Champions
league Semi-final is always exciting and that too when teams of such class face
each other. After reaching this stage no one wants to bow out of the
competition without lifting the old famous trophy but there can be only one
winner and now that we are left with just 4 teams it’s really hard to predict
who is going to win this year. Lets quickly analyse who has a better chance to
be the Champions of Europe this season
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (May 6, 20:45 CET)
Bayern
Munich were able to make a spectacular comeback against Porto in the Champions
League Quarter final 2nd leg but a slip against Barcelona and they
can forget about becoming the Champions of Europe once again. Injury crisis hit
Bayern once again, firstly Arjen Robben
who is confirmed to have a torn calf muscle which rules him out for the
rest of the season, then comes the next blow for Bayern, again in the DFB pokal semi-finals against Dortmund in which
their star striker Robert Lewandoski took a hefty blow to the head and got his
nose and jaw fractured, eventually Bayern lost to Dortmund in the penalty shootouts
in which they failed to convert even a single spot kick. Though there is a bit
of chance that Lewandoski might return to face Barcelona in the first leg of
the semi-final. Pep has been facing a lot of criticism recently due to the
injuries, losses and their defeat to Bayern Leverkusen, now the tough decision which
lies with him is to select the perfect squad that can face the attack of MNS (Messi,
Neymar, Suarez) and can also break the defence of Gerard Pique and Mascherano.
Barcelona, it is truly amazing
to see how well the players understand each other. If Messi fails to shine Suarez
steps up, if Suarez fails then up comes Neymar but what if Neymar fails? Well
then they have Xavi or Mathieu who seems to get that goal when their team needs
them the most. Barcelona has been impeccable in their current form, they
crushed Getafe 6-0 and destroyed Córdoba 8-0 that
helps them maintain a 2 point lead against Real Madrid. Barcelona was again
spectacular against PSG in the quarter finals where they won 5-1 on aggregate.
Needless to say their Key players are Messi, Neymar, Suarez and Xavi.
Clash of styles
Truth be told Pep didn’t single
handedly ‘invent’ the short passing style which became known to the world as
‘tiki taka’ but he merely adapted it to a already well established playing
tradition which was implemented by John Cryff during his managerial reign at
Barcelona in 1988-1996, and which was later continued by fellow dutchman Louis
Van Gaal and Rijkaard. Pep however did take that style to the next level by
creating a more attacking play by keeping more of possession, but now comes the
twist. Since his departure Barcelona has changed and now what Pep will face
will be a completely different Barcelona. Under Luis Enrique Barcelona now
seems to have Evolved and this will definitely give jeers to Pep’s side.
It’s Revenge they Seek
It’s not just a normal semi-final, it
cannot be and it won’t be. Barcelona will be seeking Revenge for the defeat in
the Champions league semi-final stage in which they were crushed by Bayern
Munich 7-0 on aggregate. But Bayern do hold that potential to defeat Barcelona once
again. All they have to do is grab the opportunity when it comes and keep their
head straight when they face Barcelona. Beating Porto to reach the semi-finals
gives Bayern players enough motivation to face Barcelona and this time it will
be the Catalan Giants vs The Germanic Warriors.
Friends Reunite
Once teammate now opposing manager,
things do change quickly but will the mentality also change? Well! I guess no,
Pep and Luis respect each other greatly and in recent press comments both of
them hailed each other for the work they have done. Their friendship was not
only limited to playing, but when Guardiola was promoted from Barcelona B team
to take over the senior squad his replacement was none other than Luis Enrique
and then they worked together for another 3 years, But now is the Champions
league semi-final and after Bayern’s poor display in the DFB pokal semi-final
loss to Borussia Dortmund, Pep wants to at least win the Champions league
trophy, but Luis Enrique will be hoping to do the same by winning the Treble (La
liga, Champions league, Copa del Rey) in his first season in-charge.
Really difficult to predict but
looking at the form and the injuries of Bayern, Barcelona definitely has the
edge in this game, but Pep will play his best team against his former club and
we will see how things unfold at the Camp Nou when these titans collide in the
first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
Image courtesy-google
