Champions League semifinal preview

Only four teams remain in the Champions League. All have a realistic shot at making the finals.

There are now only four teams left in the Champions League: FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Juventus. These are the four best teams in Europe and each has a chance at making it to and winning the final in Berlin. The match ups in terms of who will make it is still unclear, but these are the four teams with a chance. Here is a preview of the remaining teams.

FC Barcelona

The first thing that jumps out when looking at their squad is the front three of Neymar, Suarez, and Messi. Barcelona has potentially the best front three in the world. Other than the outstanding trio, Andres Iniesta is also playing exceptionally well. Gerard Pique has improved his game this season as well. Barcelona has vastly improved on their glaring weakness in years past, set pieces. Their high press is as good as it has ever been and this helps them play well defensively because their opponents have had insanely difficult times breaking out and countering. Barcelona still has a realistic shot at the treble as they are in first in the league and in the final of the Spainish Cup. They are in fantastic form at the moment. Luis Enrique, their manager, has Barcelona playing very well.

Bayern Munich

The main strength for Bayern would be their midfield which is arguably the best and deepest in the world. They have needed every bit of this depth as they have had to deal with an absurd amount of injuries this season. Provided they do not suffer anymore injuries, they should be mostly 100 percent and fit for the semifinals. In spite of these injuries, Bayern has had a successful season and also has a chance at a treble. They are first in the league by a solid margin and also in the semifinal of the German Cup. In addition to this, they have been absurdly good at home, having conceded only one home goal in the entire Champions League thus far – and that was in a 6-1 victory. Their manager Pep Guardiola will be going for his first Champions League title since he left Barcelona.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid has had an interesting season, as they usually do. They have been inconsistent this season starting with a 22 match unbeaten run in the beginning of the season. Real Madrid went through a run where they were booed by their own fans and there were rumors of firings and transfers. In spite of that, they are in the semifinal of the Champions League and are more than capable of winning the whole thing. Real Madrid also has a trio of key players in Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Gareth Bale. This is another front three that is capable of winning virtually on their own. They have one of the best and most expensive squads in the world. Real Madrid has a separate motivation factor to win the Champions League. Their manager Carlos Ancelotti could be on the hot seat.

Juventus

It has been a while since Juventus have been to the semifinals of the Champions League, the last time being in 2003. Juventus is probably the least likely to win it out of the four semifinalists. However, they are still capable. Their midfield is one of the best in the world with the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio, and one of the best young midfielders in the world, Paul Pogba. With these players behind strikers Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, they are a difficult match up for anybody in the world. Juventus is excellent defensively, led by Giorgio Chiellini. Their performances in Europe have improved since the appointment of Massimiliano Allegri and a first Champions League title since 1996 would be an excellent end to his first season at the club.

Edited by Cody McClure