Chapter 379: Manchester City vs Bayern and Real Madrid vs Barcelona, the Strongest Semi-finals in History!
"Bloodbath: Bayern's Powerful Response to Doubts!"
"Bayern 8:1 Porto, Breaking the Record for the Biggest Win in Champions League Quarter-final History!"
"Bundesliga Giant Unstoppable, Porto Slaughtered!"
"This Is the True Strength of Bayern Munich!"
…
After this round of the Champions League, everyone was shocked by the dramatic scoreline between Bayern and Porto. This isn't just a group stage of the Champions League, where teams from lower leagues often get heavily defeated due to the gap in quality. This is the knockout stage, and not just any knockout stage, but the second round, where weaker teams have already been eliminated.
To reach the quarter-finals means there are no weak teams left. Porto might not be from one of the top five leagues, but they are still the champions of Portugal and have been ranked among the top tier in recent Champions League editions. Their UEFA coefficient alone speaks to their strength; they're no pushovers.
Yet, even such a team was demolished by Bayern, a result that made the world wary of Bayern's attacking prowess. Under Heynckes, just how powerful is Bayern's offense? To the extent that they can slaughter a Champions League quarter-final team as if they were nothing?
With such a formidable Bayern, along with the previous champions Manchester City and the Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, this year's Champions League semi-finals are incredibly high in quality.
It can be said these four teams are currently the strongest in world football. The battles among them are so thrilling just to think about, and fans are eager for the semi-finals to begin.
However, before the semi-finals kick off, the draw must first determine the matchups.
"Let's make an irresponsible prediction for the semi-final draw: Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Manchester City vs Bayern."
"Great insight! A La Liga derby is always explosive and draws a lot of attention. Manchester City vs Bayern will be Guardiola's chance to prove himself, full of storylines. Both matches would be top-notch in terms of excitement."
"Considering the rivalry between Bayern and Barcelona, it wouldn't be surprising if UEFA sets them up to face each other in the semi-finals."
"Indeed, Barcelona is eager to avenge their 7-0 aggregate defeat to Bayern from two years ago. If these two teams meet in the semi-finals, it would be an epic clash."
"Last season, Real Madrid was eliminated by Manchester City in the semi-finals; they'll surely be out for revenge. If City and Real Madrid meet again in the semi-finals, it will be just as exciting. This arrangement would also be excellent."
"I think UEFA might use the rivalry between Lin Quan and Barcelona to set up a semi-final clash between Manchester City and Barcelona."
"Barcelona has always wanted to bring Lin Quan and Guardiola back to Camp Nou. With a little push from UEFA, having this father and son return as coach and player for Manchester City would be a plot the fans would love."
"Ah, it's tough. All four teams are so closely matched, any match would be spectacular. If only they could all play each other in turn!"
Because they are all strong contenders, the semi-finals have already attracted a lot of attention even before starting.
On April 24, the much-anticipated draw for the 2014-2015 Champions League semi-finals took place at UEFA headquarters.
Guardiola attended the draw with club president Khaldoon Al Mubarak and greeted coaches from the other teams before the ceremony began. He didn't greet Heynckes, not out of disrespect, but because he saw Bayern's club manager Hoeness next to him, whom Guardiola dislikes.
As last year, two Spanish teams made it to the semi-finals. However, instead of the Madrid derby, it's now a clash between the Spanish giants.
If Atletico hadn't faced Real Madrid so early, they might have reached the semi-finals, turning it into a three-Spanish-team semi-final.
Since Guardiola established the tiki-taka era at Barcelona, La Liga has risen to dominance. First, it was Barcelona's unbeatable style, then Real Madrid responded by assembling a star-studded team, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
Atletico emerged as the disruptor, challenging the status quo.
La Liga teams not only dominate the Champions League but also excel in the Europa League, particularly Sevilla, who have won it three years in a row, leading fans to joke about renaming it the Sevilla Cup.
However, the Spanish giants are not invincible. Last year, Manchester City knocked out both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and in the final, they beat Atletico, effectively soloing the La Liga powerhouse.
Bayern has had numerous encounters with the Spanish giants, with both sides having their share of wins, though Bayern has had the upper hand in recent years.
So, it's impossible to predict who will win the Champions League until the very end.
At noon, UEFA Secretary General Infantino and the final ambassador, former German player Riedle, started the draw. Riedle first drew Barcelona, and the cameras immediately focused on Barcelona's president Bartomeu.
Bartomeu shifted nervously, glancing at the Manchester City representatives. Last year's defeats by Manchester City made Barcelona wary of facing them again, especially now with Lin Quan and Guardiola knowing Barcelona so well.
Fortunately for Bartomeu, Infantino didn't draw Manchester City next but their fierce rivals Real Madrid.
A murmur went through the crowd. A Champions League El Clásico in the semi-finals? UEFA knows how to spice things up!
With only four teams in the semi-finals and two already drawn, the remaining matchups were clear without needing further draws. The pairings are: Barcelona vs Real Madrid, and Manchester City vs Bayern.
The first team drawn has the disadvantage of playing at home first in the semi-finals. Despite knowing the matchups, the draw continued to its formal conclusion.
Bayern's manager Hoeness couldn't help but sit up straight, silently chanting to himself: "Don't draw Bayern first, don't draw Bayern first!" Sitting next to him, veteran coach Heynckes seemed indifferent. For a truly strong team, whether they play home or away first doesn't matter. If Bayern is strong enough, they could crush their opponents in the first leg, just like they did in their 8:1 slaughter of Porto at home. If they can win by three or four goals at home, can the opponents really turn it around in the away leg?
On the Manchester City side, president Khaldoon Al Mubarak felt a bit nervous; drawing Bayern wouldn't be a good sign for them. However, seeing Guardiola's calm demeanor, Mubarak felt somewhat reassured. With Lin Quan and Guardiola, Manchester City need not fear anyone!
Riedle quickly drew from the remaining two balls, opening one to reveal the name – Manchester City! Seeing this, Hoeness breathed a sigh of relief. With Manchester City drawn first, it meant Bayern would have the advantage of playing away first and home second. This schedule favored Bayern's chances of reaching the final. After all, as long as they don't suffer a heavy defeat in the first leg, the decisive match will be at Bayern's home ground. Given Bayern's terrifying home record over the past few seasons, Hoeness doubted Manchester City could gain any advantage at the Allianz Arena.
The matches between Manchester City and Bayern were scheduled for May 5th and May 12th. This period was around the final few rounds of the major leagues. For Bayern, who were already far ahead in their league, they might have secured the title by then. But for Manchester City, they had no such advantage and had to fight for every match. Thus, when the semi-finals arrived, Bayern could focus all their energy on the Champions League, while Manchester City could not.
Additionally, there was more bad news for Manchester City. This season's Champions League final was to be held on June 6th at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The favorable schedule and the final in their own capital city motivated Bayern even more to perform their best in the semi-finals and achieve their dream of lifting the trophy at home.
So, drawing Bayern was not necessarily better than drawing Real Madrid or Barcelona. ... After the Champions League semi-final draw, the betting companies quickly released new odds. In the Spanish giants' clash, they favored Barcelona slightly more. After all, Barcelona recently beat Real Madrid in El Clásico, showing that MSN outperformed BBC. In the Manchester City vs Bayern matchup, based on the schedule and recent form, the betting companies favored Bayern more. After all, one team was only focusing on one competition, while the other was juggling two, potentially impacting their Champions League performance. The media and experts held similar views to the betting companies, believing that Bayern, having secured their league title early, had a slight advantage.
"Manchester City's biggest issues now are stamina and injuries. How well they manage these will determine how far they can go," one veteran pointed out sharply. ... On April 25th, the 34th round of the Premier League began. It seemed to confirm external speculations that Manchester City's form was affected by competing on two fronts. In their home match against Aston Villa, they led 2-0 in the first half with goals from Lin Quan and Aguero. However, in the second half, especially after the 70th minute, the players' stamina dropped, and their performance declined. Aston Villa seized the opportunity and launched a counterattack, leveling the score. When the opponent equalized at 2-2 in the 85th minute, the Etihad Stadium fell silent. Manchester City fans were wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing. How could their team, with such a big lead, be equalized?
Guardiola rarely showed a worried expression. If they were held to a draw, they would fall five points behind Chelsea. With only four matches left, a five-point lead almost guaranteed Chelsea the title. Luckily, in stoppage time, Van Dijk scored a crucial header, helping Manchester City to a narrow 3-2 victory! Post-match, Guardiola brought Van Dijk to the press conference, lavishing him with praise. Since joining Manchester City, Van Dijk had solidified his starting position, performing increasingly well. His outstanding club performances even caught the attention of the Dutch national team coach, earning him a national team call-up.
Learning of Manchester City's narrow win, Chelsea fans, who were ready to celebrate, were frustrated. But they reassured themselves that if their team could beat Arsenal away, they would still maintain their lead over Manchester City. However, after the match at the Emirates Stadium ended in a 0-0 draw, Chelsea fans were silent. In the league's fifth-to-last round, being held to a draw by Arsenal cost them two crucial points, reducing their lead from three points to one! With four matches remaining, Chelsea's one-point lead left them with no margin for error. A single draw could see them lose the top spot.
"No worries, the Champions League semi-finals are about to start, and next, Manchester City has to visit Tottenham at White Hart Lane. I don't believe they'll go all out in an away match against Tottenham!" "Exactly, on May 3rd they play Tottenham, and on May 6th they face Bayern at home. If they exert themselves too much against Tottenham, they might struggle to beat Bayern at home!"
From Chelsea fans' perspective, for Manchester City, already in the semi-finals, they would definitely strive to defend their Champions League title. This is a feat no team has achieved since the Champions League's format change. If Manchester City can do it, they would undoubtedly join the elite club of top-tier teams, cementing their status as a member of the Premier League's Big Five. In Chelsea's shoes, they would also focus on the Champions League, as abandoning the league wouldn't affect their European qualification.