The Champions League returned this week with the conclusion of four quarter-final ties – and delivered some of the best games in the history of the competition.
Liverpool booked their spot in the last four with a superb 2-1 win over Manchester City that saw them progress 5-2 on aggregate. It is the first time the Reds have reached the semi-final stage since the 2007/08 season.
On the same night Roma stunned Barcelona, pulling off a sensational second leg comeback that saw them win 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, meaning they progressed on away goals.
A day later and Juventus almost managed a similar feat against Real Madrid. 3-0 down after the first-leg, they led 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu, only for a last-minute Cristiano Ronaldo penalty to send them crashing out.
And then there’s Bayern Munich, who have somewhat flown under the radar so far. They beat Sevilla 2-1 on aggregate just a few days after wrapping up the Bundesliga title.
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Liverpool have been handed a semi-final against Roma, while Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich face Real Madrid in the last four
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The Champions League semi-final draw takes place on Friday, with Liverpool eagerly waiting to find out their final four opponent. The Reds pulled off a shock 5-1 aggregate victory over Manchester City in the quarter-finals, and are now confident of going all the way. Standing in their way are one of Real Madrid, Roma or Bayern Munich. You can follow all the action from UEFA's Swiss headquarters right here on Express Sport. Check out our live updates BELOW...
Getty Liverpool await their Champions League fate
Punters fancy Klopp's men After the draw, betting firm Oddschecker have revealed punters are flocking to back Liverpool to win the Champions League. Jurgen Klopp's men can now be backed at 2/1, despite being priced at 10/3 this morning! Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek said: “Can Roma still be seen as an easy tie despite that now famous 3-0 win over Barcelona? “Punters seem to think so, and the price suggests Liverpool could be on their way to another European success.” Liverpool's best scenario Liverpool fans will certainly be happy with that draw! Avoiding Real Madrid and Bayern Munich gives them a huge chance of reaching their first Champions League final since 2007. However, Roma proved in the last round they are no pushovers. Eusebio Di Francesco will have his side fired up for one of the biggest clashes in their history.
Getty Jurgen Klopp's side eased past Manchester City over two legs
FULL DRAW: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid Liverpool vs Roma So, there we have it. Bayern will first welcome Madrid to Germany, while Liverpool host Roma a day later. The first legs will be played on April 24 and 25. The return fixtures will take place on May 1 and 2. The draw begins UEFA bigwig Giorgio Marchetti is now going through the draw rules. He will then introduce Andriy Shevchenko and we will begin! Another montage... Another nice montage for us to sit through... This time showing us highlights of what was a dramatic week of Champions League football, with Madrid almost crashing out to Juventus. And of course, Roma's stunning revival against Barcelona. Vitali Klitschko has arrived! Major of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko has arrived! The Ukranian capital is host of the 2018 Champions League final. And we're off! The cameras are rolling again in Switzerland and we are all ready to go! Of course, we have to start with a dramatic montage. Let's hope Pedro Pinto and Andriy Shevchenko don't drag this on...
Getty Gianluigi Buffon saw red in his final ever Champions League match
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVE [Draw at 12pm] Almost there! We're ten minutes away from the draw getting underway. In the meantime, Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Salah has been awarded PFA Player of the Month for March. Nobody saw that coming, right? What do Roma know? After booking their place in the final four, Roma fans were eagerly awaiting their next opponents. However, club officials appear to have jumped the gun slightly. On Thursday, eagle-eyed Liverpool fans noticed that Roma's official website had began advertising tickets for a home clash with the Reds on May 2. This would mean Liverpool would welcome the Italian outfit to Anfield one week earlier. The option to buy tickets was quickly taken down. Madrid's controversial semi-final spot Madrid secured their Champions League semi-final spot in controversial cicurmstances. A last minute penalty decision by Michael Oliver saw Los Blancos into the last four. Gianluigi Buffon was sent off in the aftermath, in what was his last ever European game. And Zinedine Zidane, who is no stranger to a controversial exit, admits the Italian didn't deserve it. "I don't think that he deserves to go out in this way, but there's no going back on it now," the Frenchman said. "What happened at the end of the game won't change or take anything away from what he has done in the game. "He's a magnificent player and this perhaps wasn't his last Champions League appearance."
Getty Eric Abidal paired Arsenal with Atletico Madrid, and Marseille with Red Bull Salzburg
Half an hour to go! With the Europa League draw completed swiftly, we must now wait 30 minutes or so for the Champions League draw. Stay right here with us for all the up to the minute action! Europa League draw Surprisingly, the Europa League draw hasn't dragged on as usual! It's a tough fixture for Arsenal... They travel to Spanish side and tournament favourites Atletico Madrid. That means Marseille will take on Red Bull Salzburg in the other semi-final. The Gunners welcome Atletico to the Emirates for the first leg. Liverpool looking ahead Jurgen Klopp admitted he was delighted with the result against City. And the German appears to be surprised that Roma have joined his side in the semi-final. "I walked up the stairs and somebody told me. I thought it was a joke," he said. "Not to disrespect Roma. They lost Salah and are in the semis. That's something else. "This competition is quite fair and I really think a normal final would have been Manchester City against Barcelona, and now they are both out. "But there will still be two other really strong teams in there plus Roma and us. "We will see what happens but that's not the thing I have to think about right now." Champions League draw live stream You can watch the draw live on UEFA's official website. And if you have a BT Sport account, both the Champions League and Europa League will be shown on the channel. However, Express Sport will have all the latest updates right here.
Champions League odds: Who will lift the trophy? Wed, April 11, 2018 Which team is favourite to lift the Champions League trophy? (Odds provided by Betfair) Play slideshow VI-Images via Getty Images 1 of 5 Which club are favourites to win the 2017/18 Champions League?
