Elite quartet ready for Friday draw Published: Wednesday 9 April 2014, 23.20CET
Holders FC Bayern Munchen and Club Atletico de Madrid joined Chelsea FC and Real Madrid CF in the UEFA Champions League semi-final draw, in Nyon from 12.00CET on Friday. While holders FC Bayern Munchen and Real Madrid CF are familiar faces in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, and Chelsea FC are also perennial contenders, Club Atletico de Madrid are breaking new ground. Bayern and Madrid both reached the last four in 2012/13 while Chelsea were last involved the previous campaign.
In contrast,
Atletico have never played in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and last got to the European Cup's last four in 1973/74, when they ousted Celtic FC and went on to lose the only final replay in the competition's history – against Bayern.
Atletico are making their fourth European Cup semi-final appearance overall, whereas neighbours Madrid are in their record 25th and have advanced to this stage for the fourth year running.
However, they have not featured in the final since lifting their ninth European Cup in 2002, going out to FC Barcelona (2011), Bayern (2012) and Borussia Dortmund (2013).
There were contrasting evenings for Madrid and Chelsea on Tuesday; the Blues retrieved a two-goal first-leg deficit against Paris Saint-Germain to oust the French champions on away goals, yet Madrid had to survive a stern examination in Dortmund.
Leading 3-0 from the game in Spain, Carlo Ancelotti's team trailed 2-0 by the 37th minute in Germany, only to regroup and edge through.
While
Chelsea are in the last four for the seventh time in 11 seasons, Bayern – bidding to become the first side to retain the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era –
are
semi-finalists for the fourth time in five years having disposed of Manchester United FC on Wednesday.
The open draw – meaning no seeding or country protection – throws up the intriguing possibility of an all-Madrid semi-final. The clubs have met in only one European tie, back in 1958/59 when Madrid won 2-1 at home in their semi-final first leg, lost 1-0 away and finally emerged triumphant in the replay, 2-1.
The other teams have plenty of history between them. Chelsea beat Bayern on penalties in Munich to win the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, but lost to them by the same method in the UEFA Super Cup at the start of this term.
Bayern overcame Atletico in that 1974 final and have faced Madrid in no fewer than five European Cup semis, winning four, including the most recent, on penalties in 2011/12.
Should Madrid and Atletico be kept apart in the draw, there may be a final between two sides from the same country – which would be the fifth in UEFA Champions League history and second in succession after Bayern's Wembley defeat of Dortmund last May.
Madrid were victorious in the first of those, seeing off Valencia CF in the 2000 showpiece in Paris.
A final triumph for Madrid or Atletico would also strengthen Spain's position as the European Cup's most successful nation; the Liga has 13 victories, one more than Italy and England. Should Bayern prevail again, it would be Germany's eighth win, two more than the Netherlands.
The draw will begin at 12.00CET at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, with Luis Figo assisting UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino in conducting it. The
semi-finals will be played on 22/23 April and 29/30 April. For administrative purposes, the
last step of the draw will define whether the winner of semi-final 1 or the winner of semi-final 2 will be the designated home team for the final. The 2013/14 UEFA Champions League final will be held at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon, on Saturday 24 May, kicking off at 20.45CET (19.45 local time). All draw proceedings will be transmitted live on UEFA.com. Our live DrawCentre will also bring you the build-up and post-draw reaction from Nyon.
http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2085841.html#elite+quartet+ready+friday+draw Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)European Cup semi-final record: W1 L2
Last semi-final appearance: 1973/74 (2-0 on aggregate v Celtic FC)
This season: W8 D2 L0 F22 A5
Top scorer: Diego Costa 7
European head-to-heads
v Real Madrid W1 D0 L2 F3 A4
v Chelsea W1 D1 L1 F6 A7
v Bayern W0 D1 L1 F1 A5
FC Bayern MünchenEuropean Cup semi-final record: W10 L5
Last semi-final appearance: 2012/13 (7-0 on aggregate v FC Barcelona)
This season: W7 D2 L1 F24 A8
Top scorer: Thomas Müller 5
European head-to-heads
v Real Madrid W11 D2 L7 F33 A26
v Chelsea W1 D1 L1 F6 A7
v Atlético W1 D1 L0 F5 A1
Chelsea FCEuropean Cup semi-final record: W2 L4
Last semi-final appearance: 2011/12 (3-2 on aggregate v FC Barcelona)
This season: W7 D0 L3 F18 A7
Top scorer: Demba Ba, Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres 3
European head-to-heads
v Real Madrid W2 D1 L0 F4 A2
v Atlético W1 D1 L1 F7 A6
v Bayern W1 D1 L1 F7 A6
Real Madrid CFEuropean Cup semi-final record: W12 L12
Last semi-final appearance: 2012/13 (3-4 on aggregate v Borussia Dortmund)
This season: W8 D1 L1 F32 A9
Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo 14
European head-to-heads
v Chelsea W0 D1 L2 F2 A4
v Bayern W7 D2 L11 F26 A33
v Atlético W2 D0 L1 F4 A3
[ 此帖被羅力亞在2014-04-11 18:59重新編輯 ]