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Rediff.com  » Sports » Champions League Semis: It's Barcelona vs Bayern; Juventus vs Real

Champions League Semis: It's Barcelona vs Bayern; Juventus vs Real

Last updated on: April 24, 2015 16:46 IST
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Draw for the Champions League

A screen shows the results of the draw for the Champions League semi-finals. Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Barcelona have been drawn to play Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.

Friday's draw in Nyon, Switzerland, pitted Juventus, in their first semi-final since 2003, against Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid, the defending champions, in the other last four clash.

The first legs will be played on May 5 and 6, with the return matches a week later, on May 12 and 13.

In the Europa League, holders Sevilla face Fiorentina, while Rafael Benitez's Napoli are up against Ukraine's Dnipro.

Juventus are in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 12 years. Back in 2002-3 their semi-final opponents were also Real Madrid.

The Italian side then lost 2-1 in Madrid, but won 3-1 in Turin to set up an all-Italian final against AC Milan, which they lost on penalties at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Juventus and Real Madrid share a European history going back to 1962, when the Spanish side won the European Champions Clubs' Cup quarter-final 3-1 in a replay after each team won 1-0 away.

Their overall record is close: eight wins to Madrid, seven to Juve.

The most recent meeting between Real Madrid and Juventus, in last season's group stage, ended 2-2 - the first between the sides - at the Juventus Stadium, with Madrid having won 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu through Cristiano Ronaldo's double.

Barcelona and Bayern have met in eight previous European ties, all since 1996. Their most recent meetings came in the 2012-13 semis, when Bayern won 4-0 in Munich and 3-0 at the Camp Nou – the biggest aggregate victory in a UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Bayern also got the better of Barcelona in the 1995-96 UEFA Cup semi-finals, following a 2-2 first-leg draw in Munich with a 2-1 success at the Camp Nou.

The UEFA Europa League final will be played at the National Stadium in Warsaw on May 27, while Olympiastadion in Berlin will stage the Champions League final on June 6.

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