5 greatest UEFA Champions League semi-finals of the last decade

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 24:  Kaka of  AC Milan celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final, first leg match between Manchester United and AC Milan at Old Trafford on April 24, 2007 in Manchester, England.  (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Kaka was a vital part of one of the greatest ever Champions League semi-finals of all time

The draw for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals is out and it threw a great matchup between Italian side Juventus and Ligue 1 side Monaco. The other matchup set a local derby in the football capital of Europe with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid clashing once again and thereby creating a record as the teams became the first to face each other in the knockout stages for four consecutive years.

Also Read: 5 greatest Champions League quarter-finals of all time

These matches have all the ingredients to become classics, just like the many that came before since semi-finals were introduced in the Champions League in 1994. Over the course of the last 23 years, various teams have contested great matches that showcased great comebacks, top-notch individual performances or a presumed smaller team beating a more famous team.

However, when it comes to semi-finals the last decade has produced classics unlike any.

So, here are the five greatest Champions League semi-finals of the past decade.

#5 Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid, 2013

When the semi-final draw was announced in 2013, it was billed as Spain vs. Germany as Real Madrid and Barcelona were set to face Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively. While Bayern had come very close in 2012 to win the coveted trophy, having lost to Chelsea in the final, Dortmund had become a consistent footballing force in Germany under current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and had ended the monopoly of Bayern – going on to win the Bundesliga twice.

So, the stage was set for the Blacks and Yellows to make a mark on the continental scene.

First Leg: Borussia Dortmund 4-1 Real Madrid

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(Video Courtesy – World FOOTBALL YouTube Channel)

Dortmund began the match in a now-famous style of gegenpressing and their Polish striker Robert Lewandowski turned in a superb ball from Mario Gotze to put them ahead. As Dortmund continued to be relentless with Marco Reus troubling the Madrid defence at every instance, the Spanish side pounced on a mistake by Mats Hummels to score through Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his 50th Champions League goal.

However, mental strength was one of the biggest assets of that Dortmund team and they bounced back after the break with Lewandowski at the heart of it. The forward scored after being set up by Reus before completing his hat-trick soon after to become the first player to score a hat-trick against Real Madrid in Champions League history.

The striker masterclass, however, was not done. The Pole in a few minutes time became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League semi-final when he converted a penalty to inflict the biggest defeat for Jose Mourinho in 106 Champions League matches till then.

A shift in power was talked about as Bayern Munich had run riot against Barcelona the previous day to win 4-0 but more importantly, this was Borussia Dortmund announcing themselves on the European stage.

Second Leg: Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

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(Video Courtesy – vFuee YouTube Channel)

The second leg at Santiago Bernabeu was an open game as Madrid chased the three goals required to progress on away goals rule while Dortmund looked to kill off the tie by scoring their own away goal. Madrid started brightly but could not tow away the chances as Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo fired straight at Roman Weidenfeller, the Dortmund goalkeeper.

Dortmund gradually grew into the game and should have sealed their progress in the second-half but for Lewandowski to hit the bar. Later, Madrid keeper Diego Lopez pulled off an amazing save to deny Ilkay Gundogan.

The match turned from being a foregone conclusion to a nail-biting finish when Mesut Ozil set Karim Benzema in the 82nd minute before Sergio Ramos scored a few minutes later to lift the Bernabeu. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to hold on and set up an enticing clash with domestic rivals Bayern Munich who completed Barcelona’s annihilation with a 3-0 away win at Camp Nou.

After a stunning tie that saw Dortmund shine through, Bayern beat them in the final thanks to a winner from Arjen Robben and Dortmund are yet to reach the final from then on.

#4 Inter Milan vs Barcelona, 2010

When Inter Milan drew Barcelona, it looked like a mismatch. Barcelona were the holders of the trophy and were looking to become the first team to retain the Champions League. On the other hand, Jose Mourinho was never truly appreciated in Italy being the only foreign manager in Serie A back then.

First Leg – Inter Milan 3-1 Barcelona

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(Video Courtesy – TehFuriousD TV YouTube Channel)

The first leg started with Barcelona dominating possession like they were used in the two years under Pep Guardiola till then. It led to the opening goal for the visitors as left-back Maxwell’s cross was ably finished by Pedro which was his 20th goal of the season.

Inter Milan woke up right after that and took the fight to Barcelona. Playing the Barcelona way, but Jose Mourinho’s version of it, the Nerazzurri pressed high up the pitch and having players with work-rates such as Thiago Motta and Esteban Cambiasso in midfield definitely helped while the tireless Diego Milito acted as the first defender up top.

This deprived Barcelona’s orchestrator Xavi of any time on the ball and led to a sharp dip in service for Messi, who was left isolated. Inter Milan’s off-the-ball work was outstanding as they did not allow Barcelona to get into threatening positions and in return attacked on the counter.

This display of famed Italian solidarity, dogged resistance and tactical shape paid rich dividends as former Barcelona marksman Samuel Eto’o combined with Milito to set up Wesley Sneijder who brought the scores level. After the break, Messi was dispossessed inside his own half and Milito set up Maicon to put the Italian side in front.

Milito finally got on the scoresheet himself on the hour mark to give a two-goal cushion for Jose Mourinho’s side. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar stood tall to help Inter withstand a late siege from the Spanish side and Jose Mourinho became the first manager to win a game with a two-goal margin against Pep Guardiola since the latter took over at Barcelona.

Second Leg – Barcelona 1-0 Inter Milan

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(Video Courtesy – TehFuriousD TV YouTube Channel)

The stage was set for the second leg as everyone anticipated a relentless Barcelona attack trying to break open the steely Inter defence. The match followed this expected pattern as Blaugrana launched attack after attack, only to be met by some top-notch old-school defending from the visiting side.

The dismissal of Thiago Motta appeared to be a harsh decision and Motta’s man-handling of Sergio Busquets, the player who got fouled, increased the temperature further. Barcelona cranked up the pressure soon after but could not break the deadlock.

Inter were happy to let Barcelona play in front of them without ever threatening to get behind the defence and the Catalans were instantly dispossessed in case of a breach of their defence. As the Italian side looked set to progress, Gerard Pique, shifted to the centre-forward role, scored a wonderful turn and shoot goal that erupted the stadium and Barcelona pushed on with confidence to score another that would see them progress on the away goals rule.

Celebrations began when Bojan Krkic found the roof of the net in injury time but they were short-lived as the referee disallowed the goal as Yaya Toure was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up. The ending of the match sparked a celebratory run from Jose Mourinho across the pitch and the Portuguese eventually went on to beat Louis van Gaal’s Bayern Munich in the final to leave a worthy legacy in Italy.

#3 Liverpool vs Chelsea, 2008

Liverpool and Chelsea contested in their third semi-final in four years in 2008 in what was one of the best rivalries in the Champions League at that point of time. Unlike the previous two times, where Liverpool had the second-leg at home, Chelsea had the second-leg at home for a change as they were itching to avenge the previous two semi-final defeats.

First Leg – Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

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(Video Courtesy – Alfie Hornby YouTube Channel)

The match started like a chess game with both teams unwilling to yield any tactical advantage for the opposition. The hosts slowly got into the game and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech ensured the match remains goalless as he dealt with poor finishing and control from Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt respectively.

Kuyt was, however, not to be denied as he scored just before half-time after a Javier Mascherano miskick to put the Reds in front. Liverpool came out strong in the second-half but were unable to test Cech significantly. Meanwhile, Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina was called into action in the 66th minute to deal with a Michael Ballack header and was later helped out by Javier Mascherano, who made a crucial tackle on Florent Malouda.

However, Liverpool’s defensive solidarity served them well and then Petr Cech was forced into two superb saves to deny Steven Gerrard and Torres towards the end. There was a twist in the tale as left-back John Arne Riise, who came on for an injured Fabio Aurelio in the second-half, headed Salomon Kalou’s cross into his own net to give Chelsea a major boost heading into the second leg and very likely was the main reason why the Norwegian was sold later on.

Second Leg – Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool

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(Video Courtesy – JustFootball YouTube Channel)

The second leg began with Liverpool deciding to soak up the pressure while Chelsea, on the back of a superb win against title contenders Manchester United, started the game in a better fashion and ultimately went in front through Didier Drogba in the first half.

The second-half saw the Reds come out sharper and Dirk Kuyt forced a save off Cech. As Chelsea sat deeper, Gerrard started to dictate play and eventually, Rafa Benitez’s side found a way with Yossi Benayoun setting up Torres who obliged to score Liverpool’s first goal at Stamford Bridge in 841 minutes of action.

This took the match into extra-time and Chelsea got in front with Frank Lampard scoring an expert penalty and later Drogba doubled their advantage seven minutes later. The match looked set for Chelsea but Ryan Babel had other ideas as he scored from 35 yards out in the 117th minute to set up a tense finale.

The biggest point in the match was Lampard’s penalty, followed by an emotional celebration as this was the first time he was playing since the passing of his mother six days back. Chelsea team-mate Joe Cole said afterwards: “To even be able to play, put in the performance he did, step up and take the penalty and score - I just can't put it into words what I think about Frank. I have known Frank for a long time and I know what kind of a fella he is.”

Chelsea held on to the crowd’s delight and finally beat their nemesis for once at the semi-final stage. Chelsea eventually lost on penalties to Manchester United in the final and had to wait four more years to win the trophy in 2012.

#2 Manchester United vs. AC Milan, 2007

When Manchester United drew AC Milan in the semi-finals of 2007, AC Milan were a world-class team who were looking to avenge the 2005 final loss to Liverpool in the greatest Champions League final of all time. On the other hand, for United, this was the beginning of consistency in the Champions League.

First Leg – Manchester United 3-2 AC Milan

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(Video Courtesy – GugaTV YouTube Channel)

Manchester United made a brisk start with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring in the 5th minute from a Ryan Giggs cross and was the livelier side in the opening exchanges. However, Milan had Kaka in the form of his life as he was a thorn in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side which was missing three of its first-team defence in Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

The Brazilian equalised in the 22nd minute as beat Edwin van der Sar after Clarence Seedorf set him up. Kaka then put Milan ahead before half-time as he made the most of a defensive mess to score.

United were not done however and kept pressing on with Kaka missing an opportunity to complete his hat-trick. At the other end, Rooney did not miss as he completed a superb move to bring the Red Devils back into the game in the 59th minute.

The goal lifted the home side and they pushed on for a third but were thwarted by Dida until the dying minutes when Wayne Rooney scored one of his best ever goals with a terrific finish from the edge of the box to beat Dida at the near post and send the crowd into raptures.

Second Leg – Milan 3-0 Manchester United

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(Video Courtesy – GugaTV YouTube Channel)

Unlike the first leg, Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan were at it from the start and accompanied by rain, they left their visitors awestruck. It was once again Kaka who scored early to reach double digit figures in the competition for the season.

Later, a catastrophic back-pass from Gabriel Heinze to Vidic led to Andrea Pirlo winning the ball and it eventually led to Seedorf scoring a wonderful goal to put the Italian side two goals in front. If United were hoping for a repeat of the 1999 semi-final against Juventus, it was not meant to be.

Manchester United barely tested Milan for the entire game as Ronaldo, Giggs and Rooney failed to get into the game and their midfield was outclassed by Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso, who celebrated a crunching tackle on Ronaldo with a fist pump in the second-half showing his side’s control and domination.

The tie was finished once Alberto Gilardino raced away from Massimo Ambrosini’s pass to score the third and secure their passage to a repeat of the 2005 final against Liverpool. Milan won the final and Kaka, who was outstanding in the semi-final as well as in the entire year won the Ballon d’Or for his performances and is the last player to win the coveted award before the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi domination began.

#1 Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012

One of the greatest European rivalries of all time, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are powerhouses in their respective leagues and their clashes have always been electric, to say the least. This contest, in particular, was a closely contested affair and one of the defining matches in their rivalry.

First Leg – Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid

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(Video Courtesy – TehFuriousD TV YouTube Channel)

Despite the rapturous crowd at the start of the match, it was the visitors who started strongly as Karim Benzema forced a good save off Manuel Neuer. Their dominance did not end in a goal and Franck Ribery scored from a Toni Kroos corner to put the Bavarian club in front.

Cristiano Ronaldo had an off-night for the visitors but was involved in the equaliser as his pull-back was tapped home by Mesut Ozil to bring Madrid level despite Bayern continuing to threaten. Bayern marksman Mario Gomez wasted a host of chances as Madrid defenders Sergio Ramos and Pepe struggled to deal with him all game.

As the match looked set to end in a draw, Gomez finally found the target from a Philipp Lahm cross in the 90th minute to secure a last-gasp victory for Jupp Heynckes’ side and incidentally this was Gomez’s 40th goal of the season.

Second Leg – Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich (Bayern win 3-1 on penalties)

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(Video Courtesy – GugaTV YouTube Channel)

Similar to the first leg, it was Jose Mourinho’s side who started on the front foot and this time around Ronaldo was on form. He converted his 25th successive spot-kick for Madrid in the opening minutes as David Alaba was adjudged of handling the ball from Angel Di Maria’s cross. The Portuguese scored his second with a low finish in the 14th minute as Ozil set him up.

The frenetic action continued as both goalkeepers were constantly called into action and eventually Bayern levelled the aggregate when Iker Casillas could only tip Arjen Robben’s penalty to the post after first leg hero Mario Gomez was adjudged to have been pushed by Pepe.

The match became a tight affair in the second-half and eventually moved towards extra-time and then penalties as neither side were ready to give up. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a great game missed his penalty in the shoot-out, his second in Champions League knock-outs after missing against Chelsea while playing for Manchester United in the 2008 final.

However, unlike that game where United won, Neuer saved Kaka’s penalty. On the other side, Alaba and Gomez scored for Bayern before Casillas saved the penalties from Kroos and Lahm to give his side a chance. Sergio Ramos then blasted the ball over and Bastian Schweinsteiger obliged to win the tie for Die Roten and send them to the final on home soil which was won by Chelsea in a dramatic fashion.

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Edited by Staff Editor