Open Mike Monday: Champions League Semis, El Clasico, EPL Race, Brad Friedel

If last week reminded us why we watch football, this week is why we keep watching.

There's plenty to talk about this week in Open Mike Monday, starting with the Champions League semifinals.

Both first legs lived up to—and even surpassed—expectations. Now, both favorites face win-or-go-home second legs.

Back in Spain, Real Madrid flipped the script on Barcelona, and Cristiano Ronaldo made his case for world's best.

And in England, the unthinkable might be happening.

It's all adding up to a memorable finish for what's been a memorable season. And over the coming week, it might get even better.

Least Surprising Surprise

Bayern Munich defeated Real Madrid 2-1 at home in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal on Tuesday.

Technically, it was an upset. Realistically, many onlookers thought Bayern could win the first leg.

But if you're like me, you weren't so sure about that after Real equalized in the second half. And if you're like me, you were downright convinced the game was headed for a tie after Bayern started missing glorious opportunities.

Mario Gomez was the worst offender, spurning chance after chance in the second half. But the big German came good at the perfect time, and now Bayern need only a draw to advance to a home game in the Champions League final.

I think they can do it.

But will they?

Most Surprising Surprise, Pt. I

Chelsea defeated Barcelona at home in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal on Wednesday—that truly was a surprise.

A really, really big surprise.

In fairness, Barca wasted several chances, including a glaring miss by Sergio Busquets deep in second-half stoppage time.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, didn't look like his normal self, and that might have had something to do with his slip and fall on the slick Stamford Bridge pitch late in the first half.

But Busquets' wastefulness and Messi's off-game couldn't compare to the performance of Cesc Fabregas, who for all we know had Ham Rove connected to his foot.

Disappointing or not, Barca still dominated every statistical category. But as the cliché goes, they lost the only one that matters.

Didier Drogba, on the other hand, turned in a masterful performance and did everything right (dramatic falls included) at the right times. At 34, he is past his best but he's clearly still one of Chelsea's most valuable players,

The second leg is back in Catalonia this week and we can expect a similar script. Barca should dominate possession, while Chelsea figure to defend doggedly.

The question now is whether we'll see a similar result.

Biggest Match of the Season (So Far)

After the midweek European drama, Real Madrid visited arch-rivals Barcelona in a top-of-the-table La Liga showdown on Saturday.

Real Madrid, despite carrying a four-point lead, entered the match as something like underdogs. While they weren't expected to lose, they surely weren't expected to beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou with Barca going all out for a potentially season-saving win.

But they did. Real beat Barca 2-1—on Barca's turf.

And Cristiano Ronaldo—who scored the winner in the 73rd minute—outplayed Lionel Messi.

It was, hands down, the biggest match of the European season so far.

If we're being honest, though, we're all expecting a rematch in the Champions League final.

And wouldn't that be something?

Most Evergreen American

Lost amidst Tottenham Hotspur's dreary Saturday was an impressive milestone for evergreen American keeper Brad Friedel.

Friedel, 40, made his 300th consecutive league appearance during Spurs' 1-0 loss to QPR. Three hundred straight starts are a testament to Friedel's longevity as well as his ability between the sticks.

I'm no Spurs fan (clearly), but I am a fan of great players. Friedel is, without a doubt, a great player.

I've been a fan of his since he stopped two penalties during the 2002 World Cup. At the rate he's going, he could win over a bunch more fans in the several seasons he has left.

Most Surprising Surprise, Pt. II

Life was looking good for Manchester United on Sunday. The defending English champs overcame an early deficit at home to Everton before taking leads of 3-1 and 4-2 at Old Trafford.

Most times, that would mean game over. But as we've figured out by now, this season certainly doesn't qualify as most times.

Everton scored twice in the closing minutes and forced a 4-4 draw. And in case the significance of that was lost somewhere in the connection, here it is again: Manchester United blew a two-goal lead and allowed four goals at Old Trafford.

Oh, and since Manchester City won later Sunday, it's now possible for them to claim the league title by winning all of their remaining games.

How about that? United led by eight points seemingly just a few days ago.

Is it really possible that the ruthless overlords of English football could suffer a humiliating and unthinkable late-season collapse?

First Major Title Winner

Congratulations to Borussia Dortmund, the first champion of a major European league this season.

Jurgen Klopp's team defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 at home on Saturday. The win kept Dortmund eight points ahead of Bayern Munich with two matches left in the Bundesliga season.

That meant Bayern's slim mathematical chance of catching Dortmund was gone, and Dortmund celebrated their clinched title on the field afterwards.

From what I can tell, it was slightly more fun than your average frat party.

Good for them. They deserve it.