Last season’s finalists, Bayern Munich FC of Germany have been drawn against perennial favourites, Barcelona FC of Spain in the semi final of the UEFA Champions League while Barca’s home rivals, Real Madrid FC will play familiar foes Borussia Dortmund in the other fixture.
Munich will host the Blaugrana in the first leg in their attempt to atone for last season’s loss against Chelsea in the final as well as claim the continent’s top prize for the sixth occasion.
However, Barcelona, playing in its sixth consecutive semifinal is seeking only its third Champions League triumph in five seasons. Pep Guardiola, set to end his coaching break at the end of this season, will be a centre point of the fixture, as the teams represent his old team and his new team, which he will begin handling when current manager Jupp Heynckes steps aside at the end of the current season.
In the second semifinal, Jurgen Klopp’s men will play Los Blancos in a repeat of the group stage matches, Dortmund winning the first leg in Germany 2-1 and drawing the second leg 2-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid, campaigning for its 10th European Cup title, will also be looking to enthrone its coach, Jose Mourinho as the first manager to win the UEFA Champions League with three separate clubs, having previously triumphed with Porto and Inter.
Dortmund has only appeared in the final once, in 1997 when it upset Juventus in Munich.
The first legs will be played on April 23 and 24 and the return legs a week later on April 30 and May 1. The most fascinating feature about the final, which holds on May 25 at the Wembley Stadium in London, is the possibility of an all-Spanish or an all-German final.
