The 2023 UEFA Champions League quarter finals concluded, with teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and AC Milan triumphing over Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Benfica and Napoli, respectively. As a result, the winning teams will now participate in the Champions League 1/2 finals.
According to the Champions League 1/2 final draw, Real Madrid will lock horns against Manchester City, and Inter will take on AC Milan across two legs on May 9, 10, 16 and 17, respectively.
Quick Overview of 1/4 Matches
Manchester City vs Bayern Munich
This contest was expected to go down to the wire as two of the best teams in Europe were competing against each other. But City settled things in the first leg at home itself as they registered a commanding 3-0 win. Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland got on the scoresheet as the Citizens took a heavy lead heading into the second leg.
Bayern tried their best in the second leg, but it wasn’t enough, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Haaland scored again for City, whereas Joshua Kimmich converted a penalty to achieve Bayern’s only goal across the two legs. As a result, Manchester City won on 4-1 aggregate and made their way to the UEFA Champions League 1/2 final.
Benfica vs Inter Milan
Benfica had surprised one and all with their consistent performances throughout the league, and they were expected to put up a strong fight against Inter Milan at home as well. Instead, they lost the match by a 2-0 scoreline, with Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku scoring for Inter, which proved all Champions League score predictions for this game wrong.
Things looked even tougher as they headed to Italy for the second leg, but Benfica came roaring back with a superb performance. They netted three goals courtesy of Aursnes, Silva, and Musa in hopes of making a comeback, but Inter scored as many goals in the match to win the quarterfinals on a 5-3 aggregate. Benfica won hearts, but their journey this time ended at this stage. Inter, on the other hand, made it to the semifinals.
Real Madrid vs Chelsea
This was a drab one-sided contest, with Real Madrid dominating both legs of the match. Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio scored at Santiago Bernabeu to give the Los Blancos a much-needed two-goal lead in the first leg at home. Chelsea looked completely lackluster in that match, so fans were expecting a better outing when they played at Stamford Bridge in the second leg.
However, Real Madrid outclassed the Blues again, this time at their den. Rodrygo put on a masterclass as he scored a brace to help them beat the Blues by a 2-0 scoreline once again. As a result, a 4-0 aggregate helped Real Madrid move to the semifinals and knocked Chelsea out of the 2023 Champions League.
AC Milan vs Napoli
This was the only match of the quarterfinals where both teams fought hard. Milan managed a 1-0 win courtesy of a goal from Ibrahim Bennacer in the first leg at home. Napoli also created many chances and continuously tested the Milan defence but couldn’t score.
Napoli did find the back of the net in the second leg, with their talisman Victor Osimhen leading the way, but Milan striker Olivier Giroud equalized it. The second leg ended in a 1-1 draw, but Milan progressed to the next stage as they had won on a 2-1 aggregate across the two legs.
Forecast for the Upcoming Semi-finals
Real Madrid vs Manchester City
Both teams have been forced to reckon with in this Champions League season. While Real Madrid have been rock-solid in defence, Manchester City’s rampaging attack has been difficult to contain for all teams. So, the two sides will test each other’s strengths across the two legs. But bookies are favouring Manchester City to win the first leg with odds of 27/20, even though it is an away fixture for them.
City are expected to be even more lethal in the home fixture, but the events of the first leg will set the tone for the all-important second leg. Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Rodri are in excellent form, and City will be banking on them to deliver again. Much will depend on how Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and others perform for Real Madrid. But things will be pretty challenging for Los Blancos against a force like Manchester City.
AC Milan vs Inter
This Milan derby is expected to be a riveting contest as both teams are quite on par with each other regarding strength and overall balance in the squad. It’s pretty tough to predict who will emerge as the winner after the two legs, but bookies are tipping Inter to win the first leg with Champions League 2023 odds of 15/8.
AC Milan have been in good defensive form, but their offence has underlying problems, which could be an issue for them in such a crucial encounter. On the other hand, Inter has a well-functioning attack with players like Lukaku, Lautaro Martínez and Nicolo Barella in excellent form. So, it won’t be a surprise if Inter ace both legs and make their way to the final because that’s how bookies have got their UEFA Champions League predictions for this encounter.
Conclusion
This Champions League season has been an exciting campaign that has kept us hooked to our television sets and streaming devices. We have the final four teams now, and they are also expected to produce quality battles in the coming month to claim the ultimate glory. While all four 2023 Champions League teams have proven their worth this season, Manchester City and Inter have the best chances of making it to the grand finale, according to our Champions League prediction.
FAQ
Which teams will play in the Champions League 2023 semi-finals?
Manchester City, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan are set to lock horns in the semifinals.
What is the Champions League 2023 schedule for the 1/2 finals?
Real Madrid and Manchester City will lock horns in the first and second leg on May 9 and 17, respectively. Inter and AC Milan will take on each other on May 10 and 16, respectively.