost 2-0 away from home on the opening matchday before playing out a draw at the Signal Iduna Park on matchday six.
Despite not being at their best, PSG are still leading the race to the league title, while Borussia Dortmund have been a bit inconsistent, and they are fighting for a place in the top four. Both clubs pulled off incredible comebacks to make it to the semi-finals suggesting that this tie could go down to the wire.
While Dortmund might manage to keep the Ligue 1 champions at bay in the first leg at home, they might not be able to stop PSG from going through. The second leg at the Parc des Princes will be key as PSG have won both their home games against the Bundesliga outfit so far.
