Champions League Returns: Here are some facts to know:
By Jafar Gibbons.
If you are excited by this year’s Champion’s League play, your feelings are justified. Some of the best football I have seen play collected over the years in this tournament were on display.
I can safely say, that to me, the best teams remain in this tournament. When you look at the path for each team, and how they arrive here, each team had to find their best in order to be featured in these semi-finals.
Real Madrid and Manchester City meet in the first semi-final, giving football fans around the globe a final-like atmosphere surrounding this tie and a repeat of last year’s semifinals featuring the two sides.
As we recall last year, it was Real Madrid who ‘upset’ the then favorites, Manchester City with a well-composed 3-1 comeback after losing the first leg 4-3 in Manchester. Rodrygo scored 2 goals in quick succession to ensure the comeback was complete. This will be Real Madrid’s 10th semifinals in the last 12 seasons while they search for a sixth title since 2014.
Contrastingly, its English opponent has never tasted victory in the champions league and recently lost the 2021 finals to Chelsea FC. Pep Guardiola, who has succeeded twice on the continent, has not managed to win the Champions League since 2011 when his Barcelona side defeated Manchester United in the finals.
As we are on the Manchester City topic, huge favorites to win this year’s edition, we are running out of adjectives to describe their prolific forward in Erling Haaland, who has already broken a few scoring records this year. With a possible 3 more games to go in this year’s edition, assuming that City wins everything, the forward stands a chance to break or tie the single-season goalscoring record of 17 goals as he sits on 12 currently. For context, he already tied the single-game record for bagging 5 goals in one match with over 30 minutes to spare. So, if there is anyone who can, the 22-year-old talisman can.
The two Milans have had some contrasting moments in the Champions League so far. While A.C Milan has produced some of the best football in this season’s edition, Inter Milan, who shares the same home venue with A.C Milan, the famous San Siro, has had some dull, yet favorable results sneaking into the final four of the competition. This city derby marks the first in the semifinals stage since 2003 when these same two teams met, with AC Milan winning then and going on to win the competition. Their manager at the time, Carlo Ancelotti, now manages Real Madrid, another semifinalist.
The following two weeks are important in club football and as a fan of the game, you don’t want to miss it. Real Madrid plays Tuesday, the Milan Derby plays Wednesday. Tune in.
