UCL Draw: Barca Vs. Bayern, Juve Vs. Real, El Clásico Is Possible Final
The UCL draw took place on Friday, and football fans are more than excited with the results. The match-ups will be as follows: Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich and Juventus vs. Real Madrid, which makes El Clásico a real possibility.
Fans wishes were answered when UEFA announced the pairings for the UCL Semifinals. Barcelona and Real Madrid are in separate brackets, which thrills fans all over the world, including UEFA President Michel Platini, who has expressed his desires to see El Clásico once again.
El Clásico is the nickname given to the match-up between La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two top teams in the standings at this time. Barça is in first place, but Los Blancos are hot on their heels only two points behind.
Unfortunately for manager Carlo Ancelotti, some key players are out of action. Two members of the feared Real Madrid offense, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema — who work in conjunction with Cristiano Ronaldo to terrorize opponents and are known as BBC — are injured, which will sideline them for a time.
Bale’s injury to his calf will sideline him for two-to-three weeks, which means he should be back in time for the UCL semifinal against Juventus. Benzema’s injury to his knee ligament is less severe and he should not be out for a lengthy time while Marcelo was just serving a suspension and will be available for the semi.
The UCL semifinal first legs are set for May 5 and 6, with the second leg scheduled for the following week, May 12 and 13. The UEFA Champions League final will be played on Saturday, June 6 in Berlin, Germany. Undoubtedly, the main reason fans want to see El Clásico once again is for the face-off between superstars Cristiano Ronald and Lionel Messi.
Two mouth-watering ties but who will contest the #UCL final and why? #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/CsY4ntApoV
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 24, 2015
But first, both Barça and Real must get past two very tough teams, Bayern and Juve. Bayern Munich’s coach, Pep Guardiola, stated he is looking forward to facing one of the best teams in the world after learning of the UCL draw.
“You always face big sides in the semi-finals of a competition. Last year we played Real, this year it is Barcelona. I have a lot of respect for them. I am glad that I will have the chance to face them during my career, but at the end of the day it is two games of football.”
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti — who coached Juventus for two years early in his career — also had some remarks about facing his former club in the UCL Semifinal, according to UEFA.
“Juventus is a club that have a legendary history and it is returning to a semi-final after 12 years. They are having a very good season and have practically won the Italian league. That means they can focus more on the Champions League.
“We are confident that we can follow our dream, which is to reach another final after last year. We need Real Madrid to be at their best to win, we need the same side that played against Atlético, with the same enthusiasm and hope. We have a lot of confidence.”
Stay tuned for more UCL draw reaction from all sides and the exciting possibility of another El Clásico.
[Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images Sport]
