Eternal semifinalist

Madrid lives a second youth in the competition that feeds its legend. JIt will play its tenth Champions League semi-final in the last 12 years. A streak that did not reach even its golden age at the dawn of the competitionwhen he won six titles, but on four occasions his path was cut short before reaching the semi-finals. Madrid will be among the top four for the 31st time in 67 editions of the continental competition (the Whites have played 52). Of the previous 30 semi-finals, Madrid have overcome 16 and won the title on 13 occasions.

Since the 2010-11 season, 20 teams (including Villarreal) have reached the Champions League semi-finals on some occasion. Behind Madrid, those who have done it the most times have been Bayern (SEVEN), Barcelona (five) and Chelsea and Atlético (three). Only Ajax (2018-19) and Manchester City (2019-20), both in the round of 16, have been able in recent years to cut off Madrid’s path before the semifinals.

2010-11 (Barcelona)

After seven years of absence, Madrid returned to the Champions League semifinals in a big way: with a Clasico in the midst of a storm of confrontations against Barça (between the League, the Cup final and this match, four were played in 19 days). The tie was lived on the pitch and in the press room, with a dialectic war between Mourinho and Guardiola. Barça won 0-2 in the first leg after Madrid kept ten due to a rigorous expulsion of Pepe. And Ramos saw a yellow card that prevented him from playing the second leg. The second leg ended in a draw (1-1, Madrid’s goal was the work of Marcelo) at the Camp Nou.

2011-12 (Bayern)

The drawing of the drawing drew a Classic for the final, but neither one nor the other arrived. Bayern won (2-1) at the Allianz (Özil scored the Whites’ goal) and Madrid, with a brace from Cristiano, leveled the tie at the Bernabéu (2-1). In the penalty shootout, Xabi Alonso was the only Real Madrid player to score. Neuer stopped Cristiano and Kaká’s shots; and Ramos failed his.

2012-13 (Dortmund)

The final expected a Classic again, but both failed again. Madrid suffered in the first leg in Rhenish lands (4-1) the fierceness of Lewandowski, who scored all four goals. Cristiano scored the goal that kept Madrid’s faith. The miracle almost did not work. Benzema, in 83′, and Ramos, in 89′, scored in the final stretch, but the 2-0 scoreline was insufficient.

2013-14 (Bayern)

Road to the Tenth, Ancelotti’s Madrid took revenge. And, in case the crossing lacked any incentive, Guardiola was on the Bavarian bench. Benzema put Madrid ahead in the first leg (1-0) at the Bernabéu. “In Munich they are going to burn even the trees,” said Rummenigge to warm up the atmosphere of the return. It was a prediction, because the one that set the fire was Madrid, who inflicted on Bayern their worst defeat at home in the European Cup: 0-4 (0-3 at halftime) with two braces by Ramos and Cristiano.

2014-15 (Juventus)

The curse of the ex. The Whites lost 2-1 in Turin, where Cristiano scored. At the Bernabéu, the Portuguese scored the goal that qualified the defending champion from a penalty. But Morata, who had already scored the first goal of the first leg, tied (1-1) in the second half.

2015-16 (Manchester City)

Tradition prevailed over the strength of the nouveau riche. The first leg, at Pellegrini’s City stadium, ended in a goalless draw (0-0). The tie was unbalanced by a goal that UEFA awarded to Fernando in his own door to Bale’s center. Atlético awaited in the final in Milan as the last hurdle towards the Undécima.

2016-17 (Athletic)

The last European dance at the Calderón was starred by Benzema. Madrid left the tie on track at the Bernabéu (3-0) with a hat-trick of Christian. In a quarter of an hour, Atlético went 2-0 up in the second leg with goals from Saúl and Griezmann, but before the break Isco restored calm to Zidane’s men with the final 2-1. The photo of the goal (and of the tie), however, went to Benzema, with an iconic triple dribble over the baseline to Savic, Godín and Giménez. In the final came the Twelfth after defeating Juventus.

2017-18 (Bayern)

Bayern again; Madrid passed again. Zidane’s men asserted the 1-2 of the first leg in Munich, where Marcelo and Asensio turned Kimmich’s goal around. He opened the scoring three minutes into the second leg, Benzema came from behind with a brace and James made it 2-2 in the match. A tie that was enough for Madrid to get the ticket to kyiv, where the Thirteenth was waiting.

2020-21 (Chelsea)

After two years of fallow, Madrid returned to the path of the semifinals. Chelsea left little choice to a team with gasoline on the limit. Benzema equalized Pulisic’s goal at Di Stéfano (1-1). Werner and Mount sentenced at Stamford Bridge (2-0).