Chronicle EditorNYON. — A REPEAT of the 2014 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid is still possible after yesterday’s semi-final draw. Real, who won that game 4-1 after extra-time, will play first-time semi-finalists Manchester City, with the first leg in north-west England.
Atletico, who beat holders Barcelona in the last eight, host Bayern Munich in their first leg.
Bayern manager Pep Guardiola misses what would have been a difficult semi-final for him personally against City, the Premier League side he will take charge of next season.
“It’s a great tie against the team that has won the competition the most times,” Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City’s sporting director, told reporters.
“But we have got this far and we want to keep dreaming.
“I think that Madrid are the favourites.
“They have been in the semi-finals 27 times, six in a row. But Paris (St Germain)were also a great team and we were able to knock them out.”
Real, record 10-time champions, are unbeaten in their last eight games against English clubs.
Their only previous tie against City came in 2012 when the Spanish side won 3-2 at home before drawing 1-1 in Manchester.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick to win the quarter-final against Vfl Wolfsburg, it will be another return to Manchester, where he spent six years with United before moving to Spain in 2009.
The Madrid manager at that time was Manuel Pellegrini, now in charge at City until Guardiola replaces him.
The Chilean was sacked by Real after only one season.
Emilio Butragueno, Real’s head of public relations, said that in Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne, City had players to win a game on their own.
“It’s their first semi-final and they are anxious to do something big in Europe,” he added.
“We’ll have to be at our best in the two games.
“Last year also people said we were lucky when we got Juventus and we were knocked out. The two games are going to be very tight.”
The only time Atletico have met Bayern was in the 1974 final, when the German side won 4-0 in a replay after a 1-1 draw.
“A team that eliminates the title holders has to be taken very, very seriously,” said Bayern board member Andreas Jung.
“We face a tough rival,” said the German club’s midfielder Javi Martinez.
Jose Luis Caminero, Atletico’s sporting director and former player, described the tie as “complicated” but promised the Spanish side would “compete to our maximum as we always do”.
City will host Real on April 26 and Atletico face Bayern the following evening.
The final is in Milan on May 28.
Manuel Pellegrini has slammed suggestions he will be motivated by revenge when Manchester City face his former club Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals.
Pellegrini’s side were handed a daunting showdown with Real in Friday’s draw after defeating Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday to reach the last four of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time.
City will host the 10-time European champions in the first leg on April 26 before heading to the Bernabeu for the return a week later.
Pellegrini was sacked by Real in 2010 after just one season and replaced by Jose Mourinho following early elimination from the Champions League and the disappointment of losing out on the La Liga title to Barcelona.
However, yesterday the 62-year-old insisted there will be no desire for retribution against his former employers, who are looking to win the tournament for the second time in the last three years.
“No, it is not an extra motivation. Always the motivation is to play the semifinal of the Champions League,” said Pellegrini, who will be replaced as City boss by Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola at the end of the season.
“It is a difficult draw.
“It didn’t matter which of the three teams we had to play, the three were difficult.
“I think the options to continue are the same for the teams and we will expect to do a very good game against a big team.”
Real Madrid, now managed by France legend Zinedine Zidane, are within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona, whom they beat 2-1 in the Nou Camp a fortnight ago.
But Pellegrini knows from first-hand experience just how much pressure there is to deliver sustained success in Madrid.
“I think always for a big team it is important to arrive to the last stage of the Champions League and try to win it, but also not to leave out their domestic games,” he said.
“Real Madrid know every year they must win titles and be involved in all the competitions.
“In this moment I think they are playing the semi-final of the Champions League and they still have options in the Spanish league, so as always it is a team that is involved in all.” — SuperSport.
Online Reporter