adminNYON. — Titleholders Bayern Munich will face nine-time winners Real Madrid in a dramatic Champions League soccer semi-final, which was drawn yesterday. Surprise packages Atletico Madrid must take on 2012 winners Chelsea in the second semi-final with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at the centre of a contractual intrigue between the two sides.
Bayern, who knocked out Manchester United on Wednesday, are aiming to become the first club to successfully defend the trophy in the 22-season Champions League era.
Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said the two leg clash should be the tournament final.
“The top two teams will play each other.
“These games are worthy of being the final. You only have one goal when you are in the semi-final – to reach the final at all costs,” said Lahm.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti forecast “a very difficult tie for us, but also for Bayern Munich”.
The Italian added: “I think Bayern Munich are a great team. They have individual and collective quality and have had a great season.
“Pep Guardiola is one of the best coaches in the world and has a lot of experience.
“Bayern Munich could be the favourites, but our objective is to win the Champions league and if we want to win it we have to beat Bayern Munich.”
Guardiola’s German champions met Real in the semi-finals in 2011/12. They won that match on penalties in Madrid before losing to Chelsea in the final.
The continental superpowers have met five times in the semi-finals in all, with Bayern winning four.
While Bayern, seeking their sixth European trophy, are trying to reach their fourth final in five years Atletico are aiming to make it to their second, having been beaten by Bayern in the 1974 climax.
The La Liga leaders’ reward for their stunning victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals is a match up against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
The pair last met in the 2012 Super Cup with Atletico beating Chelsea 4-1.
Mourinho is trying to win the coveted title for a third time with different clubs after Porto and Inter Milan.
Before the draw, Uefa made a veiled warning to Chelsea that they must not stop Atletico using goalkeeper Courtois.
European football’s governing body said any provision in Courtois’ loan agreement preventing his participation is against the competition’s rules.
“Both the Uefa Champions League and the Uefa Disciplinary Regulations contain clear provisions which strictly forbid any club to exert, or attempt to exert, any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match,” European football’s governing body said in a statement.
“It follows that any provision in a private contract between clubs which might function in such a way as to influence who a club fields in a match is null, void and unenforceable so far as Uefa is concerned.” — AFP.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter