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UEFA released the draw for the Champions League semifinals today, and now we can assess who has the most favorable position into the finals. A wild second leg of the quarterfinals saw Bayern Munich emphatically reverse its deficit against Porto, Real Madrid finally break through for its first win in eight matches this season against cross-town rival Atletico Madrid, Juventus soldier on against a determined if powerless Monaco side, and Barcelona deliver the knockout blow to Paris Saint Germain. The four teams left standing enter this year’s semifinals with a combined 21 European titles and 37 appearances in the finals between them.
At least one of this quartet has played in every Champions League final since 2009; Juventus, the only team that has gone more than a decade since reaching the finals, is the closest thing to a Cinderella in the pack. If you’re a fan of scrappy underdogs, you already probably pay little heed to Europe’s preeminent club competition, but this year you are especially out of luck.
One of these four titans of the European game will emerge once again atop the heap of clubs that vied for the crown this season. Now that we know who will be pitted against one another in the next round to be played May 5-6 and May 12-13, click through for the breakdown on each pairing, analysis on how each team got here, and predictions about who is likeliest to be on the pitch of the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the final on June 6.
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