European soccer’s race to Cardiff, Wales, has entered the home stretch.
The UEFA Champions League semifinal draw was held Friday, with the final four teams remaining learning their semifinal fates.
🇪🇸 Real Madrid v Atlético 🇪🇸#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/5ha6SzEr88
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 21, 2017
🇫🇷 Monaco v Juventus 🇮🇹#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/nUBip6E9Lj
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 21, 2017
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid is the marquee matchup, as the crosstown rivals met in the Champions League finals in 2014 and 2016. Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid in extra time in 2014 and on penalty kicks in 2016.
0 – In the @ChampionsLeague @realmadrid never lost a match vs @Atleti (2 wins, 2 draws). Favourite. pic.twitter.com/2fBqdLFsDE
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 21, 2017
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid will be the first teams to face each other in four straight Champions League knockout stages.
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) April 21, 2017
Juventus and Monaco aren’t as familiar. They’ve met twice in the Champions League, with Juventus winning in the 1998 semifinal and the 2015 quarterfinals.
2017 Champions League semifinal schedule
Real Madrid will host Atletico Madrid on May 2 in the first leg. Atletico Madrid will host the second leg May 10.
Juventus and Monaco will open their series May 3 in Turin, Italy. The second leg will take place in Monaco on May 9.
The winners will meet June 3 in Cardiff in the Champions League final.
Champions League predictions
Real Madrid and Juventus are the early picks to progress to the final, per FiveThirtyEight.
Soccer Power Index projections for the Champions League semis & title. A toss-up between Real Madrid & Juventus. (via @FiveThirtyEight) pic.twitter.com/dnExIreEnP
— Paul Carr (@PaulCarr) April 21, 2017
No team has successfully defended its title in the Champions League era (since 1992) as Real Madrid is attempting to do.
Thumbnail photo via YouTube/UEFA.tv
