The Champions League Final Four Is Locked!

 Welcome back to Football Daily! The Champions League quarterfinals have wrapped up, and the semi-final matches are set. Barcelona, Arsenal, PSG, and Inter Milan have emerged as the final four contenders to be crowned kings of Europe. Let's take a look at the game I watched and a small recap of the games I was unable to watch. 

Now, Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona delivered it in full. With a semi-final spot hanging in the balance, the second leg at Signal Iduna Park saw tension, tactical tweaks, and a nervy ending. Having Barcelona advanced to the final four after a 2-1 defeat on the night, sealing a 4-3 aggregate victory.

First Half:

Trailing 4-0 from their first leg, Dortmund came out swinging like Manny Pacquiao. They pressed high and played with intensity, creating early opportunities. In the 11th minute, they took the lead when Serhou Guirassy scored a Panenka-style penalty after Barcelona’s goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczęsny, fouled midfielder Pascal Groß in the box. Dortmund nearly doubled their lead in the 15th minute, but Groß’s shot was ruled offside. Throughout the remainder of the half, Barcelona struggled to find their rhythm, particularly missing the control typically provided by their star midfielder, Pedri, who began the match on the bench following their 4-0 victory in the first leg. Dortmund continued to pose a threat, with stars like Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt troubling Barcelona’s defense. But despite numerous chances, they could not extend their lead before halftime. 

Second Half: 

In the second half, Dortmund maintained their momentum when, just four minutes in, Guirassy scored his second goal with a header from a corner kick, making the score 2-0 in the match and narrowing the aggregate score to 4-2. Barcelona responded just five minutes later when a cross from Fermin Lopez would lead to an own goal by Bensebaini after he was pressured by Polish striker Lewandowski, which restored Barcelona's two-goal advantage in the aggregate score.

Barcelona appeared to be back in the game with their sights set on a comeback, winning individual ball duels. However, their momentum came to a sudden halt in the 76th minute when Dortmund capitalized on a defensive error by captain Ronald Araujo. He allowed the ball to travel directly to Guirassy, who converted effortlessly for his hat-trick, narrowing the aggregate score to 4-3. For Dortmund to have any hope of advancing, they needed to score one more goal. Despite their efforts, including a promising opportunity from Brandt, they could not find the additional necessary
 goal to level the match and push it into extra time, ultimately allowing Barcelona to advance to the next round. 

Real Madrid Vs. Arsenal. 

 

In the second match I watched, Real Madrid faced off against Arsenal. Arsenal put on a masterclass, showcasing exceptional composure and tactical discipline to defeat the 15-time champions at the Santiago Bernabeu. I was personally hoping to see Madrid orchestrate a comeback, as they have done so many times in the past. Also, because my dream final this year was a clash between Barcelona and Madrid, marking the first time these two giants would meet in a Champions League final. However, Arsenal had other plans, defeating Madrid with a 2-1 victory and achieving a remarkable 5-1 aggregate win, advancing to their first Champions League semi-final since 2009, the same year Barcelona triumphed and were crowned kings of Europe.

First Half 

Already trailing 3-0 from the first leg, Real Madrid started the game with an urgency, with an unfortunate offside goal for Mbappe within the first few minutes of the game. Madrid also started off the game extremely physically challenging Arsenal, even when they were on the ground. This would end up creating trouble as their aggressiveness would lead to a penalty in the 11th minute when Mikel Merino would be fouled.  Thankfully for Real Madrid and their Madridistas, Belgium's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois would save Bukayo Saka’s penalty attempt. Madrid and their fans would then have a chance for their own penalty in the 22nd minute, when their French Star Kyllian Mbappe fell to the ground after a challenge by the MVP of the first leg, Declan Rice. However, after the referee decided to look at the foul, the penalty was overturned. Madrid would try to create chances to score, but Arsenal's well-organized defence would end the first half goalless. 

Second Half 

In the second half, the scoreline would finally be broken in the 65th minute when Saka redeemed himself from an earlier penalty miss, finishing a stunning goal assisted by Norwegian star Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino, putting Arsenal ahead 1-0 in the match and 4-0 on aggregate. However, Real Madrid quickly countered. In the 66th minute, a defensive mistake by William Saliba allowed Brazilian star Vinicius Junior to level the score. The game fell back into a stalemate, and despite Madrid’s best efforts to rally, they could not score again. In stoppage time, Merino played a crucial through ball to Martinelli, who went one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He calmly slotted the ball past Courtois, sealing the victory and securing Arsenal’s place in the semi-finals.

Remainder of games:

I was unable to watch the games between Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich and Aston Villa vs. PSG. However, here are the results as well as the highlights.

Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich

Inter Milan would advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after securing a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich at San Siro, resulting in a 4-3 victory on aggregate. The crucial first-leg win of 2-1 in Munich gave the Italian side a great advantage heading into the second leg.

Aston Villa vs. PSG

Aston Villa defeated PSG in a 3-2 match at Villa Park. Despite the loss, PSG advanced to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, having secured a 5-4 aggregate victory. 

So What’s Next

 

With the quarter finals finished, the semi-final stage promises to be spectacular! These are the Matchups!

 

Barcelona vs. Inter Milan 

Arsenal vs. PSG 

Now the winners of these will face off in the final at Munich! Stay tuned and get ready for all the action leading up to the final!