Champions League Semi Finals

What a pair of games these two turned out to be.  In no ones wildest dreams can anyone have envisaged a 10 man Chelsea come back from 2 down to draw 2-2 away at the mecca of modern football, the Camp Nou.  Surely not many thought that Bayern could overturn the away goal against a Real team fresh from winning their first El Clasico in a while?

No many would have predicted it, and that's what makes it all the more entertaining and stunning.


Barcelona will be left feeling empty and robbed after completely battering the Blues from West London over the two legs but without being able to book themselves into the final on May 19th in Munich.  Roberto Di Matteo who three years ago to the day was overseeing a MK Dons team lose to Walsall in League 2 certainly has pulled on all his previous experience to help push the aging and 'over the hill' Chelsea old guard over one last hurdle to reach their second ever Champions League final.  Pep Guardiola may not be in his job at the end of the season as he makes a decision on his future, sadly for Di Matteo, a man who has helped transform Chelsea in his 15 games in charge, may not get the full-time managers job even if Chelsea do go on to win the Champions League! It's tough at the top!

After that shock Barca defeat Real Madrid we're already etching their name on the famous trophy for the 10th time as they were 2 nil up within no time at all in their home leg at the Bernabeu.   Those efficient Germans had other ideas however and deservedly went through after playing with invention, guts and attacking flair, as well as taking some a few better penalties.  Ronaldo and Kaka a pair of the worlds most expensive and well known players fluffed their lines in the penalty shoot out with Manuel Neuer saving each penalty kick comfortably.  It was a crazy semi final stage and one of the most entertaining and interesting from a neutral perspective in recent memory.




Before the first leg everyone and their dog had written Chelsea off, during the first half onslaught of the second leg, that chance was even less.  Fair play to Chelsea though as they showed real fighting spirit (and not the kind John Terry was involved in when he kneed Alexi Sanchez square in the back off the ball) but the kind of steely determination and never say die attitude that used to so very British and for a night at least was again thanks for an expensively assembled team with players from all over the world selected by an Italian and man handled by a Russian Oligarch... so as British as it gets really.  The scenes of jubilation after the match we the type that money can't buy, fitting then that Abramovich wasn't even there to see it, must have been busy doing something else I suppose!?

All this leads us up to the final itself in Bayern's home stadium in a couple of weeks time.  Surely it won't live up to the games that got them there? But I'm sure both sides will give it a good go...