- The UEFA Champions League finals are eerily near for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund—one step away from club football’s biggest match.
- We’ve look at a few memorable Champions League semifinals from previous years in front of the last four matches.
The UEFA Champions League finals are eerily near for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Borussia Dortmund—one step away from club football’s biggest match.
We’ve reflected about a few memorable Champions League semifinals from previous years in front of the last four matches.
Ajax v Bayern Munich (1995)
Ajax vs Bayern Munich in the champions league semis. Photo/ UEFA
A dull first leg was followed by a memorable comeback. Tension escalated during the first semi-final match between Ajax and Bayern Munich in Germany, ending in a goalless draw. However, in the second leg, the Dutch team performed brilliantly.
Jari Litmanen opened the score for Louis van Gaal’s squad, which thrashed Bayern Munich 5-2 in Amsterdam. The Germans took the lead thanks to an away goal from Marcel Witeczek, but Ajax surged ahead with three goals in five minutes after the break.
Last but not least Before halftime, Ronald De Boer added a third goal, with George putting Ajax up once more. Shortly after the half, Litmanen scored his second goal, seemingly ending the semi-final.
Even though Mehmet Scholl gave Bayern a response from the penalty spot, Ajax had the better of the evening.
Late in the game, Marc Overmars scored the fifth goal, and the Dutch team went on to win both the Champions League and the Eredivisie without dropping a match.
Juventus v Manchester United (1999)
Manchester United vs Juventus. Photo/ Eurosport
In Turin, Manchester United‘s hopes of winning three titles were dashed when the Red Devils trailed two goals in the first eleven minutes of the second leg. Following a 1-1 draw in the previous meeting, Filippo Inzaghi’s stunning double placed Juventus ahead 3-1 overall at The Stadio Delle Alpi.
Manchester United stormed back into the match, spurred on by Roy Keane, who received a card that would have prevented him from playing in the championship. Before Dwight Yorke scored a second goal to give the visitors the lead on away goals just before halftime, the Irishman headed in David Beckham’s corner to cut the deficit.
Late in the game, Andy Cole sealed the victory by turning in from a tight angle, setting up raucous celebrations among the Premier League team. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team concluded the most historic campaign in English football history with a thrilling victory over Bayern Munich in the championship game.
Chelsea v Liverpool (2008)
Didier Drogba. Photo/ Chelsea FC
The first ten years of the century saw several epic matches between the two clubs. Among the most noteworthy occurred in the 2008 Champions League semifinal. In an epic extra-time that had it all, the London team was able to book their spot in the Moscow final. In the second half, Torres equalized, causing the match to go into overtime.
Lampard gave his team the lead in this instance, but Drogba once more decided the semifinal. Nevertheless, Babel scored in the 117th minute, making it 3-2. Liverpool is now attempting to tie the score once again and secure a spot in the championship game. They were not up to par, and Chelsea secured their spot in the historic final—a match they ultimately lost due to a memorable missed penalty by John Terry.
Real Madrid v Manchester City (2022)
In a match that was full of drama and event, Manchester City and Real Madrid shared 11 goals over the course of two legs to produce a memorable match.
The Citizens emerged victorious in a thrilling match at the Etihad Stadium, 4–3, although Real Madrid rallied through goals from Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema (2) to keep Carlo Ancelotti’s team in the game.
After giving the visitors a 5-3 aggregate lead in the second half, Riyad Mahrez appeared certain to advance City to the championship game. At the Bernabeu, Pep Guardiola’s squad had a two-goal lead going into stoppage time before going into a disastrous collapse.
Rodrygo, coming off the bench, scored twice in ninety seconds to force extra time. Karim Benzema’s penalty kick kick in the extra time helped Madrid go to the championship. With only a few seconds remaining before the final, City was left in disbelief.
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