UCL: Greatest Champions League semi-finals
Let's take a look at some of the greatest Champions League semi-finals.
With the 2023 Champions League semi-finals just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to look back at some legendary matches at this stage of the competition.
From AC Milan to Manchester United and Didier Drogba to Zinedine Zidane, iconic clubs and players have come of age and built their modern mythology in these matches. However, which games were the best?
AC Milan v Monaco - 1994
The Champions League was still a very different competition when it officially changed its name from the European Cup in the earlier part of the 1990s.
In this game against Monaco, Milan went up early through Marcel Desailly but suffered a significant setback when Alessandro Costacurta was sent off after 40 minutes. However, they were determined not to let their advantage slip. In the end, they only held their lead but also added to it with further strikes in the second half. The season would only get better for Milan. In the final, they thrashed Barcelona 4-0. They are still regarded as one of the greatest sides ever.
Juventus v Manchester United - 1999
This was Roy Keane's finest match for Manchester United as he helped drag his time to the 1999 Champions League final. They will be forever remembered for their 2-1 comeback victory in that final against Bayern Munich. That legendary final wasn’t the first time Man United performed the great escape act in the 1998/1999 Champions League season. Goals from Keane, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole sealed United's passage to that legendary final despite being 2-0 down in Turin.
Juventus v Real Madrid - 2003
This was a tie that featured some football icons. In no particular order, this includes Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Gianluigi Buffon, Antonio Conte, Alessandro Del Piero, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet. Despite the fact that Juventus ended up losing to AC Milan on penalties in the final, very few of their fans will ever forget this legendary match.
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Chelsea v Monaco - 2004
Another match involving Ligue Ome side Monaco. This time they successfully progressed to the final. In the first leg, they struck twice late on to leave Chelsea's Champions League hopes hanging in the balance after a 3-1 win. In the second leg, and in front of a fantastic Stamford Bridge atmosphere, the home side paid the price for missing a string of chances. Goals from Ibarra and Morientes ultimately sealed the tie for Monaco.
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Manchester United v Barcelona - 2008
This two-legged tie only saw one goal but had plenty of drama. It also represented the first time Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi faced each other in the competition. Despite missing a penalty in the first leg, Ronaldo came out on top against Messi. This was thanks to a fantastic strike from Paul Scholes. United fans created an incredible atmosphere in the last few minutes to help see the game out and confirm a trip to Moscow for an all-English final against Moscow.
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid - 2013
Another tie involving Real Madrid and another where they missed out on a spot in the Champions League final. Many Madrid fans thought they had caught a break when drawing Borussia Dortmund instead of Barcelona or Bayern Munich in the 2013 semifinals. However, it only took one leg to show the overconfident fans how wrong they were.
A four-goal masterclass by Robert Lewandowski in Dortmund left Real reeling. Cristiano Ronaldo gave his side a potential lifeline with a 43rd-minute goal. It looked like their decade-long dream of La Decima once again looked in shambles. They would rally in the second leg. Late goals from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos in the second leg in Madrid gave the home side hope, but Dortmund held on.
Ajax v Tottenham Hotspur - 2019
Very few people expected Ajax and Spurs to qualify for the 2019 semi-final. In this match, they produced one of the most dramatic and exciting European matches ever. After trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Spurs made the worst possible start in Amsterdam when Matthijs de Ligt doubled the advantage for this exciting young side. Hakim Ziyech doubled Ajax's lead on the night with a sweeping finish after an assist by former Southampton winger Dusan Tadic. At this point, Spurs needed a miracle.
Luas Moura reduced the deficit with a composed finish before the Brazilian's shot on the turn, after keeper Andre Onana had denied substitute Fernando Llorente, levelled the scores on the night and left Spurs requiring one goal to reach the final in Madrid. In a frantic finish, Moura completed his hat-trick with a left-foot shot from 16 yards deep into injury time as his side went through on away goals to reach their first Champions League final.
