Tuesday night was not the best night for soccer fans. Sure there were some great goals considering a total of 9 goals were scored in just two Champion League match-ups. But there was no great stories. Two underdog clubs Porto and Paris St. Germain had their dreams of glory dashed by two historically dominant titans of football, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, respectively.
But for soccer fans there is some saving grace. A potential matchup between Bayern Munich and Barcelona. This Friday we will see the draw or the semifinals and though a Bayern-Barca final would be ideal, Real Madrid could easily act as spoiler for one of those teams were they to draw them for the semis.
Not only would the match-up be two juggernauts pitted against each other, it would be a matchup of Pep Guardiola’s old team, that he led to two Champions League trophies and three La Liga championships in just four years, and his new team that has been very successful in the Bundesliga. The teams have not played each other in a non-friendly match yet.
Since Guardiola’s departure from Barcelona the team has done well, but by no measure were they as dominant as they were under Guardiola. Bayern Munich fans have high expectations for Guardiola and winning a Bundesliga championship last year and likely again this year is not enough.
Barcelona is also likely to win their league as well. So both of these teams’ fans look to Champions League as the defining moment. And both of these teams are at their best. Bayern Munich’s 6-1 rout of Porto was surgical with each of their top players in top form. Barcelona’s 5-1 aggregate win over Paris St. Germain was no slouch either, proving they are consistently dominant.
All of this could lead to a stunning final, but we’ll settle for a semi-final if it means we can see them play.