The UEFA Champions League semi-finals has ended, setting up the Final, which will take place on June 1. Let’s take a deeper look into the semi-finals that just occurred.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain
Leg One 1-0 @ Dortmund
Leg Two 1-0 @ Paris (Dortmund win 2-0 on aggregate)
Takeaways: Let’s be honest, when fans were filling out brackets and predictions on the Champions League final, no one predicted Dortmund making the final. I wouldn’t say “talentless” is the word, but Dortmund’s roster is subpar compared to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, etc. All said, convincing wins from Borussia Dortmund might show us something we don’t know. Dortmund’s defense did well to hold off Kylian Mbappe and crew, and the Dortmund attack was able to do enough to land them a spot in this year’s final. This has truly been a remarkable run from the German side, and the future is looking bright for this side.
Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich
Leg one 2-2 @ Bayern
Leg Two 2-1 @ Madrid (Madrid win 3-2 on aggregate)
Takeaways: This year for Bayern can’t get much worse. They lost the Bundesliga for the first time in a decade, lost the League Cup final, and lost in the Champions League. Also, their rivals Dortmund advanced to the final, and now some people are debating whether Bayern is still the team to beat in Germany, with Dortmund and the undefeated Bayer Leverkusen rising up the ranks. Is this the end of an era for Bayern? However, this loss does come with some controversy, with the referee calling “offsides” when the play was still going on, leading to a Bayern goal to tie it up. Referees later found out that the ball was actually not offside; and should’ve let the play continue, leading up to a goal. Nevertheless, Bayern’s run comes to an end, and Real Madrid will face off against Dortmund.
Now, the final will take place on June 1, 2024 at 12 pm PT. Real Madrid are looking for their 15th Champions League title after disappointingly getting knocked out by Manchester City last season, while the underdogs Borussia Dortmund will look for their 2nd Champions League title, and are still hungry for revenge after their heartbreaking loss against rivals Bayern in 2013. The script is looking amazing, and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top!
