Giants ready for semi-final jousts
The UEFA Champions League semi-finals kick off this week with a glamorous quartet of sides eager to continue down the road to glory. Despite the absence of any English clubs, the four teams on show boast 21 European titles between them, and no fewer than 108 last-four appearances, with Real Madrid leading the way on 31 ahead of Barcelona (30), Bayern Munich (25) and Juventus (22).
Recently crowned Serie A champions for a fourth consecutive season, Juve are returning to this stage for the first time since 2003, but their fellow hopefuls have all been regular fixtures of late. Holders Madrid are set to contest their fifth semi-final in five years, while Bayern are back for the fourth straight season and Barcelona are making their seventh outing at this juncture in the last eight campaigns.
The semi-finals
Tuesday 5 May
Juventus-Real Madrid, Juventus Stadium, Turin
These two European giants know each other inside out and come equipped with incredible European pedigree, having disputed 20 European Cup finals between them. La Vecchia Signora also go into the tie having wrapped up the Serie A title at the weekend, and they will be hoping that triumph has cleared their minds – in contrast to their opponents, who still need Barcelona to slip up in the Liga race. That unrelenting pressure has kept Los Merengues fully focused, however, and they clinched a notable 3-2 success at Sevilla on Saturday. However, the visitors will be without Karim Benzema and Luka Modric through injury. As for Alvaro Morato, he came on for Madrid during the 2014 final but will line up against the champions in Turin, and the Spanish forward will be keen to impress against his former club alongside the in-form Carlos Tevez.
Past meetings
This will be the 17th encounter between these venerable outfits and their 12th in the Champions League era, their five earliest having all come in the old European Champion Clubs' Cup. Madrid hold the edge with eight wins to Juve's seven, including a victory in the 1998 final in Amsterdam, though their Italian rivals earned a measure of revenge with success at the semi-final stage in 2003.
The stat
3 – The number of times Carlo Ancelotti has lifted the Champions League trophy, last season's triumph with Madrid completing his hat-trick after wins with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. He shares the distinction with Bob Paisley, who led Liverpool to the European summit in 1977, 1978 and 1981, though Ancelotti will edge in front should he break new ground with a fourth victory.
Did you know?
* Friends reunited: Juventus duo Carlos Tevez and Patrice Evra won the Champions League in the same line-up as Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008, when all three helped Manchester United defeat Chelsea.
* Ending the curse: No team has successfully defended their European title since the Champions League was launched. The last club to win back-to-back crowns was Milan in 1989 and 1990, when the competition was still known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup.
Wednesday 6 May
Barcelona-Bayern Munich, Camp Nou, Barcelona
There will be a special subplot to this semi-final as Josep Guardiola returns to the stadium where he amassed so many trophies – and where his old midfield colleague Luis Enrique now holds the reins. The hosts will not be distracted, however, especially as they intend to reverse the result of their last semi-final joust with Bayern two years ago, when they succumbed 7-0 on aggregate. Spearheading their effort will be Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, the fearsome triumvirate having been performing better together with every passing game. Barça can also count on an Andres Iniesta back at the top of his game, while Xavi Hernandez is ready to have his say. For their part, Bayern recently wrapped up their 25th Bundesliga title but travel to Spain having lost their last two matches, following up their German Cup semi-final defeat by Borussia Dortmund with Saturday's reverse at Bayer Leverkusen. They have also lost Arjen Robben for the rest of the season and could well be deprived of Robert Lewandowski, though Guardiola can at least call upon the impressive Thiago Alcantara, who will be anxious to excel back at the Camp Nou.
Past meetings
These two sides have crossed paths six times in Europe's leading tournament, the first of those encounters producing 1-0 and 2-1 Bayern wins during the group stage in 1998. Barça then prevailed 4-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie in 2009, ahead of a 1-1 draw in the return, before Bayern posted 4-0 and 3-0 victories in the semi-finals two seasons ago. The German outfit have thus racked up four wins, one draw and just one defeat, and also boast a far superior goal difference.
The stat
108 – The number of goals scored in all competitions this season by Barcelona's front three, Messi helping himself to 51 of those compared to 33 for Neymar and 24 for Suarez.
Did you know?
* Winning habit: Guardiola has collected 19 trophies in 349 games since he began his career as a coach, winning a new piece of silverware every 19 matches on average.
*Badomen: Barcelona have won all five of their Champions League home games this term. In fact, the Liga leaders have not been beaten on home soil in Europe since Bayern got the better of them in 2013 – their sole reverse in their last 32 Champions League contests at the Camp Nou.
Have your say
Will this year's final be an all-Spanish affair?