The 2025 Champions League is at the semi-final stage and four big name clubs are dreaming of glory in the final on 31st May in Munich, but there will be no sign of Bayern at the showcase, and Vincent Kompany’s team isn’t the only giant to have fallen by the wayside.
The Premier League mega-clubs of Manchester City and Liverpool both bowed out earlier than expected and they were followed by Real Madrid, who were dumped out of the tournament by Arsenal while Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich went out to Inter Milan.
Despite being the clear tournament favourites, according to the Champions League 2025 betting odds, Manchester City flopped in the group league stage, finishing 22nd and that landed them a play-off knockout match against Real Madrid. The Sky Blues were always on the back foot after such a mediocre set of Champions League 2025 results and the clash with Los Blancos coincided with City’s form falling off a cliff. After dominating their home leg Pep Guardiola’s side conceded two very late goals to lose 3-2, and that had become a theme for the Premier League champions who were on a run of squandering leads in all competitions.
They had an uphill battle at the Santiago Bernabeu and City were blitzed by a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick as Los Blancos won 3-1 and coasted through to the Round of 16. But the Premier League side were without key players in all areas of the pitch, striker Erling Haaland was missing, midfield lynchpin Rodri is out for the season and defender John Stones picked up an injury, eight minutes into the second leg.
Liverpool lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 and they can have few complaints after they handed back a one goal lead they snatched away from the Parc des Princes. PSG had 70 per cent possession and had 27 shots to Liverpool’s two; but the Reds’ only shot on target won the first game as Harvey Elliot scored in the 87th minute. With an advantage to take back to Anfield the Premier League leaders failed to get on the front foot and the Parisiens fought back with a goal from Ousmane Dembele to take the game to penalties.
You have to feel sorry for striker Darwin Nunez, who has struggled to make an impact this term, as he missed a penalty in the shootout, but he was not alone as Curtis Jones also failed to convert and PSG ran out 4-1 winners. If Liverpool coach Arne Slot had his time again surely he would have encouraged his team to take the initiative on home soil and maybe he would have taken Nunez out of the firing line…but hindsight makes things too easy sometimes.
After Carlo Ancelotti’s side had seen off the pre-tournament favourites they navigated a tricky Madrid derby in the Round of 16, beating Atletico on penalties but then they came unstuck in the final eight. Los Blancos simply collapsed against Arsenal at the Emirates as they were undone by two exceptional free-kicks from Declan Rice and took a 3-0 deficit back to the Emirates. Ancelotti admitted, after starting strongly, his team weakened physically and mentally after the Rice double, and the Gunners took full advantage as Mikel Merino added a third. Back in Madrid Los Blancos started strongly again but saw a penalty overturned and, again, their heads seemed to drop as they eventually lost 2-1 and 5-1 on aggregate. Ancelotti was philosophical after the match, saying: “Arsenal defended very well. We found it difficult to find spaces. We have done very well in the last seasons but this year we have had to suffer. Things haven’t gone as expected but, in sport, it can happen because there are no unbeatable teams.”
In the other high profile quarter final tie Inter were simply too strong for Bayern Munich and, after taking a 2-1 lead away from Bavaria, they saw the game out with a 2-2 draw back in Milan as the Bundesliga leaders simply struggled to impose themselves on the Italians. Every time Kompany’s team got into the game I Nerazzurri hit back and Bayern’s defence was too easily undone, as Lautaro Martinez and former Munich star Benjamin Pavard saw Inter through to the semi-finals.
So with those four big guns long gone the title will be won by one of Barcelona, Inter Milan, PSG or Arsenal and every one of these proud clubs have good reason to believe they can make it. Barcelona are the SBOTOP favourites but they face a tough test against Inter, while you shouldn’t take your eyes off the clash between Arsenal and PSG.
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