Champions League Semi-Finals Don’t Disappoint

I don’t know what to think about the semi-finals of the Champions League. On one hand, well, they’re the semi-finals! What’s not to like? They are usually the biggest games of the season for the teams involved (at least up to that point). But on the other hand, at least for me, they signal that the season is close to being over, which is a very sad thought indeed!

Anyway, let’s forget that now and talk about the games. On Tuesday Manchester United visited Schalke in what I thought could be a tricky fixture for the Red Devils. It turned out not to be a problem. United were superior in every way, and will take a 2-0 lead into the second leg next week with one foot already in the final. The one bright spot for Schalke was their keeper, Manuel Neuer, who showed exactly why he should be considered the top goalie in the world. He made a number of very impressive saves, and United should definitely consider him as a replacement for Edwin van der Sar, who retires at the end of the season.

Wednesday’s game was probably the more anticipated of the two semi-finals. Real Madrid and Barcelona met for the third time in the last month, but you could argue that the stakes were highest in this meeting. Emotions were also high, and there was a fight in front of the tunnel at half-time which saw Barcelona’s reserve keeper, Pinto, shown a red card. The drama did not end there. Pepe was shown a dubious red card in the second half for a challenge of Dani Alves, which then led to Jose Mourinho being sent to the stands by the ref for ranting. Messi then went on to score twice for Barcelona. His second was one for the ages. He beat five Madrid players before cooling slotting the ball home with his weak foot.

Unfortunately, the game will probably be remembered for its ugly side, and not Messi’s goal. It was an exhibition of what is wrong in the sport. Diving, acting, hacking, and heckling were the common themes. It is a huge shame, but it shows that only one thing matters: winning. Even Barcelona were willing to sacrifice their beautiful game in return for winning. (Although that statement is not entirely fair. Barca did try to play their game, whereas Madrid didn’t really even bother. But the point is still relevant: winning is everything.) And they will be laughing all the way back to Barcelona, because they did what they had to do: win. They take a 2-0 lead into the second leg (which, I should mention, is going to be quite tasty), and just like Manchester United, have one foot in the final.

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