Gareth Bale’s performance during Real Madrid’s loss to Juventus in the Champions League did him no favors in the seemingly never ending struggle to quite his critics. Although, according to his agent, Jonathan Barnett, that might be a struggle that everyone but Bale is concerned with.   

Gareth Bale against Juventus. pic.twitter.com/L1knymGakW

— Purely Football (@PurelyFootball) May 6, 2015

We’re going to go ahead and file this under the “Shots Fired” category. Manuel Neuer is not messing around, and that is absolutely great news, because we are hoping for nothing less than greatness as his Bayern Munich take on Barcelona in the Champions League. 

Manuel Neuer has targeted Barca’s best player in a pregame interview, saying that his side needs to show Lionel Messi “who’s boss.”

Lionel Messi has never been known to run from a challenge, and he certainly hasn’t made habit of hiding behind excuses. That disposition was on full display prior to his biggest match of the year.

The last time Messi faced Bayern Munich in a Champions League semifinal, Messi wound up on the receiving end of a 7-0 aggregate drubbing. His team was suffering from injuries then, but as he faces Bayern again, it is the German side with a laundry list of injuries.

FIFA sent this whizzing across my Twitter feed Monday morning:

Spain, Germany and Italy are all in the last four. Which country has the best #UCL semi-final pedigree? pic.twitter.com/EU3NWL0EeD

— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 4, 2015

When Bayern Munich faces off against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, it will be a clash of titans the likes of which is rarely witnessed. But, don’t expect Bayern defender Medhi Benatia to be star struck. 

Benatia has recently told Kicker magazine that while he respects the Barcelona front line of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Jr “on a personal level,” that respect won’t see the light of day during the match. 

Andrea Pirlo has come out in full admiration of his compatriot, former manager, and now rival ahead of their Champions League semi-final this Tuesday. Pirlo, known as one of the classiest men in the sport, has accredited his time under Ancelotti at AC Milan as career changing, and compared Ancelotti to a father figure. 

Sometimes world soccer feels like Penrose stairs. Shitgobs of money get passed around between a few fat-pocketed clubs, players and managers follow the cash, and it seems like nothing will ever change. It appears different, but it's the same. Around and around and around and around. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus will always be the last four in the Champions League, and then the season will end and we’ll do it all again in the fall.

…wait, Juventus?

Bayern Munich simply cannot catch a break as news broke today via Bayern’s official twitter feed that Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben are both out with injuries. 

Arjen #Robben has a tear in his left calf muscle. His season is over.

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) April 29, 2015

Bayern Munich better be afraid, very, very afraid. While they were busy losing to their arch rivals Borussia Dortmund on penalties, their upcoming opponents in the Champions League semi-finals were off destroying Getafe in La Liga. 

Borussia Dortmund are obviously much, much better than Getafe, but the staggering part of Barcelona’s 6-0 victory over Getafe is not the fact that it came against Getafe. It is the fact that it happened at all. 

The draw for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals has been made official: Bayern Munich will face Barcelona and Real Madrid will face Juventus. Both matches will undoubtedly be thrilling to watch, but the choice of the two has to be Bayern Munich against Barcelona.