The Champions League delivers yet again
The semi-finalists of this year’s Champions League have been determined following another exciting round of knockout football.
Real Madrid will face familiar foes Bayern Munich, while Borussia Dortmund will take on Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona collapse at home to PSG
It all started so well for FC Barcelona on the night, opening the scoring on 12 minutes through Raphinha.
Their strong start was then undone by Ronald Araujo, who received a straight red card in the 29th minute for an unnecessary last-man challenge.
PSG went on to score four uncontested goals to secure a 6-4 win on aggregate and a place in the semi-final.
Former Barca player Ousmane Dembele scored 10 minutes after Araujo’s sending off to make it 4-3 on aggregate.
Vitinha then leveled the tie in the 54th minute with a strike from distance.
Barcelona shot themselves in the foot again only minutes later when Joao Cancelo inexplicably conceded a penalty with a foul on Dembele.
Kylian Mbappe buried the penalty to give PSG the lead on aggregate, and got himself a second goal in the dying minutes to wrap things up.
Dortmund find a way against Atletico Madrid
The most exciting second leg of the quarter-finals saw Borussia Dortmund put four goals past Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Dortmund started strong, scoring twice in the first half through Julian Brandt and Ian Maatsen to take a 3-2 lead on aggregate.
A wild second half then ensued.
A Matt Hummels own goal in the 49th minute was followed by an Angel Correa goal 15 minutes later to restore Atletico’s lead on aggregate.
Borussia Dortmund only needed 10 minutes to regain control of the tie, though.
Niclas Füllkrug scored a perfect header which brought the tie to 4-4 on aggregate.
Three minutes later, Marcel Sabitzer won it in the 74th minute with a strike that snuck past Jan Oblak to send Dortmund through 5-4 on aggregate.
Arsenal falls short against Bayern Munich
Only one goal ended up separating Bayern Munich and Arsenal in what was a closely contested tie.
Arsenal controlled large stretches of the game, but failed to seriously threaten Manuel Neuer’s goal.
On the other end, there was a moment of foreshadowing for Bayern Munich only minutes into the second half.
Leon Goretzka sent a clever header off the Arsenal crossbar, and a rebounded effort was blocked by William Saliba before kissing the post and going out for a corner kick.
The deciding moment of the game then came in the 63rd minute through Joshua Kimmich.
Raphael Guerrero received a wayward cross from Leroy Sané and sent it back into the box, finding Kimmich who connected perfectly to head the ball home.
Arsenal struggled to find a way back into the game, fading away as time wore on.
Bayern went through in the end, winning 3-2 on aggregate.
Real Madrid eliminate reigning champions Manchester City
Real Madrid got payback in Manchester, having lost there 4-0 last season.
Reigning European champions City dominated, taking 33 shots to Madrid’s eight, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
Madrid took the lead in the 12th minute when Rodrygo finished his own rebound.
It took City some time to find an equaliser, but they eventually did so through talisman Kevin De Bruyne.
In the 76th minute, a scuffed clearance fell to De Bruyne’s feet, who finished emphatically to send the game into extra time.
Both teams failed to find a second goal, and it came down to penalties.
Andriy Lunin was the hero on the night for Real Madrid, saving two penalties.
The clinching penalty was then tucked away by Antonio Rudiger, sending Real Madrid through.
Stories that write themselves
The Champions League is revered in part for the narratives that it crafts.
Looking at the potential matchups for the final, there are two stories in particular that stand out.
First, a Real Madrid vs Paris Saint Germain final would serve as the perfect finale for Kylian Mbappe.
The French superstar has been linked with a move to Los Blancos for years now, and playing against them on the biggest stage would be quite a way to introduce himself to what is likely his next team.
Second, an all-German final between rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund would be a thrilling encounter.
The two sides faced off in the Champions League final back in 2013, with Bayern winning 2-1.
Interestingly enough, the 2013 final took place at Wembley Stadium, which is also the location of this year’s final.
We’ll soon see who makes it through to the final.
The dates for the semi-finals
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid: Tuesday, 30 April @ 8pm
Borussia Dortmund vs PSG: Wednesday, 1 May
PSG vs Borussia Dortmund: Tuesday, 7 May
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: Wednesday, 8 May @ 8pm
