Champions League: Who will be the champion?

(Baonghean.vn) - The second leg of the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League has come to an end. Among the four teams that have qualified for the next round, including Real, Atletico, Monaco and Juventus, the Italian football representative is the team that has made the strongest impression.

“Hot” thanks to…the referee!

If the referee Eriksson's "blowing the whistle" to award the home team a penalty in the first leg of the quarter-final between Atletico and Leicester City was the "fire starter", then the serious mistakes of the referee team in the second leg of the quarter-final between Real and Bayern at Bernabeu fanned that fire, causing public opinion and the media to "storm" continuously.

Referee Kassai is partly to blame for Bayern's defeat

In fact, the “Gray Tigers” came to the away field with very high spirits and in fact they played better than the home team in most of the match when they scored first, dominated the game, and maintained the game. But those efforts had to “admit defeat” when referee Kassai seemed to have intentionally “broken the whistle”. A red card fell from the sky for Bayern’s Vidal to completely reverse the game, two goals in an offside position by Ronaldo, acquitting the red card for Real’s Casermiro… It was those wrong decisions that caused Bayern to completely collapse, having to accept a bitter 2-4 defeat and having to leave the race with a final loss of 3-6.

Is it true that football is no longer a simple sport, when those distorted whistles always bring advantages to the representatives of La Liga? In the round of 16 this season, Barca also made history thanks to the strong intervention of the referee to have a "crazy" comeback against PSG, after losing 0-4 in France. Obviously, the role and meaning of being a bridge connecting and exchanging cultures of the "King of Sports" has been "killed" by such money-smelling matches.

The throne is called Juventus!

The question is: Of the four semi-finalists (Atletico, Real, Monaco and Juventus), which team is more deserving of this year's title? Obviously, neutral fans will turn their eyes to the "Old Lady" of Italy.

This is the 7th consecutive time Real has reached the semi-finals and set the longest record in the history of the tournament. Their brightest star Ronaldo also set a super record when he was the first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League. But their way into history is not convincing. Even if coach Zidane's army goes to the final match, no one can be sure that they will win the championship because the "Champions League curse" - No team has ever successfully defended the championship title" is still effective.

Atletico reached the semi-finals in three of the last four Champions League seasons

Meanwhile, the “great runner-up” Atletico still proved to be a formidable opponent. This is the third time in four years that Diego Simeone and his team have qualified for the round of 4. But in reality, they are not as strong as in previous seasons. Against “small” Leicester, they had to struggle to qualify thanks to a minimal win thanks to the referee’s help and a disappointing draw in England. If they continue to play like this, no one will dare to put their hopes on them again.

Precise, powerful, and fast are the words that can describe Monaco's attacking power this season. That helped the French representative easily crush Borussia Dortmund and win a ticket to the Champions League semi-finals with a 6-3 victory. They also have a pretty good squad with the revived "tiger" Falcao and the "prodigy" Mbappe... But their chances of winning the championship are not high because their defense is too vulnerable - in the past 10 matches, Monaco has conceded 17 goals.

Juventus are flying high in the Champions League this season

What about Juventus? They have emerged as the top candidate for the Champions League title this season. It is important to note that keeping a clean sheet against the attacking power of Barca with the "Atomic Trio MNS" is not something every team can do. But the "Old Lady" has performed excellently, even at the sacred Now Camp - where Enrique's Barca has never lost.

Not only did the “Old Lady” keep a clean sheet for 180 minutes, but they also defeated the “giant” 3-0. The defensive-counterattacking style of Italian football, with a balanced force, a united team and a strong desire to be king after 21 years of waiting,… is the “key” to the success of the reigning Serie A champion.

Obviously, Juventus is becoming different and superior to the three remaining opponents in the semi-finals. Therefore, many people think that any team facing Juventus at this time will easily become a victim like Barca. And if the referee does not "do wrong", the title of Champions League this season will hardly slip out of the hands of "The Old Lady".

KIM THUY