Champions League: What to expect in the semi-finals

• In anticipation of the Champions League semi-finals we examine the key talking points.

In anticipation of the Champions League semi-finals we examine the key talking points.

England duo face off

Jude Bellingham together with Harry Kane. Photo/ beIN Sports

Only two English players—Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves—have ever won the Champions League with a foreign team; they did it with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively, in back-to-back seasons between 2000 and 2002.

The previous teams of that pair square off this week in an attempt to advance to the final, with English influence once more playing a major role in their struggles. In a continental competition, two of England’s most important players—Harry Kane of Bayern Munich and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid—will face off for foreign powers.

To get to this point, both teams defeated English opponents in the round of eight. Bayern defeated Arsenal 3-2 overall, while Real Madrid overcame holders Manchester City on penalties following a thrilling quarterfinal match.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid comes up against the team he led for just over two seasons in this matchup, and Toni Kroos played on Bayern Munich’s Champions League winning team in 2012–13, his last season before moving to Madrid.

With 42 goals this season and 10 goals directly assisted in the Champions League, Kane has been Bayern’s best player. He shares the record for most goals scored by an English player in a single season with David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.

For Real Madrid, however, Bellingham has been a revelation. The 20-year-old, who has made 36 appearances for the Spanish team and scored 21 goals and sent out 10 assists, has not let the burden of becoming a new Galactico deter him.

Celebrating PSG meet Dortmund

With Ligue 1 concluded for a record-breaking 12th time this past weekend, Paris Saint-Germain is now fully focused on winning the coveted European championship. In the semi-finals, the French champions play Borussia Dortmund in an attempt to make it to the Champions League final twice.

PSG, who are favorites going into the match, must find a way to address the soft center that has been a problem for them lately. The team captained by Luis Enrique has only kept one clean sheet in their previous seven Ligue 1 games as they trailed three times in a 3-3 draw with Le Havre at the Parc des Princes this past weekend.

Before traveling to Dortmund on Wednesday, Enrique needs to decide on his starting lineup for the backline. Milan Skriniar is anticipated to make a comeback after starting from the bench against Le Havre. There are also choices for Nuno Mendes and Lucas Hernandez to come back.

Tuchel’s selection headache

Thomas Tuchel. Photo/Eurosport

Given the growing injury concerns for the German powerhouses, Thomas Tuchel will have a difficult time making his starting lineup for Bayern Munich’s match against Real Madrid. Over the weekend, Matthijs de Ligt and Konrad Laimer were forced to make early substitutes, and Kingsley Coman and Sacha Boey were sidelined. Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, and Dayot Upamecano are all doubts.

Before a glamorous winners League match against the 14-time European winners, this is by no means the best preparation the Bavarians could have asked for. Real Madrid has advanced from the previous two meetings between the clubs, making this their ninth meeting at this round.

It won’t be the first time this season that the focus is on the previously mentioned Kane to make an impact. With a brace against Eintracht Frankfurt over the weekend, Kane surpassed his previous career mark of 42 goals in a single campaign.

Dortmund need to win

Borussia Dortmund beat Atletico Madrid 4-2. Photo/ Eurosport.

Borussia Dortmund has outperformed everyone to make it to the round of four, despite a lackluster domestic season and their strong European performance. Dortmund advanced to this stage by overcoming ties with PSV and Atletico Madrid after winning the tournament’s Group of Death.

In a replay of their group-stage matches, Paris Saint-Germain is waiting. The Germans were unable to equal PSG during those two matches, even though Dortmund emerged from the group.

In the rematch, the French champions held Dortmund to a tie while winning 2-0 in Paris. To make it to their first final since 2013, Dortmund will need to have learnt from both matches, as PSG controlled possession and opportunities on both occasions.