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Today all football fans will be glued to their screens for the first UEFA Champions League semifinal match.
Football lovers will witness a clash between Munich's "Bayern" and "Barcelona" clubs. The first match will take place in Germany, at the "Allianz" stadium. Both teams are equal and will fight only for victory.
Munich "Bayern"
Jupp Heynckes' players will have an advantage in the first match, as they will play in their fortress and in front of their own audience. The footballers who demonstrate excellent form on the national front sweep their opponents under their feet and remain the main contenders to win the title in the Champions League.
The road to the Champions League semifinals was not easy for the Bavarians. In the group stage, the "Bayern" players finished first, although "Valencia" had as many points. In the quarterfinals, the German team faced London's "Arsenal". The first match ended in an easy victory of 1-3, but at home the Bavarians suffered a defeat, however, the "Gunners" did not have enough goals.
In the quarterfinals, the current German champions met Turin's "Juventus". The winner of the pair was not clear and both teams had equal chances, but "Bayern" easily defeated the "Bianconeri" team both at home and away. Both matches ended with the same result of 2-0.
In the "Bundesliga" championship, all points are in place. The title was won by the "Bayern" players after a two-year break, who still have a 20-point lead over their closest competitors. In the last match, J. Heynckes' team crushed "Hannover" 1-6 away, which is already the third match in which the Munich team managed to crush the opponents.
We will not see Mario Mandzukic in the ranks of the German champions, who will have to miss the first match due to yellow cards, but striker in great form Mario Gomez will take his place. Surely we will not see Holger Badstuber and Toni Kroos on the bench.
"Barcelona"
About a month ago, returning from New York and back at the helm of "Barcelona," Tito Vilanova will seek only a positive result in Munich. The form of the Catalans is somewhat weaker, but they manage to achieve victories. Despite painful losses, the Barcelona team is considered a favorite, although the other side of the barricades has a different opinion.
The performance of the Spanish vice-champions in the Champions League was quite similar. They had no trouble in the group stage, although Celtic players at home managed to defeat "Blaugrana." However, in the quarterfinals, the club faced a battle with "AC Milan". In this pair, "Barcelona" was also the favorite, but the first match in Milan ended with a surprising loss of 2-0. At "Camp Nou," the "Rossoneri" team arrived with a positive result, but "Barca" did not spare the guests at home and defeated them with a score of 4-0.
In the next stage, "Barça" faced battles with the rich Paris "Saint-Germain" club. Both matches were difficult for the Catalans and they reached the semifinals only with two goals scored away. The first match ended with a result of 2-2, and the second at "Camp Nou" 1-1.
Multiple Spanish champions are likely to compete for the title from the Real Madrid players this season. The team from Catalonia, in the first place, has a 13-point lead over the closest competitors, and there are only six matches left until the end of the season. Over the weekend, T. Vilanova's players had trouble with Valencia's "Levante" team at home. At the end of the match, the only goal scorer Cesc Fabregas snatched a victory.
In the starting lineup of "Barcelona," we may not see the leader Lionel Messi, although the Argentinean went to Munich, the medics do not allow the striker to play at full strength. In the duel, we certainly will not see central defender Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, and suspended Adriano. Eric Abidal, who returned after a long break, was included in the application.
The last four meetings between them:
"Barcelona" 2 - 0 "Bayern" (Friendly match, 2011)
"Bayern" 1 - 1 "Barcelona" (Champions League, 2009)
"Barcelona" 4 - 0 "Bayern" (Champions League, 2009)
"Bayern" 0 - 1 "Barcelona" (Friendly match, 2007)
Predicted starting line-ups:
Portal "Eurofootbal.lt" friends' predictions:
Mantas Katleris: "Bayern" 2 - 1 "Barcelona"
Paulius Ambrazevičius: "Bayern" 2 - 1 "Barcelona"
Paulius Jakelis: "Bayern" 3 - 1 "Barcelona"
Valdas Dambrauskas: "Bayern" 2 - 0 "Barcelona"
Artūras Rimkevičius: "Bayern" 2 - 1 "Barcelona"
Gediminas Reklaitis: "Bayern" 3 - 1 "Barcelona"
Tomas Langvinis: "Bayern" 1 - 1 "Barcelona"
"Eurofootball.com" prediction: The match between these European giants is unusual. Both clubs will fight only for victory. "Bayern" will seek revenge for 2009 when "Barcelona" humiliated them in the Champions League. The match promises to be productive, and the home team will win by a score of 3-2.
