Who Will Make it to the Champions League Final?
by Steve Ashfield | by Steve Ashfield
So Close to Istanbul
Bwtween them, Real Madrid, Inter and Milan have won the Champions League/European Cup on 24 occasions. Manchester City are still waiting to lift the trophy but they are the favourites to win the 2022/23 Champions League title. The semi-finals take place on 9/10 and 16/17 May and they promise to be incredibly exciting matches.
- Real Madrid v Manchester City (May 9/17)
- Milan v Inter (May 10/16)
The Battle of Milan
Not since 2017 has an Italian club reached the Champions League final. The long wait is over though as Inter take on Milan in the last four of this season's Champions League. You have to go back to 2010 for the last Italian winners of Europe's top club competition. It was Inter who beat Bayern Munich that year, can they win again this season? First of all they have to win the Battle of Milan.
Inter have only lost two of their ten Champions League games this season. Both of those defeats were inflicted by Bayern Munich in the group stage. They've had the last laugh though with the Germans losing to Manchester City in the last eight. Inter probably won't be receiving any Christmas cards from Portugal this year. The knockout stages have seen them eliminate both Porto and Benfica.
Their current form isn't that great though with only two of their last ten games being won. They have played Milan twice this season and won both of them, one being a 3-0 win in the Italian Super Cup.
Milan have won this tournament on seven previous occasions. Their last win was back in 2007 and this is the furthest the Serie A club has reached since then. This season has seen them trying to recapture the glory days of the 1990s when they won this competition twice.
The group stages saw them finish second behind Chelsea to whom they lost twice. In the knockout stages, they beat Tottenham before beating Serie A leaders Napoli in the last eight. They'd love to defeat another Italian club to reach the Champions League final. This should be a tight tie and betting on under 2.5 goals in each leg may well be a winner. In current form, it's Milan who are the slight favourites to make it to Istanbul.
Another Final for Real?
Real Madrid are one tie away from their 18th appearance in the final of this competition. When they reach the final, they usually go onto win it with their last loss in a decider being 32 years ago.
They may not be winning La Liga this season but they are the world champions and the only side since Milan in 1989 and 1990 to successfully defend the Champions League title. They completed an incredible three-timer between 2016 and 2018 and again lifted the trophy last season when beating Liverpool in the final.
This season has seen them top their group and then have a rematch with Liverpool. Their hopes of another Champions League triumph didn't look good when going 2-0 down in 14 minutes in the first leg at Anfield. Never dismiss the Spaniards though and they fought back to win that game 5-2 and then defeat Liverpool 1-0 at home. The last eight again saw them up against English opposition as they beat out-of-form Chelsea with a couple of 2-0 wins. Can they beat a third English club to reach the final?
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The Odd One Out
And then there was Manchester City. The English Premier League club are chasing a treble this season but above anything they want to become Champions of Europe. City are yet to win the Champions League but if ever there was a piece to complete a jigsaw puzzle, it's Erling Haaland.
He's been in amazing scoring form all season and has scored 12 goals in the 2022/23 Champions League. That's four more than any other player has managed and he's been on the field of play for 576 minutes. Five of his goals came in the 7-1 hammering of RB Leipzig in the last 16. They've beaten three German Bundesliga clubs this season, now they head to Spain to try and dethrone Real Madrid.
Their away form in the Champions League isn't outstanding with a 4-0 win at Sevilla followed by four consecutive draws. Only one goal has been conceded from open play and they're yet to be scored against in the first half. Going to Real and getting a good result to take back to the Etihad will be their aim for the first leg. Home form in the Champions League this season has seen them win five games by an aggregate score of 20-2. Their second ever Champions League final is very much achievable.
