(Getty)
A few familiar faces have returned to the semifinals of Champions League, but new faces are in pursuit of the final at San Siro. Manchester City knocked off French giants PSG and are in the final four for the the first time in club history. It’s a monumental achievement for the club and manager Manuel Pellegrini, who will be replaced by Pep Guardiola next season regardless of how the team finishes.
After a stumble in the first leg against Wolfsburg, Real Madrid reversed their fortunes and advanced to their sixth straight Champions League semifinal. Behind a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick the team roared back to a 3-2 aggregate victory at the Bernabeu, as Madrid have been surging forward since their Clasico win earlier this month.
Paddy Power tweeted their latest odds Tuesday, and Bayern become the new favorite after Barcelona’s exit. The Germans have best odds to reach the final in Italy next month, valued at 5/2. Real Madrid is a decent bet at 15/2, while Manchester City remain outsiders at 10/1.
Skybet posted updated odds following Wednesday’s action: and here are their latest figures:
Bayern Munich 11/8
Real Madrid 5/2
Atlerico Madrid 3/1
Manchester City 5/1
There are no restrictions for the final draw of this tournament. There will be an additional draw to determine if the winner of Match 1 or Match 2 will be the home team at the final in Milan.
Here is all you need to know about the penultimate round of Champions League:
Champions League Semfinal Draw Information
Date: Friday, April 15th
Time: 6:30 a.m. Eastern
Where: Nyon, Switzerland
Stream: Live stream available on UEFA.com
Qualified Teams: Manchester City, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich
Semifinal Match Dates: April 26/27 and May 04/05