After some disturbance last week amid the European Super League controversy, the UEFA Champions League semi-finals are finally here. In-form Chelsea goes up against Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid, and Manchester City, who recently lifted the Carabao Cup trophy, faces Paris Saint-Germain and their dreadful combo of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé, in what could possibly be a lead-up to a third all-British final in Champions League history.
In the knockout stage, Chelsea eliminated Atletico Madrid before sending Porto home in the tournament’s quarter-finals. The clash against Real Madrid is certainly a difficult challenge for Thomas Tuchel’s side, but the team’s recent form gives us a hint that they can overthrow the Spanish giants. Real Madrid reaches the semi-final while battling for the top of the table in La Liga and is currently on a 17-game unbeaten run.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City beat German sides Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund before reaching the semi-finals. The Citizens sit 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League table, and, last weekend, defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, winning the tournament for the fourth time under Guardiola. In the semi-finals for the second straight year, Paris Saint-Germain and their star-studded squad are probably the fiercest opponents City will face this year, in what could be the best matchup in the European season.
If Chelsea and Manchester City are able to beat their opponents, it would mark the third UEFA Champions League final between British clubs. In the 2018-19 season, Liverpool defeated Tottenham, at the Wanda Metropolitano, to win the Champions League for the sixth time in the club’s history. The first final between English sides took place in 2008, when Manchester United, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, defeated Chelsea on penalty shootouts, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Lampard out, Tuchel in
After spending over £200 million in the summer transfer window, and bringing in talented young players like Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Timo Werner, Chelsea was expected to put up a great season under Frank Lampard. They topped the league table by early December, but, despite this strong start, the team failed to show good performances, and had dropped to ninth place by the end of January, after a run of two wins in eight Premier League matches. On January 25, Frank Lampard was sacked, amid rumours of disagreements with some players and the club’s directive board.
On January 26, German coach, and former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain gaffer, Thomas Tuchel was announced as the club’s new manager. Upon taking the helm, Tuchel made a lot of changes in the starting lineup – for his first match, against Wolverhampton, he changed 10 players from Lampard’s last lineup – and promoted the 3-4-2-1 system instead of Lampard’s 4-3-3. The team went on a 14-game unbeaten run, including all competitions, and Tuchel set the record for the longest unbeaten run for a head coach in Chelsea’s history.
Apart from taking the team to the Champions League semi-finals, Tuchel also led Chelsea to the FA Cup final, after defeating Manchester City in the tournament’s semi-final. Ahead of the clash against Real Madrid, Chelsea is considered the underdog, and Los Blancos are the favourites to reach the final. According to sportsbooks listed on USGamblingSites.com, Chelsea is at +100 odds to make the UEFA Champions League final.
Manchester City aiming the continent
As the Premier League season comes to its final weeks, Manchester City remains dominant and sits 10 points clear of their bitter rivals, Manchester United. After a weak start to the season, inconsistent performances left City at the bottom of the table by late November. However, Pep Guardiola promoted some changes in the starting lineup, and the team went on a 28-game unbeaten run, winning 21 consecutive games, a new record for a top flight side in English football. City reached the top of the league table by January, and never looked back.
Now, Man City is on a mission to claim the first UEFA Champions League title in the club’s history, a feat they have been trying to achieve since the Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, took over the club in 2008. Following the victory over Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals, the Citizens advanced to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in five years and only the second time in general.
Guardiola can count on the return of Belgian star Kevin de Bruyne, who has been out of action for the last two weeks after suffering an ankle injury in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. According to bookies, Manchester City is favoured to beat PSG, and is also the favourite to win the UEFA Champions League, with +125 odds to lift the trophy.