By Alejandro Krakowszky
Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund are the last teams standing and one game away from a shot at UEFA Champions League glory for the 2023/24 season.
Paris Saint-Germain will take on Borussia Dortmund tomorrow morning (5am AEST) while Real Madrid face Bayern Munich on Thursday at the same time.
Real Madrid, the “Kings of Europe”, are heavy favourites to win this year’s competition after knocking out reigning champions Manchester City in the quarter-final stage. However, the 14-time champions still have a lot of work to do as they face German powerhouse and six-time champions Bayern Munich in the second leg.
On the other side of the bracket, Paris Saint-Germain find themselves in a precarious position against underdogs Borussia Dortmund as they head back to Paris 1-0 down on aggregate. It will be their fourth encounter this season with both teams winning one game each and sharing the spoils in the other. PSG are still hunting for their first-ever UEFA Champions League trophy, while Borussia Dortmund will try to win their second, 27 years after they won the first.
Borussia Dortmund are in a good position to reach the final after winning the first leg in Germany. A goal from Niclas Füllkrug proved to be the pivotal moment for the hosts, as they went on to beat a brave PSG side who weren’t clinical enough with their chances.
Jadon Sancho’s performance will certainly be highlighted as the Englishman showed his flashy skills and creative ability on the ball. He was Dortmund’s primary attacking outlet throughout the game and was a nightmare for the PSG defenders.
Dortmund do have the lead on aggregate. However, they will still find themselves in a very uncomfortable position when they head to France for the second leg. Paris Saint-Germain will certainly feel the support of their home fans who will create a tense atmosphere at the Parc des Princes. PSG will be expected to control the match given they are chasing the tie and playing on their home territory.
Paris-Saint Germain also found themselves in a similar situation in the quarter-final against Barcelona, so they are no strangers to coming back in the second leg. If successful, PSG will find themselves back in the Champions League final for the first time since 2020, where they were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich.
It is safe to say that Bayern Munich have had a very underwhelming season so far. They failed to win the Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years and are facing the prospect of going trophy-less this season unless they can win the Champions League. However, to keep this dream alive they will need to go to Real Madrid’s backyard and beat them in the second leg of the semi-final.
In the first leg, Vinicius Junior scored two goals for Real Madrid as the two sides played out an entertaining draw in Munich. Harry Kane continued his hot goal-scoring form from the penalty spot while teammate Leroy Sane also appeared on the scoresheet for Bayern Munich. The game was very back and forth and saw a fair scoreline of 2-2 by the end of it.
Now two of Europe’s most successful clubs will go head-to-head again, just eight days later. The Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid is one of the most iconic stadiums in world football and has been home to some of the most thrilling Champions League clashes over the years. With the hype leading up to this game, it would not be a surprise if it etches its way into the history books alongside many other great games that have been played at this venue.
Both teams have everything to play for in this match and, despite being the underdogs, Bayern Munich will certainly not play like it. The German side has a lot of experience in these situations over the years and will not go down without a fight.
However, if there is one thing football fans have also learned over the years, it is that Real Madrid always find a way. They will once again look to knock out another powerhouse in this tournament even if Bayern Munich aren’t at their supposed best.
Featured image: Champions League favourites Real Madrid already boast a dazzling trophy cabinet. Photo: Daniel/CC/Wikimedia Commons
