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The Champions League is inarguably a competition that most players dream of winning at least once in their lifetime. Only some players get the opportunity to experience the same. While a few of them grab the opportunity with open hands, others fail to do the same.
Some players have been very consistent in Champions League
Reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League is no mean feat as it takes a grueling Round of 16 and a quarter-final tie to get there. Despite all of this, great players always step up to the task and perform for their side when the going gets tough.
On that note, let's take a look at five players with most appearances in the Champions League semi-finals.
#5 Thomas Muller- 15
Thomas Muller may have played his first UCL semi-final more than a decade ago but the German has not aged one bit since then. He still has the same quality and energy and holds the ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck.
An excellent operator behind the striker, Muller connects the midfield and the frontline brilliantly while also dictating play at times. His defensive work is also underrated as he is always pressing from the front.
He has won two Champions League titles in his career but has made 15 appearances in the competition's semi-finals.
The German could have made it 17 this season if Bayern Munich had not been knocked out by Villarreal in the quarter-finals.
#4 Sergio Ramos- 16
Sergio Ramos was a key part of the Real Madrid team that would regularly compete at the highest level in the Champions League in the last 15 years.
His goals in key moments also secured crucial victories for Los Blancos, including his injury-time equalizer in the 2014 UCL final. But the Spaniard has been sensational in the semi-finals as well and has played at that stage 16 times in his career.
Although he had moments of indiscipline in him, Ramos would always show up for his side during the penultimate stage of the competition.
The Paris Saint-Germain star will be aiming to increase his appearances in the UCL semi-finals next season, especially if he remains fit throughout the campaign.
#3 Xavi Hernandez- 16
Xavi is currently orchestrating a rebuild at Barcelona but his time there as a player warrants his status as a club legend. A one-club man, the Spaniard is often regarded as one of the greatest central midfielders in football history.
The passing genius had an eye for a goal but his main asset was his ability to control the tempo of the game and dictate the play. He produced similar performances in the Champions League, especially in the knockout stages.
So it should not come as a surprise that the midfielder has made 16 appearances in the semi-final round of the competition.
An absolute gem for Barcelona, Xavi will hope to get his club deep into the UCL next season once the Blaugrana side ensure qualification to the competition.
#2 Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso, throughout his 17-year career in the game, performed magnificently in the UCL. The central midfielder played in the Champions League for Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, which are 3 out of the 4 most successful teams in the tournament's history.
Alonso has also won the competition twice, including as part of Liverpool's historic comeback in the 2005 final against AC Milan. But the midfielder was unlucky not to get to more finals as he managed to make 17 semi-final appearances in the UCL.
Moreover, it was not for a lack of trying since he would give his all in the big games in both phases of the pitch.
A massive star in his own right, Alonso will go down as one of the greatest midfielders in UCL history.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo- 21
Cristiano Ronaldo is an absolute phenomenon and the 37-year-old star has proven his quality time and again in the Champions League.
The Real Madrid and Manchester United legend has 140 UCL goals to his name and he could only increase that number over the next couple of years. But the timing of his goals puts him in the elite category of footballers.
Ronaldo is sensational in the knockout stages of Europe's premier competition and always remains fit for the big games. So it is no co-incidence that he has made 21 appearances in the semi-finals of the UCL while having scored 13 times in that period.
Ronaldo's records in the UCL are beyond unthinkable and the centre-forward will go down as arguably the greatest player in the competition's history.
