Champions League and Europa League semi-final draws

Kylo Ren

You can follow here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/12/champions-league-europa-league-draw-live

EDIT:

Champions League draw

Bayern Munich v Barcelona

Dortmund v Real Madrid


Europa League Draw

Fenerbahce v Benfica

FC Basel v Chelsea

Matches to be played on 25th April and 2nd May.

Kylo Ren

What draw does everyone want?



Spanish V Spanish and German V German or a mix?

Alfred Borden

Hopefully all german and all spanish semi finals!

Kylo Ren

Europa League Draw:

Fenerbahce v Benfica

FC Basel v Chelsea

Matches to be played on 25th April and 2nd May.

GavRedKing

Happy with that draw, 2nd leg at home will be cruicial.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Kylo Ren

Phoenix wrote: »

Bayern v Barca!

Hoping for that one!

Kylo Ren

Bayern Munich v Barcelona

Dortmund v Real Madrid

messinkiapina

Tough game for Barca, they'll need to be rediscover their form to beat Bayern I think, BUT I think they'll do it. I'm predicting a Barca v Dortmund final.

Alfred Borden

Is it just me or does Barca always have the second leg at home at nearly every stage every year?

GavRedKing

El Clasico final, potentially.

RIGGED!!!!!!

:pac:

Going to be some Semi Final line up.

Morzadec

Would have preferred Barca vs Dortmund.

Still nice to have mixed draws. El Clasico final remains a possibility.

Will probably be cheering for the 2 German teams however

Kylo Ren

Bayern's record against Barcelona reads: W3 D2 L1 F8 A9 and Barcelona have beaten them only once in Europe.

Real Madrid's record against Dortmund reads like this: W2 D3 L1 F8 A6

kfallon

Keno 92 wrote: »

Bayern's record against Barcelona reads: W3 D2 L1 F8 A9 and Barcelona have beaten them only once in Europe.

Real Madrid's record against Dortmund reads like this: W2 D3 L1 F8 A6

Their only defeat of Bayern, was that a hammering in the Nou Camp, Barca were something like 4 up after half an hour? Could have been 08-09 season. I wasn't expecting their record to be that good against them tbh, interesting.

Would love to see Dortmund in the final

Alfred Borden

Everyone wants El Classico but i want an all German Final!

iDave

Ok supporting Dortmund mainly cause their manager seems like great craic

kfallon

Raf32 wrote: »

Everyone wants El Classico but i want an all German Final!

Tbh I think I'd rather it to the El Clasico myself! Have a soft spot for Dortmund.

Chucky the tree

El Classico would highlight everything that is wrong with football on the biggest scale possible. diving, feigning injury, trying to get people book/sent off at every chance, harassing refeeres and officals constantly and maybe a bit of racism thrown in for good measure.

Will I Amnt

Really looking forward to these games. It was a win win situation. Any combination of those 4 teams was always going to make for good viewing.

elefant

Chucky the tree wrote: »

El Classico would highlight everything that is wrong with football on the biggest scale possible. diving, feigning injury, trying to get people book/sent off at every chance, harassing refeeres and officals constantly and maybe a bit of racism thrown in for good measure.

Everything that's wrong?

We'd have the best players in the world on opposite teams in the biggest game of the year. Seems very right to me.

roanoke

Raf32 wrote: »

Is it just me or does Barca always have the second leg at home at nearly every stage every year?

Yep, this is three for three this season.

Also it's their fourth CL semi-final in a row with the 2nd leg at home. Before that (in their run of six consecutive semi finals) was two away 2nd legs.

Wrongway1985

GavRedKing wrote: »

El Clasico final, potentially.

RIGGED!!!!!!

:pac:

Going to be some Semi Final line up.

Dead Right!! El Classicos at home in the 2nd legs too coupled with the fact they dont normally do a draw at this stage, some journo put it best when he said I know what the semi finals are going to be...its going to be a spanish team vs a german team and a spanish team vs german team you might say thats rigged...and you're probably right!!

Roaster

I'd say the authorities are loving the idea of a Fenerbahce v Chelsea final:eek:

gimmick

Chucky the tree wrote: »

El Classico would highlight everything that is wrong with football on the biggest scale possible. diving, feigning injury, trying to get people book/sent off at every chance, harassing refeeres and officals constantly and maybe a bit of racism thrown in for good measure.

Have you watched any Clasicos lately? All that sort of nonsense, while not gone completely, is not as prevalent as it was 2/3 years ago.

elefant

Roaster wrote: »

I'd say the authorities are loving the idea of a Fenerbahce v Chelsea final:eek:

In Amsterdam too. There would be some Turkish crowd at it!

ArmaniJeanss

roanoke wrote: »

Yep, this is three for three this season.

2/2. Can hardly count the Round of 16 in any figures as its merit based.

Irishcrx

Come on Dortmund!!

German football deserves an all German final, It's been on the up and up for the past few years , producing fantastic players/teams , the way it treats it's fans , runs their clubs.

Be great to see Bayern vs Dortmund on the global spotlight. With Dortmund to win!

Alfred Borden

roanoke wrote: »

Yep, this is three for three this season.

Also it's their fourth CL semi-final in a row with the 2nd leg at home. Before that (in their run of six consecutive semi finals) was two away 2nd legs.

Thought as much, always seem to have that advantage, genuinely the last time i can remember them playing away second leg in a big game was United and they lost!

blackwave

Want a german final with Dortmund to win it out

NIMAN

Get set of semi's, but with the best 4 teams in the competition, any mix of semi's was going to throw up great ties.

My favourites are Munich, strong all over. The La Liga teams rely too much on 1 player playing well. Stifle Messi and Ronnie and they are very beatable.

Think Madrid will sneak past Dortmund but it will be a tight one.

I think the neutral wants the Clasico final, but think its Madrid v Munich.

I also think an all German final would be good for the game, considering how they run their league and treat their fans.

Lennonist

El Classico Final would be legendary, a face off of the two greatest footballers of the current - or any - era.

carlop

Irishcrx wrote: »

Come on Dortmund!!

German football deserves an all German final, It's been on the up and up for the past few years , producing fantastic players/teams , the way it treats it's fans , runs their clubs.

Be great to see Bayern vs Dortmund on the global spotlight. With Dortmund to win!

This is true, or at least you could definitely say that Spanish football doesn't deserve an all Spanish football precisely for the way it treats its fans and runs its clubs.

Although they'll have a few problems at the back, I expect Barca to beat Bayern. Barca have been exposed by teams who have adjusted their style to counter them. It has been a combination of great tactics and the odd slice of luck that has seen Barca struggle at times this season, although it feels odd using the word struggle about a team that is comfortably top of La Liga and in a CL semi-final.

Bayern, and the German sides of recent years in general, have shown themselves to be a little bit naive tactically. Bayern won't adapt their style of play and against Barca this is a fatal mistake.

An interesting subplot to the tie is Pep. I presume his future employers will be picking his brain. Whether he agrees to help them or not is a different matter.

Despite Dortmund getting the better of them in the group stages, I think Real Madrid will come through the other semi-final. They have improved greatly this season and Mourinho will have two group games to ponder when deciding how to set out his team.

Real Madrid have a huge advantage in that their squad is awesome. This gives them more flexibility than any other team in Europe. They can make any number of tweaks to the system without severely reducing the quality of player on show. There is also the added fact that they have the best player in the world in 2013 up front, a player who has long discarded the 'doesn't do it in big games' tag and who now thrives on the big occasion.

Real Madrid - Barca final for me, with Real Madrid to finally win their long-coveted 10th Champions League trophy. I hope Mourinho then turns around and gives two fingers to the president, fans and media who have been on his back all year and trots off into the sunset.

LuckyLloyd

Would be Mourinho's finest moment in a career of fine moments.

MisterAnarchy

carlop wrote: »

Bayern, and the German sides of recent years in general, have shown themselves to be a little bit naive tactically. Bayern won't adapt their style of play and against Barca this is a fatal mistake.

I think Bayern are a bit suspect in the mental stakes too,they have a touch of the bottlers about them,I think Barca will show them up .

Barcelonas defence is threadbare with Puyol and Mascherano out .Pique is having a nightmare season,he is a major liability .

The first leg is in Munich and Barcelona's away form has been poor,they have been sluggish and lazy ,just trying to do enough to not lose.
They will have to improve dramatically as they cant afford to be chasing the game in the second leg as they could be exposed badly on the break .
They have been fortunate against Milan and PSG at home ,giving up numerous chances on the break ,that will be punished by Bayern.

carlop

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

I think Bayern are a bit suspect in the mental stakes too,they have a touch of the bottlers about them,I think Barca will show them up .

Barcelonas defence is threadbare with Puyol and Mascherano out .Pique is having a nightmare season,he is a major liability .

The first leg is in Munich and Barcelona's away form has been poor,they have been sluggish and lazy ,just trying to do enough to not lose.
They will have to improve dramatically as they cant afford to be chasing the game in the second leg as they could be exposed badly on the break .
They have been fortunate against Milan and PSG at home ,giving up numerous chances on the break ,that will be punished by Bayern.

I think after the first 30 minutes of the first leg we'll have a very good idea of how things are going to go. If Bayern come tearing out of the traps and grab an early goal, they have to become favourites.

However if we get to the 30 minute mark with the possession stats heavily in Barca's favour, even if it's 0-0, then I'd be quite confident that they would go on to win it.

dan1895

Irishcrx wrote: »

Come on Dortmund!!

German football deserves an all German final, It's been on the up and up for the past few years , producing fantastic players/teams , the way it treats it's fans , runs their clubs.

Be great to see Bayern vs Dortmund on the global spotlight. With Dortmund to win!

Agree with this.
Also where ever I end up watching the game will be great craic with all the Germans.

Xavi6

Raf32 wrote: »

Everyone wants El Classico

No they don't, there's been enough of them in the last few years to do a lifetime.

Worst outcome IMO.

No Dortmund in the final either just to annoy the hipsters.

gimmick

I think for my sanity, an all German final would be ok. I nothing both teams, so could actually sit back and enjoy it and the outcome being a non issue for me.

On the other hand, I want Barca to win.

GavRedKing

Xavi6 wrote: »

No they don't, there's been enough of them in the last few years to do a lifetime.

Worst outcome IMO.

No Dortmund in the final either just to annoy the hipsters.

This. ^

Although as previous poster said, Jose winning it and leaving Real soon after would be brilliant.

MisterAnarchy

carlop wrote: »

I think after the first 30 minutes of the first leg we'll have a very good idea of how things are going to go. If Bayern come tearing out of the traps and grab an early goal, they have to become favourites.

However if we get to the 30 minute mark with the possession stats heavily in Barca's favour, even if it's 0-0, then I'd be quite confident that they would go on to win it.

Very true but irrespective of whether Barca play well or poorly they will dominate possession against Bayern .

Neil3030

Xavi6 wrote: »

No Dortmund in the final either just to annoy the hipsters.

Hey, f**k that, what about the acute sorts who saw Dortmund massively overpriced after drawing a group with City and Real, stuck 40 lids on them, and stand to rake in over a grand if they win?!

LuckyLloyd

I'd love Dortmund to get ripped limb to limb by Madrid.

Bodhisopha

I think people will be surprised by how easily Barcelona cope with Bayern.

Lawrence1895

Dortmund has to play the first leg at home, that's not ideal...but it can be done, no, it will be done.

I hope for an All German final, just for the sake, that Messi and Ronaldo will find their masters

missingtime

Why don't people like Dortmund?

Bodhisopha

I wonder if Bayern will be leaning on Guardiola for any advice ahead of the semi.

Lawrence1895

missingtime wrote: »

Why don't people like Dortmund?

It's either me, or the fact, there is no celebrity-like superstar playing for the club

ArmaniJeanss

Dortmund v Barca final just to see The Voice of Reason explode.

Wrongway1985

How about this Real win it , Chelsea hopefully win the EL , José returns to Chelsea they thump Real in the Supercup!...Maybe slightly getting ahead of myself.

keith16

Xavi6 wrote: »

No Dortmund in the final either just to annoy the hipsters.

I think the term 'hipsters' is very unfair here.

Yes Dortmund have won a lot of new fans recently, but I think a lot of these would typically consider themselves neutral. When you think about it, it's easy to see why:

• They play a great brand of football
• They have incredible supporters
• They have pedigree
• The club is run in a sustainable fashion

To be honest, they are a breath of fresh air in footballing terms and they have certainly won me over. To me, they look like they could be running out of steam a bit and lack the depth of all three other semi-finalists, which ultimately could be their undoing.

If they stay fit however, and avoid suspensions, they have as good as chance as the others and have already proven this season that they are a match for Real.

Nuri Sahin

Happy to get Real, the match I wanted out of the three options. Underdog tag will be ours again which may do indeed suit us. Hopefully people are stupid enough to underestimate us as well. Sure, we're all hype according to some fools.

Heja BVB!