It is down to the final four in the Champions League this season. There has already been some high-level drama along the way. What more is there to come? We are really at the business end of the tournament now.
There is still a possibility of a one-nation final to come as well (Tottenham v Liverpool). Barcelona are looking for their fourth Champions League title. Ajax and Spurs have have both fought off underdog statuses to get this far.
Here we take a look at the two semi-final ties that are coming up. Which way do the bookmakers think they are going to swing?
Barcelona v Liverpool Preview
What a tie this could end up being. The action is at the Nou Camp for the first leg on Wednesday, May 1st before the return at Anfield a week later on the 7th. The leading bookmakers have Barcelona at 7/10 to win the home leg. In the To Qualify market, it is the Catalans who are 8/13 odds-on to prevail.
Barca’s mighty home form
Barcelona have such a stunning home record in Europe. In the quarterfinals, they tore Manchester United to shreds. Their home record against English sides is now W21 D11 L2 following that 3-0 success over the Red Devils at the Nou Camp. The Spaniards are undefeated in 31 home games in the Champions League, winning 28 of those.
Barca have won their last thirteen knockout phase home games as well. That’s what Liverpool are up against. Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the Champions League this season with ten goals on the board too. As good as their home form is, there are cracks in Barcelona’s away game. Their victory at Old Trafford in the last round was their first victory in seven away knockout stage fixtures. Barca scored just two goals in those seven away games.
Can Reds survive Nou Camp trial?
Liverpool know that their big chance will be back on home soil. So they are going to have to show some defensive power at the Nou Camp in the first leg. The Reds had an easy time of things against Porto in the quarterfinals, easing through without breaking too much of a sweat. However, it has been a very tough campaign for Jurgen Klopp’s men. They faced Napoli and PSG in the Group Stage. Then it was Bayern Munich the round of sixteen.
The Reds did have a poor time of things in the group stage away from home. They lost all three games. So they looked in trouble in the round of sixteen against Bayern Munich after having tied the first leg 0-0 at Anfield. But Liverpool came up big in Germany with a 3-1 road success. Liverpool have lost five of their last eleven European games now. Each of those five defeats were outside of England, including their Champions League Final defeat last season against Real Madrid.
Previous Head to Head
Liverpool have triumphed in the three previous two-legged contests against Barcelona. They are 6/5 To Qualify from this one. The Reds are W2 D2 in their four previous trips to the Nou Camp and hold a W3 D3 L2 record against Barcelona in their previous matches.
Barcelona’s record against English opponents is W35 D21 L18
Liverpool’s record against Spanish opponents is W14 D12 L12
Previous European Semi Final experiences
Ajax W6 L2
Barcelona W7 L8
Liverpool W8 L2
Tottenham W0 L1
Tottenham v Ajax Preview
How many people would have had either one of these pegged for a semi berth this season? It has been a remarkable journey for both of them. The first leg of the tie is at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 30th. The reverse fixture comes from Amsterdam on May 8th. Spurs are 10/11 odds on with leading bookmakers to win the first leg. Punters can take an early price of 10/11 on either one of them To Qualify.
Tottenham’s rocky road
Tottenham only took one point from their opening three group stage games. So the fact that they are here in the semifinals is remarkable enough. It was a dramatic draw in their final group stage game at the Nou Camp against Barcelona (who had already won the group), which was enough for Tottenham to squeeze their way through to the round of sixteen with.
But then they really came to life. They powered their way past Borussia Dortmund in emphatic style in the first knockout stage. That really was the turning point of their European season. It put them into that epic all-English quarter-final tie against Manchester City. Spurs were underdogs for that tie. However, a superb home performance in the first leg saw them take a 1-0 lead to the Etihad.
That return game saw Manchester City produce a 4-3 win on a night of dramatic twists. Tottenham’s third goal needed a VAR review, which was still debatable, and then Man City thought they had won the tie with a late strike from Raheem Sterling. The Etihad erupted, only to be brought crashing back down to earth as the goal was ruled out for offside. City were eliminated in an astonishing fashion on away goals.
Ajax take down giants
Ajax also had a tremendous journey. It started back in the qualifying rounds. In the main stage of the draw, they couldn’t quite get the better of Bayern Munich in the group stage. Ajax finished second behind the Germans. That put them through to a round of sixteen tie against Real Madrid, the reigning Champions. Ajax were heavy underdogs for the tie and they looked doomed after a 2-1 home loss in the first leg. Then came a stunning result. The Dutch team put on a show to win 4-1 at the Bernabeu, ending the three-year European reign of Los Merengues.
There was another giant in front of them in the quarterfinals, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus. Ajax again failed to win at home in the first leg, giving up an away goal in a 1-1 tie. But then they came up with another superb display of exciting, confident football to fight back from being a goal down in Turin to get a deserved 2-1 success on the night to win through. How much further can this exciting young Dutch team go? Will having the second leg advantage at home tip the tie in their favour?
Previous Head to Head
There have only been on the one previous meeting between the two clubs. That was in the 1981/82 European Cup Winners’ Cup first round when Spurs won 6-1 on aggregate.
Spurs’ record against Dutch opponents: W9 D5 L3
Ajax’s record against English opponents: W7 D7 L8
