Chapter 379 Manchester City VS Bayern Real Madrid VS Barcelona, the strongest semi-final match in
"Bloody massacre, Bayern responded strongly to outside doubts!" 》
"Bayern 8:1 Porto, breaking the historical record for the largest point difference in the Champions League quarter-finals!" 》
"The Bundesliga giants are unstoppable, and the Portuguese Super League class tyrants were slaughtered!" 》
"This is the real strength of Bayern Munich!" 》
…
After this round of the Champions League ended, the outside world was shocked by the exaggerated score between Bayern and Porto.
This is the knockout round of the Champions League, not the group stage of the Champions League!
There are some teams from lower-level leagues in the Champions League group stage. There is a huge gap between their strength and the top giants, so they often suffer misfortunes in the group stage.
But this is a knockout, or a second round knockout.
Those weak teams have already been eliminated, and the teams that were lucky enough to make it to the knockout round were also screened out in the first round of knockout rounds.
It can be said that there is no weak team that can enter the quarterfinals.
Although Porto is not a team from the five major leagues, they are still the dominant team in the Portuguese Super League and the first team in the recent Champions League.
Their European war points are enough to prove their strength. This is definitely not a belly!
But even so, they were still beaten by Bayern by such a terrifying point difference, which made outsiders extremely fearful of Bayern's offensive strength.
How strong is Bayern under Heynckes offensively?
Can even the top eight teams in the Champions League be slaughtered like dogs?
Such a powerful Bayern, plus the last champion Manchester City and the La Liga duo.
The gold content of the Champions League semi-finals this time is simply overwhelming!
It can be said that these four teams are the four strongest teams in today's football. The fight between them is exciting just thinking about it!
Fans can't wait to watch the Champions League semi-finals!
However, before the semi-finals begin, lots must be drawn to determine each other's opponents.
"Irresponsibly predict the semi-final matches, Real Madrid VS Barcelona, Manchester City VS Bayern!"
"My dear brother, the La Liga civil war has always been hot and can attract a lot of attention.
The game between Manchester City and Bayern is another battle for Guardiola's reputation, full of gimmicks. These two games are top notch in terms of gimmicks and the excitement of the games! "
"Considering the grievances between Bayern and Barcelona, it is not ruled out that UEFA will arrange a game between them in the semi-finals."
"Yes, Barcelona is determined to avenge its 7-0 sweep by Bayern two years ago. If these two teams meet in the semi-finals, it will definitely be a battle between Mars and Earth!"
"Real Madrid was eliminated by Manchester City in the semi-finals last season. They definitely want revenge. If Manchester City and Real Madrid are arranged to meet in the semi-finals, the game here will be equally exciting. This arrangement is indeed not bad!"
"I think UEFA may use the grudge between Lin Quan and Barcelona to arrange for Manchester City and Barcelona to meet in the semi-finals!"
"Barcelona has always wanted to bring Lin Quan and Guardiola back to the Nou Camp. UEFA took a little step to meet their requirements and let the father and son return as Manchester City coaches and players. This kind of plot will attract the audience. They’ll also like it, right?”
"Oh, it's so confusing. The strength of these four teams is about the same. Whoever plays against them will be very exciting. It would be great if they can take turns to play!"
It is precisely because they are strong enough that they have attracted the attention of countless fans before the semifinals have even started.
On April 24, the much-anticipated draw ceremony for the 2014-2015 UEFA Champions League semi-finals was held at the UEFA headquarters.
Guardiola attended the draw ceremony with club president Fahim. Before the ceremony began, he went to say hello to the coaches of several other teams.
However, he did not say hello to Heynckes, not because he disrespected Heynckes, but because he saw Bayern club manager Hoeness sitting next to Heynckes.
Guardiola hates Hoeness!
Like last year, there are still two La Liga teams in this year's semi-finals.
But last year it was the Madrid duo, and this year it has become the Spanish Super League duo.
If Atletico Madrid hadn't met Real Madrid early, with Atletico Madrid's strength, they might have been able to break into the semi-finals. In that case, the three heroes of La Liga would besiege the remaining team.
Since Guardiola created the Dream Three Dynasty in Barcelona, La Liga has begun to rise strongly.
First, Barcelona's pass-and-control football was invincible throughout Europe, and then Real Madrid, which was deeply stimulated, went crazy and banned games, and introduced many big-name stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo to enhance their strength.
Finally, a dark horse like Atletico Madrid suddenly emerged and became a disruptor.
La Liga teams are not only very strong in the Champions League, they also have a good record in the Europa League, especially Sevilla.
This team has won the Europa League for three consecutive years and is close to contracting the trophy.
This has caused many fans to jokingly call the Europa League the Sevilla Cup!
However, although the La Liga duo are powerful, they are not invincible.
The defending champion Manchester City eliminated Barcelona and Real Madrid last year, and also defeated Atletico Madrid, also from La Liga, in the final. It can be said that they single-handedly made a copy of La Liga.
As for Bayern, this old and powerful team has played against the La Liga duo many times, with both sides winning and losing. In recent years, Bayern has had the advantage.
So I don’t know who will win until the end.
At 12 o'clock sharp, UEFA Secretary General Infantino and former German international and finals ambassador Riedel appeared on the scene and began to draw lots.
The first thing Riddle drew was Barcelona, and the camera immediately focused on Barcelona's president Bartomeu.
The latter moved his butt slightly and subconsciously glanced at the area where the Manchester City representative was.
The painful experience of being beaten by Manchester City at home and away last year made Barcelona feel a little wary of Manchester City.
Now, Manchester City not only has Lin Quan in the team, but also Guardiola, who knows Barcelona very well.
So for Barcelona, among these three teams, the one they least expect to encounter is Manchester City.
Fortunately, Bartomeu's worries soon disappeared, because the team Infantino drew was not Manchester City, but their league rival-Real Madrid!
After seeing this draw, there was a burst of discussion at the scene.
La Liga El Clasico in the Champions League semi-finals?
UEFA really knows how to play!
There are only 4 teams in the semi-finals. After drawing two teams, the remaining two teams no longer need to be drawn. The situation of the game is already very clear.
The four teams in the semi-finals are: Barcelona VS Real Madrid, Manchester City VS Bayern.
However, the first team to be drawn out will be home first and then away in the schedule.
This schedule is slightly unfavorable to the team, so even if we already know the matchups of the remaining two teams, the drawing process still needs to be done.
Bayern's manager Hoeness couldn't help but sit up straight and thought to himself:
Don't draw Bayern first, don't draw Bayern first!
The old coach Heynckes sitting next to Hoeness looked indifferent. Whether it was home and then guest, or guest and then home, it didn't matter to a truly strong team.
If Bayern is strong enough, even if it is home and then away, they can completely defeat their opponents in the first round and kill the suspense of promotion, just like they just slaughtered Porto 8:1 at home.
If they can beat their opponents by three or even four goals at home, can their opponents still make a comeback in the away game?
On Manchester City's side, Fahim was also a little nervous. Drawing Bayern was not a good draw for Manchester City.
However, seeing Guardiola's unmoving appearance, Fahim breathed a sigh of relief.
With Lin Quan and Guardiola here, Manchester City doesn't need to be afraid of anyone!
Liddell quickly took out one of the remaining two balls and opened it. The name on it was - Manchester City!
Seeing this result, Hoeness breathed a sigh of relief.
Manchester City was drawn out first, which means Bayern will get a first-visit, first-home schedule.
This schedule is quite beneficial for Bayern to advance to the final. After all, as long as they are not massacred by Manchester City in the first game, the decisive battle to determine the advancement of both sides will take place at Bayern's home court.
Based on Bayern's horrific home record in the past few seasons, he doesn't think Manchester City can take any advantage at the Allianz Arena!
The two rounds of matches between Manchester City and Bayern are scheduled for May 5 and May 12 respectively.
This time period is almost the final rounds of the major leagues.
For Bayern, which is far ahead in the standings, they may not have to wait until then to win the championship in advance.
But for Manchester City, they have no advantage in the standings and must fight game after game!
Therefore, when the semi-finals come, Bayern can focus all its energy on the Champions League, but Manchester City cannot.
There is also bad news for Manchester City.
This season's Champions League final will be held on June 6 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
The favorable schedule and the final being held in their own capital spurred Bayern to put their best foot forward in the semi-finals to fulfill their dream of lifting the Big Ears Cup in their own country.
Therefore, drawing Bayern is really not as good as drawing Real Madrid and Barcelona!
…
After the draw ceremony for the Champions League semi-finals ended, the betting company quickly opened a new handicap.
In the civil war between the two teams in La Liga, betting companies are more optimistic about Barcelona.
After all, in the recent Spanish El Clasico, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid, and MSN showed its strength to overwhelm the BBC.
In the matchup between Manchester City and Bayern, the betting company is more optimistic about Bayern based on the schedule and recent game status.
After all, if there is a one-line operation and a two-way operation, the status of the two sides in the Champions League is likely to be very different.
The views of the media and experts are similar to those of the gambling companies. They also believe that Bayern, which won the championship in advance, will have an advantage.
"Manchester City's biggest problem now is physical fitness and injuries. How to reasonably allocate physical fitness to avoid injuries will determine how far they can go in the end!"
A famous person said sharply.
…
On April 25, the 34th round of the Premier League started.
It seems to confirm outside speculation that Manchester City's state has been obviously affected by the two-front battle.
In the home game against Aston Villa, they led 2:0 in the first half thanks to goals from Lin Quan and Aguero.
But in the second half, especially after the 70th minute, the players' condition began to decline due to reduced physical fitness.
Aston Villa seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack and once tied the score.
When the game reached the 85th minute and the opponent's player scored a second goal to tie the score, the Etihad Stadium was silent.
Blue Moon fans' eyes widened with disbelief on their faces.
What happened to your own team?
Such a huge lead can actually be tied?
Guardiola had a rare look of worry on his face. If this game was tied by their opponents, they would be 5 points behind Chelsea.
With four rounds left in the league, a five-point advantage almost guarantees Chelsea the title.
Fortunately, in stoppage time, Van Dijk's header in the penalty area scored a crucial goal for Manchester City, helping them beat their opponent 3:2!
After the game, Guardiola took Van Dijk to the press conference and praised him without hesitation.
Since joining Manchester City, Van Dijk has gradually established himself as the main player in Manchester City and performed better and better.
Thanks to his outstanding performance at the club, he even attracted the attention of the Dutch national team coach and was called up to the Dutch national team.
Knowing that the Manchester City people got three points by luck, the Chelsea people who were waiting to open the champagne next door were extremely depressed.
But it doesn't matter, as long as their home team can defeat Wenger's Arsenal away from home, they can still maintain the lead over Manchester City.
However, when the game at the Emirates Stadium ended and they saw the dazzling 0:0 score on the scoreboard, Chelsea fans fell silent.
In the penultimate round of the league, they were tied by the Gunners and lost 2 crucial points, which caused their lead in the standings to shrink from 3 points to 1 point!
There are four rounds left in the league, and Chelsea are only 1 point ahead. They have no room for error!
As long as they draw one more game, they will probably lose their position as the leader!
"It doesn't matter, the Champions League semi-finals are about to begin. Manchester City will go to White Hart Lane to challenge Tottenham in the next game. I don't believe they dare to fight Tottenham away from home!"
"Yes, they will play Tottenham on May 3, and they will face the challenge of Bayern at home on May 6. If they spend too much on Tottenham, they may not be able to win Bayern at home!"
From the perspective of Chelsea people, Manchester City, which has already entered the semi-finals, will definitely try their best to defend the Champions League title.
This is a feat that has never been accomplished by anyone since the Champions League was restructured.
If Manchester City can do it, then with the two Champions League trophies and the successful defense of the title, they will be promoted to a giant without any suspense and officially become a member of the Premier League BIG5!
If it were them, they would definitely choose to fight for the Champions League. After all, even if Manchester City gives up the league, it will not affect their European qualification.
