With the quarter finals all over it is time that we start looking towards the latter stages of this year’s Champions League to see who will be victorious come the final in Madrid on the 1st of June. The remaining teams are Ajax and Spurs who will battle it out, and in the other tie we see Liverpool take on Barcelona. Already we have seen some spectacular games and some shocks along the way, with some European stalwarts having already been dumped out of the competition. Let’s take a look at the final 4, before football analyst Bogoljub Karic and I make our predictions for the winner.
Ajax
Ajax are giants in Europe but they haven’y achieved much in the past 20 years which is why this campaign is so impressive. The team is young and hungry and they have outstanding footballing ability. Having already overcome the likes of Roma and Juventus Ajax will most certainly be happy with a semi final against Spurs, win that and they will be waltzing into a final showdown.
Barcelona
This Barcelona side may not be the same as the team which last won this trophy in 2015 but with Lionel Messi leading the line anything can happen. Barcelona have looked very good this year and Coutinho and Suarez will be more than up for this semi final tie against their old team. Barcelona can look shaky in defence and if Liverpool’s front 3 get going then this could certainly be a goalfest. The thought of facing Spurs or Ajax in the final will be something that isn’t lost on the Barca boys and in truth their hardest challenge will be Liverpool.
Liverpool
Liverpool are neck and neck with Man City in the Premier League which may have an impact on how they play against Barca, who are home and hosed in their domestic league. The Reds can still taste the disappointment of losing to Real last year and that will no doubt give them the impetus to try and defeat Barcelona and on to the final. A second leg at Anfield is favorable and Liverpool, having played the way that they have this year, will not be scared of anyone.
Spurs
Spurs are in dreamland right now and a favorable semi-final against Ajax could be their ticket a first ever European Cup final. Spurs have a thin squad however which has been damaged by injuries, notably to their talisman Harry Kane. Spurs are still battling for a top 4 spot but you have to think that there won’t be a better chance for European success than they have right now. Spurs may be too much for Ajax if they play to their best, following that a 90 minute final could go in any direction.
Both myself and Bogoljub are agreed on our eventual winners and we both think that it will be Barcelona who beat Ajax in the final to lift the trophy and end the 3 year drought, what do you think?
