Champions League semifinals
second leg match will
feature Manchester United
playing Schalke 04 at Old
Trafford on May 4 giving
Manchester a home field
advantage. El Classico at the
Nou Camp will feature
Barcelona v. Real Madrid on
May 3.
All teams are looking to get
one step closer to the final
stages with Manchester and
Barcelona with advantages,
being two points ahead, and
both now playing in their home
stadiums.
UEFA (Union of European
Football Association) champions
league reached the first leg
of semi-finals on April 26 and
April 27, with Spain’s powerhouses
Barcelona FC playing
Real Madrid in what they call
El Clásico. That ended with a
2-0 win for Barcelona with
Lionel Messi scoring both
goals in the second half.
On April 27 was the “Red
Devils” Manchester United FC
of England against FC Schalke
04 from Germany. United won
2-0 at Schalke’s home stadium.
FC Schalke 04 is seen as ca
omplete underdog among the
remaining teams in the semifinals,
taking on one of football’s
prestigious clubs.
However they have already
upset the competition after
defeating last year’s UEFA
champions Inter Milan 7-3.
Manchester United, one of
football’s most famous clubs,
will not be underestimating the
German team after their triumph
against Italy’s finest, but
they have to be feeling confident
after beating longtime
rivals Chelsea FC to move into
the semis.
Manchester once again upset
Chelsea fans, ending another
promising season, only serving
to further fuel the rivalry after
defeating them in both games
in the quarters. Manchester
defeated Chelsea in the points
with a 3-1 victory.
The two top Spanish teams,
both competing for first in La
Liga, will play in what is
expected to be a match full of
drama in the UEFA semifinals.
Both teams have
breezed through the competition
and are now faced with the
biggest game in football. El
Clásico is the biggest rivalry
known, not only a team rivalry
but a political one as well.
In two previous pairings
between Barcelona and Real
Madrid, Barcelona won 4-0
and they ended the other in a 1-
1 draw, but both teams will be
looking to get ahead in the first
leg with a comprehensive strategy
to advance in points.
Real Madrid, said to be the
best team in football, has
cruised through the elimination
rounds, acquiring eight wins
and two draws in the last 10
games played.
Similarly, Real’s counterpart,
Barcelona FC, also zipped
through the rounds with seven
wins, two draws, and one loss
to Arsenal while on the road.
Barcelona fans are confident
in their team’s ability to take
on rivals Real Madrid at home.
The team has not lost a home
game at Nou Estadi del Futbol
Club Barcelona (known by
locals as Nou Camp) for the
last two seasons.
Predictions for the semifinals
have Manchester United
moving to the finals. But with
some of the world’s greatest
players on display – Barcelona
FC’s Lionel Messi, best player
of the year, is so closely
matched against Real Madrid’s
well-known Christiano
Ronaldo – who Manchester
will play is up for much
debate.