الجمعة، 24 أبريل 2015

UEFA Champions League Semifinal Draw Results: Barcelona to Face Bayern Munich

Results from the last draw of this Champions League season.

For the first time ever, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, Juventus FC and Real Madrid CF reached the Semi-Final together. Gianni Infantino and Karl-Heinz Riedle conducted the draw. Barcelona were the first team to be drawn from the pot, meaning they would play the first game of the tie at the Camp Nou on 5 May 2015. The second team drawn were Bayern Munich, led by former Barcelona legend, both as a player and a coach, Pep Guardiola. That by itself, Pep's return to Barcelona, is a massive story, but it's only one of many. The two current coaches were also teammates while still playing for Barcelona. Returning with Pep will be Thiago Alcantara, a La Masia graduate and former first team player, and the brother of current Barcelona player, Rafinha Alcantara.

But arguably the biggest story of them all is, can Barcelona overturn a seven-goal Semi-Final aggregate loss just two loss just two years ago. A lot has changed since then. Both teams have made many personnel changes, especially Barcelona, both have made coaching changes, and as of a couple weeks ago both teams changed the medical staff as well.

Barcelona have often struggled against Bayern Munich, winning just one game against the Germans, even though the two teams faced off eight times in European competitions. Bayern also won both Semi-Final ties - the aforementioned 7-0 drubbing and a 4-3 aggregate win in the 1995-96 UEFA Cup. In eight games against Bayern, Barcelona only managed to score nine goals while conceding fifteen. Barcelona's only success came in the 2008-09 Champions League Quarter-Final, with Barcelona winning the first leg at home 4-0, while a one-all draw at the Allianz Arena was enough for Barcelona to advance to the next round.

The second leg will be played on 13 May 2015 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

For operational reasons the draw for the Final, which will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on 6 June 2015, was also conduced. The home team in Berlin will be the winner of the Real Madrid vs Juventus tie.

Preceding the Champions League draw was the Europa League draw. There, Napoli will take on Dnipro, while Sevilla will face off against Fiorentina. The winner of the first tie will be the home team in the Final in Warsaw on 27 May 2015.



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