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UEFA Champions League Review: Real Madrid Through To Semi-Final

UEFA Champions League Review: Real Madrid Through To Semi-Final

Wednesday’s second leg matches in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals saw the final two semi-finalists progress to the last four stage of the competition, with Real Madrid and Juventus joining Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The four sides await a draw on Fridayn which will determine the semi-final clashes.

Madrid Battle Favours Real

Real Madrid clashed with their most fierce rivals Atletico in the second leg quarter-final, following a first leg which finished goalless at the Vicente Calderon. The sides took part in a very physical battle which saw more than a few aggressive moments and some play acting emerge.

But with most of the play focused in the midfield, chances were few, with most of them falling to Mexican striker Javier Hernandez, who struggled to find the target with a few opportunities. The best first half chance fell to Cristiano Ronaldo, but his shot was well saved by Jan Oblak.

Atletico warrior Arda Turan was sent off for a second yellow, giving Real an advantage, which they failed to benefit from until very late in the match, when Chicharito finally found his scoring boots to finish well and confirm Real’s progression to the semi-finals.

Juve Defensive Discipline Earns Semi Spot

Juventus progressed to the last four of the competition following a 0-0 draw in Wednesday’s crunch encounter with Monaco, who knew that a slim 1-0 lead from the first leg was not a massive deficit to overcome.

The slender lead proved to be enough in the end, as the side from the principality were not capable of scoring in front of their home fans, but they also stopped the Italian champions from bulging the back of the net, thanks to the efforts of the French side’s defence, which included Tunisian centre-back Aymen Abdennour.

A cynical hand ball from Giorgio Chiellini in the first minute after losing his footing and presenting Monaco with an attacking opportunity earned him an early yellow, but in stark contrast, it was defensive discipline that kept Juve coasting towards the semi-finals throughout the game. Andrea Pirlo almost changed the scoreline at the end of the match, with a stunning free kick which hit the upright, but the goalless draw was enough to see the Serie A giants through to the semi-finals.

Barca Crush PSG On Aggregate

Barcelona have confirmed their spot in the semi-finals of the competition with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday night’s second leg encounter, defeating the French side with a 5-1 aggregate.

Brazilian star Neymar was on hand to score both goals for the Spanish, as a sublime run from Andres Iniesta saw him set up the striker who rounded PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu to score. While Iniesta rolled back the years, Neymar managed to score his second with a well-placed header to show the dominance at home that was expected from Barca.

Bayern Destroy Porto With Phenomenal Display

In Tuesday’s other quarter-final match, German powerhouse Bayern Munich reversed a 3-1 defeat that they suffered in Portugal during the first leg with a crushing 6-1 victory at the Allianz Arena.

The determination of the Germans was incredible to behold, as an early start saw Thiago Alcantara open the scoring for the Bavarians, sending the fans into fits of excitement before Jerome Boateng’s header put Bayern in control of their destiny.

Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller put the Germans 4-0 ahead, before a second from Lewandowski and a free kick from Xabi Alonso left Jackson Martinez’s 73rd minute goal for Porto as nothing more than a consolation strike. The result sends Bayern to their fourth consecutive semi-final appearance in the Champions League, showing their consistency over the last few years.