The Champions League semi-finals start this week, with Manchester City facing European royalty Real Madrid and Inter Milan taking on AC Milan in a derby.
City are trying to bounce back from the heartbreak of last season’s meeting at the same stage.
They were seconds away from back-to-back finals, but Madrid scored twice in the final minute before netting an extra-time winner.
But City have Erling Haaland now.
The other game pits Inter against Milan, with both legs at their shared San Siro ground.
That has happened twice before in the Champions League, with Milan beating Inter in the 2003 semis and 2005 quarters.
So what else should we be looking out for?
Is this finally City’s year?
Manchester City comfortably got past Bayern Munich in the quarters
Manchester City have arguably been the most consistent team in Europe over the past decade not to win the Champions League.
City are closing in on a fifth Premier League title in six years and a seventh since 2011-12.
They have reached the semi-finals for the past three years – including losing the 2021 final to Chelsea – having got to the last eight for the three years before that.
But City have yet to win the European crown.
By contrast, since 2011-12 Chelsea and Liverpool have won as many Champions Leagues as Premier League titles – two and one respectively.
Pep Guardiola’s side have hit their stride at the perfect time too, with 20 games unbeaten taking them close to a first Treble by an English team since 1999.
Guardiola will hope it goes better than Liverpool’s quadruple effort last year, which saw them lose the Champions League final and miss out on the Premier League title.
Haaland’s 51 goals in 46 games have helped too, with Dixie Dean’s 63 goals for Everton in 1927-28 – the all-time single-season English goalscoring record – still very much within his grasp.
Football journalist Guillem Balague said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “His arrival has had a tsunami effect on the rest of the team.
“He is a strength when they get the ball long, he will score in the big games. He is a man for the big moments and that does affect the way Manchester City play.”
Julien Laurens said: “They have found solidity. This team has a bit more and is a bit special compared to last year.
“It feels like it is City’s year, they are going for the Treble. It just feels like there is something happening.”
Can Real do it again?
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid were far too good for Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in the last round
Something seems to happen to Real Madrid in Europe – they just come alive.
They have won five of the past nine Champions Leagues – despite only winning the Spanish league three times during that period.
In two of those triumphant campaigns they only finished third in La Liga.
That means you cannot read too much into their miserable domestic campaign, where they sit third again, 14 points off leaders Barcelona.
And they have so much experience against English teams.
This will be their sixth knockout round in a row against Premier League sides, facing Liverpool, Chelsea and City this season and last.
They have succeeded in the previous five – beating Jurgen Klopp’s side in last year’s final.
Leao’s time to shine?
Olivier Giroud acknowledged how special Rafael Leao’s assist was for him against Napoli
Most people expected Victor Osimhen to be the striker to decide the quarter-final between Napoli and Milan, but the moment of the tie belonged to Rafael Leao.
The 23-year-old Milan striker picked the ball up just outside his own box and ran nearly the whole length of the pitch before setting up Olivier Giroud for the goal that made it 2-1 on aggregate in the second leg.
He had also been one of their liveliest players in the first leg too. Not to mention the two goals he scored against the now champions in their 4-0 Serie A win earlier in April.
Portugal international Leao has really caught the eye in recent weeks and, despite a relatively modest goal haul of 13 this season, he has also created 10 goals.
“There are not many players like him in world football,” said Laurens.
Leao’s contract runs out at the end of next season – with Chelsea among his reported suitors.
Italian football journalist James Horncastle said: “I think the hierarchy at AC Milan think that you can still have a competitive team when players are on half that [salary budget].
“But they recognise that Leao is an exceptional talent and Leao has said he wants to stay. This is a deal they’ve got to get done.”
Balague added: “If he goes to Chelsea or Manchester United, what happens to him? I see a player that can thrive with the ball. He seems unstoppable and in a tighter game with higher tempo I don’t know if he’ll be as impressive.”
Leao is also a rapper, who goes by the name Way 45, and is set to release a second album this year. One of his songs has over a million views on YouTube.
“Zlatan Ibrahimovic laughed at it. He laughed at it and told me to focus on football instead,” Leao told Rolling Stone UK in a recent interview.
Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, is set to end his career without a single Champions League medal. The 41-year-old, who is expected to leave Milan this summer, is not registered in their Champions League squad as he was injured at the time they featured.
Can Lukaku step up?
Romelu Lukaku scored in Inter’s quarter-final win over Benfica
Lukaku’s return to Inter Milan has been a letdown for all concerned.
The Belgian striker won Serie A with the club in 2020-21 and was named the Serie A player of the year, before moving to Chelsea, where he had a disappointing season.
But his loan spell to Inter last summer has not rekindled his form.
He has only netted 10 goals this term, compared to 64 goals in his other two years in Italy.
What a time this would be to start a scoring spree – although the BBC Euro Leagues team are not convinced that will happen.
Laurens said: “Over the two legs against Benfica, he was very important and scored a late penalty. But he was not a starter. So Lukaku might have to watch it from the bench first and then see if he can have an impact from the bench.
“I’m not too optimistic.”
Balague said: “He’s aware he’s not the most important at the moment. Right now, he doesn’t have the confidence to do so. Where his confidence has been dented, he himself has to rebuild that, possibly at Chelsea next.”
Inter’s top scorers this season are Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko on 23 and 13 goals respectively.
Horncastle added: “Lukaku didn’t fit in at Chelsea and it’s the same system at Inter. He’s had injuries and a World Cup in the middle and the management of him hasn’t helped as they have flipped between him and Dzeko.”
