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.
Take your pick of what you would hope to see in a match, anything, and you will find it in this semi-final. Dynamic attacking football, capable of feats of goal scoring glory that are as likely to blow your mind as they are to cause a defender PTSD. Vibrant players that are not only the best in the world, but commanders of the kind of social media clout normally reserved for teenage boy bands traveling in a certain direction. And personal history — good lord personal history.
Pep Guardiola, the current coach of Bayern Munich, conquered the world with Barcelona so recently that the echoes of their celebrations still resound throughout the Camp Nou. The Barcelona faithful who enter that famed stadium every week — and the rest of the world that tunes in to watch — expect perfection because of Guardiola. Not because he was the first to take Barcelona to the promised land, but because he took it further than it ever had been before. When Pep Guardiola walks back into the Camp Nou, he will be walking into a reminder of what he must live up to.
In the face of such a challenge, Pep has deftly handled his appearances in front of the media with the touch of appreciating calm that we have come to expect from him.
"There's nothing bad I can say about my old club. I have great respect for them and I will never forget this match and this experience.”
"I was successful there, but I am happy to be at Munich now. But believe me, Barcelona are the strongest team."
The significance of his return is not lost on him either.
"It is indeed special for me, but also Thiago and for my staff. Barcelona was our life.”
Aside from Mario Gotze and Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Ignoring the Champions League and the possibility of a treble. This match will determine whether or not Guardiola has recreated his Barcelona dream in Germany.
Tune in on Wednesday, May 6th to see if lightening will struck twice.
