Champions League semi-finalists: In profile

Christiano Ronaldo

Although English interest died out in the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League, there is still plenty of mouth-watering action for fans to sink their teeth in to.

The semi-finals managed to set up a potential El Classico final or a all-German clash between rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Only a fool would try to predict a winner.

We do our best by running the rule over the four remaining clubs.

The Dark horses | Borussia Dortmund

German outfit Borussia Dortmund may have booked their spot in the last 4 of the world's most prestigious tournament but they look the weakest among the 4 semi-finalists, with the black-and-yellow needing 2 late goals to overcome Malaga.

The Black & Yellows have had a relatively easy run in the knockout stages having faced Shakhtar Donetsk and Malaga but they came through an incredibly tough group unbeaten as winners. Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax have all fallen at the hands of this German freight train.

Dortmund might boast the likes of Marco Reus, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, however, their players do not have the experience in Europe. Still, for a young side like theirs, be sure to look out for them in the coming seasons.

The gate-crashers | Bayern Munich
These German giants are no pushovers and are on course for a famous treble. Munich, led by dangerous wingmen Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, will want to make amends for last season's failure to lift the Champions League trophy. They have already romped to victory in their domestic league in record time and currently sit 20-points clear of their nearest rival, Borussia Dortmund. They have knocked out Arsenal and Juventus on their way to the semi-finals and have shown no signs of tiring.

After coming within minutes of the trophy last season and looking even stronger you can see Bayern Munich crashing an all-Spanish final.

The nine-time champions | Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely be the man to watch as Jose Mourinho looks to guide the to the long awaited Decima. Ronaldo has had another sensational season scoring over 40 goals and currently leading the goal-scoring charts in the competition. The talisman of Los Blancos deserves to win a Champions League with the club. With Champions League specialist, Jose Mourinho vying to become the first man to win the Champions League with three different clubs, only a fool would write them off.

The favourites | Barcelona

Undeniably, Lionel Messi and co are the favourites to win the Champions League title. They may have lost to Celtic and AC Milan this season but they are still showing signs of being the dominant team in Europe.

They have come close to being eliminated in both their knockout ties against AC Milan and PSG but they showed class and character to qualify for another semi-final.

A team filled with world-class players that only get better when the going gets tough. Of course, the other three teams will do all they can to stop Barcelona but can anyone stop Lionel Messi from guiding Barcelona to their third Champions League crown in five year? We’re not so sure.

Source: givemefootball news