Semifinal lineup rekindles all-Madrid final memories
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FOR the fifth consecutive year two Spanish sides will contest the UEFA Champions League semifinals as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid eye a repeat of the Spanish capital derby in the final two years ago.
However, today’s draw in Nyon also offers the tantalizing possibility of Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola facing his future employer Manchester City in the English side’s debut at this stage of the competition.
Atletico ended Barcelona’s reign as champion with a 2-0 win in an eerily similar tie for Diego Simeone’s men to their passage to the last four two years ago when they ousted Barcelona at the quarterfinal stage.
The similarities to 2014 don’t end there as the final four was made up of Atletico, Real, Bayern and English involvement with City’s place then taken by Chelsea.
Real rolled over Guardiola’s Bayern 5-0 on aggregate in the semis before snatching Atletico’s first ever European Cup away from it with Sergio Ramos’s stoppage-time equalizer in Lisbon as it eventually ran out 4-1 winner after extra-time.
“We won’t have anything easy. City has incredible financial power and Real Madrid and Bayern are historic teams in this competition,” said Simeone.
“For Atletico to be among the four best teams in Europe is an important step, but just that, because we want more.”
Real is relieved just to make it to a record sixth consecutive semifinal as it had to overturn a 0-2 deficit to see off VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday 3-0, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick.
Ronaldo’s wish of a return to Portugal to face Benfica in the last four was ended as away goals from Arturo Vidal and Thomas Mueller ensured Bayern returned to the semis looking to make amends for its thrashings at the hands of Real and Barcelona in the past two seasons.
“I know that Cristiano would have liked Benfica in the semifinals, I am sorry for him,” said Guardiola, who has now reached the semifinals in all seven of his campaigns as a coach.
“We’ve achieved our objective and now we want to get to the final. From what I read in Germany it would seem that if I leave without winning the Champions League my work will have been incomplete.”
Despite bowing out to Spanish opposition in the past two years, a visit to future employer City could prove even more awkward for Guardiola than a return to his homeland.
The 45-year-old Catalan will assume his role at the Etihad next season, but outgoing City boss Manuel Pellegrini has again demonstrated he is a Champions League specialist having also guided Villarreal to its sole semifinal appearance in 2006 and Malaga to the quarter-finals in 2013.
“To be in the semifinals is a great achievement,” said Kevin de Bruyne, City’s match winner against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. “But it is not done yet. We are looking forward to the semis. It is only two games away from the final. We will try to do everything to reach the final.”
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