It's semi-final time, and titans will clash. Both Bayern Munich and Barcelona will consider themselves potential winners of the tournament, and while there were no bad teams left in the draw, we suspect that they'd have preferred one of the other two. There's also the small matter of Pep Guardiola's return to Barcelona, in the competition he won with the Catalans as both captain and manager. So much narrative, so little time.
Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League draw: Pep Guardiola returns to the Camp Nou
One of the tournament favourites will miss the final, as the balls throw the big boys together. But who will make it to the final?
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It looked — for a week — as though Guardiola might not even make it this far, after Bayern found themselves 3-1 down after the first of their quarterfinal against Porto. The teams doctor resigned and Europe asked itself: is this a crisis? Were things falling apart? Apparently not. A resounding performance in the second leg saw the Germans through: not flawless, perhaps, but definitely scary. Barcelona's progress was more serene: after humiliating Paris Saint-Germain and poor David Luiz in Paris, they were able to cruise through the second leg with a minimum of fuss.
Key matchup: Barcelona’s front three against whichever poor saps end up in Bayern’s defence
That Bayern have been struggling with injuries is almost an understatement, though the absence of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry didn't stop them dismantling Porto in the second leg of the quarterfinal. It's in defence, however, that their squad might well be exposed: with David Alaba and Holger Badstuber both missing, and with Mehdi Benatia's fitness unsure, Pep Guardiola might well have to improvise. Or he might have to play Dante, who spent most of the first leg against Porto asleep, and most of the second on the bench. Whoever he picks will have to cope with perhaps the most terrifying front three in the world: individually, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez are quick, skilful, and frankly ridiculous. As a unit, they're the stuff of nightmares.
One to watch: Manuel Neuer
This season’s version of Barcelona is significantly more direct than stereotype would insist, and are perfectly happy to play long, quick passes into the spaces behind their opponents’ defence. Bayern’s goalkeeper, meanwhile, is perfectly happy to charge out and revolutionise the art of goaltending play as an exceptionally aggressive sweeper-keeper. If he gets his charges right, and cuts out the quick balls to the front three, he could end up frustrating Barcelona’s attack. If he gets one wrong, then given the identity of the players skipping past him, things could get very messy indeed.
Prediction:
Goals. Lots and lots of lovely goals. Barcelona to progress by a couple.
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