“It’s a great tie against the team that has won the competition the most times”, Manchester City sport director Txiki Begiristain said after the draw.
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“We’re delighted to be in the semis and to keep dreaming”, he said.
‘Madrid is always the favourite, it will always be like that, ‘ Zidane said. But to add that title to his cabinet he needs to get past Spanish giants Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
It will still be a tough test for Jurgen Klopp’s team, notes The Guardian: “Villarreal are fourth in La Liga and were emphatic conquerors of Sparta Prague in the quarter-finals”.
“You need to play your best performances if you want to play at that stage of the Champions League”.
Real, who won that game 4-1 after extra-time, will play first-time semi-finalists Manchester City. Then we can play football and make chances and we can eliminate anyone.
City will host Real on April 26 before travelling to the Spanish capital on May 4.
The final takes place at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on 28 May.
“But we know how hard it is to play a Champions League semi-final against Manchester City”.
Real have been cut to as short as 7/4 as they seek their 11th victory in Europe’s premier club competition.
“They didn’t win one game with a lot of the same players as who are playing now – Yaya [Toure], David [Silva], Kun [Agüero], Joe Hart, [Gael] Clichy, [Pablo] Zabaleta, [Aleksandar] Kolarov”.
The other semi-final will see Atletico Madrid, who knocked out Barcelona, take on Bayern Munich, managed by Pep Guardiola in what will be his final season before taking over at City next season.
Remarkably, for the second time in just three years, the potential of an all-Madrid final is suddenly looming large once again.
Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos hugs Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored his third goal during the Champions League 2nd leg quarterfinal soccer match between Real Madrid and VfL Wolfsburg at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium i.
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Atletico is a two-time runner-up after giving up last-minute equalizing goals both times, including against Real Madrid in 2014.
