Champions League Semifinals Predictions: Power Ranking Remaining Four Teams
The Champions League semifinal is upon us with a number of interesting possibilities.
The four remaining teams certainly have intentions of making headlines in May and it should be interesting to see how everything falls into place when all is said and done.
Whatever the case, Latin Post takes a look at which sides look strongest:
4. Juventus
This is not a bad team by any means, but of the four remaining, it is the one least likely to make a deep run. That said, Juventus boasts a solid defense and some truly terrifying attackers that include Carlos Tevez, Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente. The midfield is loaded with talent that includes Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal.
Borussia Dortmund certainly never expected to be pelted for five goals against over two legs against the Italian club, just as Monaco never expected to be shut down with such facility over two legs.
3. Real Madrid
Los Blancos are the defending champs, but they are arguably among the weaker clubs left.
And even that statement is relative. Carlo Ancelotti's club is finding a new gear of late and slaying criticism of their play at the turn of the year. Moreover, this team is coming off a huge win against Atletico Madrid, a club that has owned Real Madrid since 2013 and looked capable of kicking the team out of the Champions League. Winning that tie should be a major confidence booster that could make Madrid feel capable of taking down any opponent that comes their way.
But the real issue here is health and depth. Real Madrid has neither. Luka Modric and Gareth Bale are out for numerous weeks, giving the team few options on the bench to make major impact in key situations.
That said, the team has flourished with James Rodriguez's return to the lineup and Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be slowly returning to his strong goal scoring from earlier this year.
Real Madrid fans likely want this team taking on Juventus because the other teams on offer can have their way with Los Blancos.
2. Bayern Munich
Talk about making statements.
Bayern struggled in its first game against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Round of 16, picked up a red card and then limped to a 0-0 draw. But in the second leg, the team answered with a 7-0 beating of the Ukrainian side.
The team repeated the script in the quarterfinals, albeit with more drama. After falling behind 3-1 in Portugal against Porto, the team scored five goals in the opening 40 minutes to seize a 5-0 lead and eventually a 6-1 win over the Portuguese side.
Pep Guardiola's club, which is still missing vital players such as Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, is looking excruciatingly dangerous at home and looks like a lock to make a deep run to the final, provided two factors: It learns how to win the opening leg. And it avoids the team atop this list. Speaking of which...
1. Barcelona
There is no doubt that the favorite to win it all right now is Barcelona. Here is a list of reasons.
1. Superstars clicking? Check. Neymar has six goals in this tournament. Messi has eight and despite not scoring in the last two games, he has been instrumental in getting the team to where it is. And Luis Suarez has exerted himself tremendously.
2. Defensive concerns? None whatsoever. Say what you will about a creaky backline, but Barcelona has shut down two high powered offenses in the knockout stages with little incident. How's this for numbers? PSG and Manchester City managed a grand combined total of two goals through 360 minutes against Blaugrana in their match-ups. Moreover, no one seems to know how to score at the Camp Nou in this tournament. Barcelona has conceded four goals in five home games this Champions League season.
3. Steady game all around? Check. Aside from the opening games of the tournament, when Barcelona barely edged past APOEL and then lost 3-2 in Paris, can anyone name a game in which Barcelona has looked weak in this tournament? Didn't think so. The team has been steady and dominant throughout the last few months, rarely showing any weaknesses whatsoever.
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