Posted by AC Milan and Real Madrid have advanced to the semifinals of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, defeating Napoli and Chelsea in their respective two-game series. AC Milan secured their spot with a 2-0 aggregate victory over Napoli, winning the second leg in Naples after a 1-0 victory in the first game. Olivier Giroud scored the goal just before halftime, after a remarkable run by Rafael Leão.
Both AC Milan and Real Madrid are the most successful clubs in the competition’s history, with seven and 13 European Championship titles, respectively.
Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat to 14-time champions Real Madrid in the second leg of their game series held in London. Brazilian forward Rodrygo scored both goals for Real Madrid in the second half, helping them secure a 4-0 aggregate victory. This comes after Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0 in the first leg, held in the Spanish capital last week.
The remaining two quarterfinal matches of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, featuring Bayern Munich vs. Manchester City and Inter Milan vs. Benfica, will take place on Wednesday. The winners of these two matchups will join AC Milan and Real Madrid in the final four of the competition, with the semifinals scheduled to be played next month.
AC Milan’s return to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League after a long hiatus is a significant achievement for the Italian club. The team considered one of Italy’s most glamorous clubs, had not made it to the semifinals since 2007, which was also the year they last won the coveted trophy. In the intervening years, AC Milan struggled to regain its form and even failed to qualify for the tournament from 2015–2020. Top of Form
AC Milan’s recent success in the UEFA Champions League indicates that the team has made significant progress under the leadership of Stefano Pioli. Last season, despite being eliminated in the group stage, AC Milan showed promise by winning their first Serie A crown in over a decade. The team’s performance against Napoli over two legs this season demonstrates they have taken another giant leap forward.
Although Napoli dominated the play in their home stadium, AC Milan had numerous opportunities to score earlier in the game. Veteran striker Olivier Giroud missed two excellent scoring opportunities before finally converting one served by Rafael Leão. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a series of outstanding saves, including a penalty save against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia with fewer than 10 minutes remaining in the 180-minute match.
With their spot in the semifinals secured, AC Milan is now just two games away from the final, which is scheduled for June 10th in Istanbul. Unless something extraordinary happens in the second leg of the quarterfinal match between Inter Milan and Benfica, the two Milan teams will likely face each other in the semifinals. Although Inter Milan won the Italian Super Cup in January by a score of 3-0, the two teams split the season series in Serie A with one victory each. Despite this, after defeating Napoli, AC Milan is considered the favorite.
Despite the two-goal deficit, Chelsea remained optimistic after their defeat in Madrid, especially after playing much of the second half of the first leg with ten men. However, their optimism was dampened by their third straight loss under interim manager Frank Lampard over the weekend against Brighton in the Premier League. Despite having high-priced recruits, the team is struggling to function together. Ironically, Chelsea’s defeat against Real Madrid was perhaps their best showing since Lampard returned.
Chelsea has no doubt had a tough season, only scoring one goal in six games. Beating Real Madrid was a long shot for the team, and the reality is that despite their resources, the club lacks direction. The Blues need a new full-time coach and a revamped technical department to determine which players to retain and which to let go. If this doesn’t happen soon, missing out on next season’s Champions League could become a regular occurrence, similar to AC Milan’s drought.
Meanwhile, it’s important to note that while the potential Manchester City-Real Madrid semifinal matchup is highly anticipated, it’s not guaranteed yet. Bayern Munich is a formidable team and can stage a comeback, as they have in the past. However, if City and Real end up facing each other, it will clash between two football giants with star-studded lineups and world-class managers. With Haaland leading the line for City and the likes of Benzema and Rodrygo for Real, the matches promise to be enthralling and unpredictable.