Champions League: Holders Bayern to face Real Madrid in semis

Surprises packages Atletico drawn with Chelsea in second clash.

NYON: Title-holders Bayern Munich will face nine-time winners Real Madrid in a dramatic Champions League semi-final, which was drawn on Friday.

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 have been the tournament final.

“The top two teams will play each other,” said Lahm.

“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.”

Pep Guardiola’s German champions met Real in the semi-finals in 2011-12, when they won that match on penalties in Madrid, before eventually losing to Chelsea in the final.

The continental superpowers have met five times in the semi-finals in all, with Bayern winning four.

Atletico aiming to reach second final

While Bayern 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 1974.

The La Liga leaders’ reward for their stunning victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals is a match up against former Real boss Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.

The pair last met in the 2012 Super Cup when Atletico beat Chelsea 4-1.

Meanwhile, 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.

Courtois has been a key player in Atletico’s spectacular season. Atletico beat Barcelona on Wednesday to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.

Atletico President Enrique Cerezo told Spanish radio station Onda Cero that his side would have to pay ‘a lot of money’ for the Belgian international to face Chelsea due to a provision in his contract.

Spanish media reports estimated the fee to be $4.17 million per match.

Courtois has already faced Chelsea once as an Atletico player; in the European Supercup last season when the Spaniards ran out 4-1 victors.

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay, however, later insisted there was no dispute.

“The loan was arranged at the start of the season,” he told Sky Sports. “He could play against Chelsea — that was never in doubt.

On the semi-final clash he added, “They’re all fantastic sides. The important thing to us was to make sure we were in the semi-final.”

The Champions League first legs are on April 22-23 with the return legs on April 29-30. The final is in Lisbon on May 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2014.

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