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Champions League Results 2022: Qualified Teams After Wednesday Quarterfinal Games
April 13, 2022
The semifinals for the 2021-22 Champions League are set.
Manchester City and Liverpool each moved on the aggregate after draws Wednesday against Atletico Madrid and Benfica, respectively.
City and Atletico played to a 0-0 draw in a matchup that saw the Premier League side pull back and play conservatively in the second half. City hit the post once and had only one shot on goal while carrying 60 percent possession. As the game wore on, City eventually became satisfied with letting this thing play out to a draw and leaving with a 1-0 aggregate victory.
Atletico came out in attack mode but couldn't break City's defensive wall. Ederson faced only three shots on goal, saving both and pushing City to the semifinals. Last year's runner-up is still looking for its first Champions League title in club history and will move on to play Real Madrid.
“It is the Champions League, we are not used to play this competition much, it is just our third time in the semifinals. For our club, it is an incredible achievement," Pep Guardiola said after the match.
Liverpool advanced in a far more uptempo and watchable match, running up and down the field to a 3-3 draw against Benfica. Roberto Firmino scored two second-half goals and Ibrahima Konate scored one before halftime to help the Premier League side move on 6-4 on aggregate.
Goncalo Ramos, Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunez each scored for an aggressive Benfica side that entered Wednesday knowing they needed a miracle.
Liverpool moves on to play Villarreal, which shocked Bayern Munich to advance to the semis.
Both semifinal matchups feature one Premier League team taking on a La Liga outfit. Seven of the previous eight Champions League winners have come from one of those two leagues. The Premier League has taken two of the last three, while La Liga hasn't won one since a run of five straight from 2014 to 2018.
Neither Villarreal nor Manchester City has ever hoisted the Champions League trophy. Real Madrid has won a record 13 times—six more than any other club—while Liverpool has captured six titles.