There are just four teams left in the Champions League, and it’s time to draw the semifinal matchups. The tournament so far has been incredible, as full of remarkable moments, fantastic goals, and dramatic comebacks as it ever is. There have been upsets, crushing victories, wondersaves, and scintillating performances galore, and now that we’re just a step away from the final in Berlin, everything is about to get turned up to 11.
Champions League draw 2015, semifinal preview: Only Europe’s best remain
The last draw before the Champions League Final in Berlin is set to be made, with four excellent teams in the pot.
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The four teams left are some of the best in Europe, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich all holding recent Champions League titles and generally thought of as the three best teams in the world right now. Picking between them is no easy task, though it should get a little clearer once the dust has settled, with two of them facing off in this round and a strong chance of a second matchup from among that trio in the final.
Barcelona are more balanced and complete than they’ve been in a few years, with their All-Star attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez making life insanely difficult for opposing defenses in Spain and Europe, and their defense and midfield are performing at high levels as well. They swept Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City away with ease in the knockout rounds. While they’ll have a tough fight on their hands in the semifinal no matter who they’re drawn with, it’s not as though they’ve been facing makeweight teams so far.
Real Madrid just finished off a difficult tie with cross down rivals Atletico Madrid, with that coming on the heels of a narrow win against a lively Schalke side. The Galacticos have had some rough injury luck in this half of the season, but they have the depth and quality to press on through it. Madrid are not quite as invincible as they were a year ago when they cruised to their 10th Champions League title, but the Spaniards are still a fearsome opponent for whoever they get drawn with -- even if they face Barcelona in a Champions League Clasico.
Bayern Munich have become a near-unstoppable force again this season, and overcame a first-leg setback against Porto to absolutely obliterate them in the second. That came after Bayern treated Shakhtar Donetsk as little more than a speedbump in the first knockout round -- whoever gets drawn with the German giants will have to face a top-notch squad lead by the tactical masterminding of Pep Guardiola. Any weaknesses their opponents show will be ruthlessly exploited, and Bayern’s improving squad health will leave them precious few holes for opponents to exploit.
Of course, Juventus will be looking to make life difficult for whoever they're drawn with. The Italian side are no slouch, steaming full speed ahead to their fourth straight Serie A title and bringing a good squad of their own to the table. They may not have the plethora of talent and depth that Barcelona, Madrid, or Bayern have at hand, but they have good players working in a system that suits them well. That was on display against AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund in the first two knockout rounds, with Juve showing off their defensive abilities against Monaco after overwhelming Dortmund with their attacking quality.
Draw Date/Time: Friday, 6 a.m. ET, 12 p.m. local
Location: Nyon, Switzerland
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada), Eurosport Deutschland (Germany), Eurosport Italy (Italy), Eurosport Spain, Esport3 (Spain), Sky Sports News (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2GO, FOX Sports Go (U.S.), UEFA.com
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