It’s that time of year again, The quarter-finals of the Champions League have come to a close and there are only four teams left in the Champions League, all of which crave lifting up the 7.5kg UEFA European Championship trophy. The four remaining teams are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Juventus. Managers like Ancelotti, Guardiola and Enrique will be studying day-and-night to figure out the tactics deployed by their rivals on May 4th or May 11, here’s an analysis of the European giants in the Champions League Semi Finals.
Juventus : Italian giants Juventus are arguably the main reason why Italian football is still popular. The likes of Paul Pogba who continues to captivate the interest of top clubs have left Juventus with an impressive gem, one that will make the club rich once sold. Juventus are also dominant in the Serie A with an impressive 15 point lead over second place Lazio. Juventus look to bring a spark back to the name of Italian football and will likely do just that even though they are the underdogs of the 4 finalists. Juventus will likely deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation against their next European rival. Juventus will face Real Madrid on May 5th
Barcelona : The Nou Camp has hosted one of Aprils busiest teams, with constant games that have all been significant, Barcelona may seem overwhelmed by their tight schedule. This of course has not been seen in the team’s football, as they have won four out of their last 5 games; even swooping French giants PSG with a 5-1 aggregate victory in the Champions League. Barcelona will look to rely on the immense frontline of Suarez, Neymar and Messi who are all in great form recently, especially Luis Suarez; silencing critics who questioned his transfer to FC Barcelona. Bayern will prove to be a tough opponent for the Catalan club, and they will have to adjust to Pep Guardiola’s aggressive playing style which has seen Porto eliminated with a 7-4 Aggregate victory. Barcelona play Bayern Munchen May 6th.
Bayern Munich : Bayern Munich have shown a reflection of Germany in the 2014 World Cup with their playing style. The German club has broken down and demolished all kinds of teams this year and do not look like slowing down after their win against Porto. Pep Guardiola is familiar with their upcoming rival Barcelona’s tactics and deployment. Bayern Munich will look to exploit weaknesses in FC Barcelona’s midfield, something that could cost the catalan a 5th Champions League trophy. Bayern do have plenty of things to worry about however, the star studded trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar will be on constant attack and will not allow a second of relaxation for Bayern’s defence consisting of Jerome Boateng, Mehdi Benatia ( questionable to return), and a jubilant Bernat who is ready to re-create the 7-0 thrashing that Bayern provided in 2013. Bayern Munich play Barcelona May 6th
Real Madrid : Real Madrid have come off of a year in which Los Blancos won virtually everything except for La Liga. In the 2013-14 season they were able to win the Copa Del Rey, the Supercopa de Espana. and most importantly The UEFA Champions league accompanied by the FIFA Club World Cup. Real Madrid now find themselves trailing behind Catalan rival Barcelona in La Liga, out of the Copa Del Rey but alive in the Champions League. Real Madrid will face the arguably weakest team of the semi finalists, Juventus. This does not mean it will be a walk in the park for Real Madrid, as of recently they have been struggling against teams that know how to counter and pass, an example of Atletico Madrid comes to mind. Juventus are sure to bring an Italian spark to the mix and play high pressure with a near-impenetrable defence. Carlos Tevez will look to beat Sergio Ramos accompanied by Ex-Real Madrid youth star Alvaro Morata. If Real Madrid want to be successful they will need to play their cards right and pick the right strike partnership. Ancelotti will have to decide between choosing Javier Hernandez or Karim Benzema, two players who at their best can cause defenders a headache. Real Madrid need things to work exactly as planned if they plan on beating Juventus, something that for Ancelotti, might pose a challenge. Real Madrid face Juventus May 5th
