With UEFA Champions League quarterfinals over, it’s time to take inventory of what we’ve learned about the teams that comprise one of the more competitive semifinal quartets in recent memory. We start with Barcelona ... because of the alphabet.
Borussia Dortmund needed the heroics, but based on final scores, Barcelona was the semifinalist closest to leaving the competition in the quarterfinal round. Thanks to a late Wednesday goal from Pedro Rodríguez, Barça makes their sixth straight semifinal (a tournament record), even though for most of the match at the Nou Camp, the Blaugrana were on the wrong end of scoring chances.
But Paris Saint-Germain are gone. So are the matchup problems and the array of the injury concerns that dogged Jordi Roura’s squad during the second leg. Now they can move on to the semifinals.
Here’s what we know:
- Attack: While it’s becoming easier for top teams to contain Barcelona’s attack, there are still two worrisome elements. First, Messi’s best can’t be stopped, putting you at his mercy. Second, unless you’re Real Madrid, you have to concede a lot of possession to implement the plan that’s most likely to succeed. That’s a problem for Bayern, though Dortmund can try the counterattack-heavy approach that was so successful last year against München (even if they’ll miss Shinji Kagawa while doing so).
- Defense: If Carles Puyol’s back for the semifinal, it will difficult to make any judgments from the quarters into the next round. If he isn’t, Gerard Piqué becomes even more important. He was strong over two legs against PSG, but against talented attacks in the semifinals, Javier Mascherano’s absence could be felt.
- And beyond: Barcelona’s difficult to analyze because we’re used to possession being a strong harbinger of goals. But against the better teams in Europe, Barcelona’s possession represents a compromise. Teams are willing to concede a little more of the ball in exchange for security at the back knowing their counter attack’s bound to be their most dangerous weapon. While their dominance of the possession gives the impression Barcelona can determine their own destiny, this year may be the first in five where “the field” may be a better bet than the Blaugrana.
- Preferred matchups: The one team Barcelona will want to avoid is Real Madrid, a team that’s slowly developed a team to beat Barça. Bayern Munich being Europe’s best (at the moment), Barça should hope to take their chances in a one-off against München while drawing Dortmund over two legs.
| Where they stand ... | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | Bayern Munich | Borussia Dortmund | Real Madrid |
Important dates
Friday, April 12 – Semifinal matchups drawn Tuesday, April 23 – Leg one, semifinal one Wednesday, April 24 – Leg one, semifinal two Tuesday, April 30 – Leg two, semifinal two Wednesday, May 1 – Leg two, semifinal one Saturday, May 25 – Final (London)