Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will play each other for the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League title after knocking out their opponents in the two-leg semifinals this and last week.
Real were first held 2-2 by Bayern Munich in the first leg at the Allianz Arena on April 30. Back at home on Wednesday, the Spanish heavyweights trailed 1-0 until the 88th minute before Joselu scored two goals in three minutes for his side to come back and secure the victory.
Dortmund didn't have to overcome any deficit against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) since they won both legs 1-0, but their win was no less hard because their opponents hit the posts six times in the two games.
Real have won the Champions League title 14 times, much more than any other European club. The last time Dortmund made the tournament's final was in 2013, after eliminating Real in the semifinals.
Host: Li Xiang
Guests: Josh McNally, Bhargab Sarmah
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
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Repeating history in the Champions League isn't easy
The four teams for the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League semifinals were confirmed after the second-leg contests of the tournament's quarterfinals on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Real Madrid eliminated the reigning champions Manchester City after defeating them in the penalty shoot-out at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola's football philosophy again backfired.
Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Wednesday, maintaining the final hope of keeping the 2023-24 season from ending fruitless.
Paris Saint-Germain repeated what Barcelona did to them during the 2016-17 campaign, coming back from the lost first leg with a big win at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday.
Borussia Dortmund knocked out Atletico Madrid after securing a 4-2 home win at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Germany, on Tuesday. This time, they will have no Bundesliga distraction and can focus on the Champions League.
Host: Li Xiang
Guests: Josh McNally, Bhargab Sarmah
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
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Strong teams don't necessarily win in football
European clubs had gone through another three days of competition at the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Some of the heavyweights were not very happy with their performances.
For example, Arsenal were upset by Porto 1-0 in the first-leg game of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday. What's even more humiliating than the loss was that the Gunners couldn't manage a shot on target.
AC Milan suffered an unexpected loss to Rennes 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday, but at least they managed to move forward with a lesson learned: Always take your opponents seriously, no matter how big your lead is.
Two struggling powerhouses, Barcelona and Napoli, had a 1-1 draw in the Champions League. It was not the best result for either side, but not the worst either.
Inter Milan secured a close 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. They presumably could have scored more goals for a bigger lead before the second leg, but a win is a win.
Host: Li Xiang
Guests: Josh McNally, Bhargab Sarmah
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
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Have Bayern Munich lost their edge?
Bayern Munich became the poster background for the only upsetting result of the four UEFA Champions League games in the past two days as they lost to Lazio 1-0 at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, on Wednesday.
Like the way they were beaten by Leverkusen in Bundesliga four days ago, Bayern lacked energy, coordination and nearly everything to win against Lazio. It's not the end of the season or the world, but manager Thomas Tuchel must do something to wake up his players.
Manchester City secured a relatively easy win of 3-1 over Copenhagen at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Tuesday, but the two injuries they suffered in Jack Grealish and Barnardo Silva soured the victory.
It took some hard work and good luck for Real Madrid to defeat RB Leipzig 1-0 at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, on Tuesday. The epic goal by Brahim Diaz and his injury gave his side mixed feelings.
Host: Li Xiang
Guests: Josh McNally
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
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What happened on NBA trade deadline day?
When the 2023-24 NBA trade deadline fell on February 8, there were no game-changing blockbuster deals.
The New York Knicks gained the most by acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. They are now the biggest challenger to the top circle of the Eastern Conference.
The Dallas Mavericks made a good, if risky and desperate move of trading for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. If they don't achieve any breakthrough in the coming three seasons, the team will have a lot to lose.
While most teams did something, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers remained quiet, but for different reasons.
Host: Li Xiang
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
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