The Champions League produced a couple of scintillating quarter-finals with Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich edging classic encounters, while Paris Saint-Germain held their nerve against Liverpool and Arsenal did what they needed to against Sporting CF.
The semi-final line-up is set, with ties starting in just two weeks, but who is playing who? And who should the favourites for the competition be?
Paris Saint-Germain versus Bayern Munich
The tie you’d imagine most neutrals wish was the final – the reigning champions against this year’s favourites – arrives at the semi-final stage, but that means we get at least 180 minutes and less chance of a cagey affair.
This one is lip-lickingly tantalising.
How PSG will feel about this semi-final: Confident in their own form and, as reigning champions, in their ability to beat anyone, especially with them appearing to come nicely to the boil just as they did this time a year ago. There will, though, be apprehension at the prospect of facing Bayern.
PSG will play the first leg at home, either on April 28 or 29, with the return leg on May 5 or 6. The teams have faced each eight times this decade and PSG have won just twice. Once in the Club World Cup quarter-finals last summer and the other in a Champions League last eight in 2021 (a 3-2 win in Munich helping them through on away goals).
Otherwise, Bayern have been dominant in this fixture, beating them in the group stage in the last two seasons and in the final in 2020.
As an aside, PSG will almost certainly have to play a domestic league match against Lorient in-between the two legs. They had successfully applied for matches against Nantes and title-challengers Lens to be postponed in-between their last-16 and quarter-final ties, giving them a free weekend to rest and prepare, but with those matches now taking up the remaining free midweek slots in the coming weeks there is no other time between now and the end of the Ligue 1 season on May 16.
However, with PSG now four points clear of Lens with a game in hand they, like Bayern — and unlike the sides in the other semi-final — can clearly prioritise this tie over domestic matters.
Bayern Munich players celebrate victory in front of their fans after beating Real Madrid (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
How Bayern will feel about this semi-final: Having been pushed to the limit by the team for the Champions League in Real Madrid, Bayern have overcome a major psychological barrier in beating the Spanish giants over two magnificent games of football.
However, they now face not only another huge name in PSG, but a considerably better team.
Vincent Kompany’s side are probably favourites to win the competition and have arguably taken on PSG’s mantle from last year as the neutral’s choice. They’re stylish, great to watch, play the kind of football everyone wishes their own team did and have players anyone would pay to watch.
You’d imagine they’ll approach the semi-final as they have their previous ties against Atalanta and Real … attack is the best form of defence. We can’t wait.
Star players to watch: Take your pick from Michael Olise, Harry Kane, Luis Diaz, Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, the list goes on and on.
Prediction: With certainty, we can predict that you should cancel any plans for April 28/29 and May 5/6 and make sure you don’t miss what will surely be a classic.
As for the winner, it’s almost at toss-a-coin level, but it does feel like the trophy has Bayern’s name on it this year.
Atletico Madrid versus Arsenal
If PSG versus Bayern is a Michelin-star tasting menu, then Atletico against Arsenal is more reheated lasagna, but still offers plenty of intrigue in a tie that’s tight to predict.
How Atletico will feel about this semi-final: Into their first semi-final since 2017, Atletico are dreaming of lifting the Champions League for the first time.
Having overcome Barcelona in the quarter-finals in one of the biggest European results in the club’s history, Diego Simeone’s side will fancy their chances against just about anyone.
Arsenal may be top of the Premier League and represent a very different test to the open, attacking, risk-taking Barca side they have just beaten, but you’d imagine Simeone will be much happier facing Arsenal than any of the other semi-finalists.
Atletico did lose 4-0 at the Emirates in the group stage in October, albeit their team has evolved since then with January signing Ademola Lookman adding a new dimension to an improved attack.
Arsenal have reached a second consecutive Champions League semi-final (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
How Arsenal will feel about this semi-final: No fear, pure fire? That was what Mikel Arteta wanted to see from Arsenal in their second leg against Sporting. Instead, he got no goals and just 0.64xG from a team that appears to be lacking self belief, or at the very least attacking freedom, just as their season reaches a crucial juncture.
However, while Arsenal may have struggled past Portugal’s second-best team in Sporting, they duly progressed to a second successive Champions League semi-final. Results are all that matter now. Plus, they will have the home tie in the second leg.
The Atletico that Arsenal will face are very different to the one Simeone brought to England for the only other two-legged European tie between these teams, in the Europa League in 2018, which the Spaniards won 2-1 on aggregate in a tight, testy tie.
New Atletico are more attack-minded, but also slightly weaker defensively. Can Arsenal exploit those defensive frailties and reach just a second Champions League final? Well, as in the Premier League, if you’d offered Arsenal this position at the start of the season, i.e. beat Atletico to reach the final, they’d have been ecstatic with it.
Star player to watch: Antoine Griezmann’s final weeks in European football are a joy to watch, with the gifted Frenchman pulling the Atletico strings for Lookman and Julian Alvarez.
Prediction: The ball won’t be in play very much, Simeone and Arteta will wear black and shout at each other a lot and it won’t be a great watch. Atletico have lost their last three in La Liga, while Arsenal’s performances have fallen off a cliff. It’ll be tight but Atletico’s attacking prowess might shave it.