Champions League Draw 2013: Complete Look at Both Semifinal Matchups

The UEFA Champions League draw for the 2013 semifinals was held on Friday, and the results of that draw pit both Spanish clubs still in play against the two German clubs—all four looking to capture the European Cup in late May. 

Sky Sports reported the draw on Twitter:

As you can see, Real Madrid will take on Borussia Dortmund in one semifinal match, while FC Barcelona has a two-leg matchup with Bayern Munich to determine the two finalists in this year's final four clubs. 

It's Spain versus Germany with more than just regional bragging rights on the line. 

Instead of another Copa Del Rey or La Liga rematch between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the draw instead split the pair up, placing star strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in position to meet once more in the Champions League Final. 

That's not to say Dortmund or Bayern will be taken lightly, as both clubs are in clear positions to make a deep run against two clubs that have been inconsistent at times during the 2012-13 season. Take a look below for a look at what to expect from both of these semifinal matchups between four of the world's best. 

Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund

What: UEFA Champions League Semifinals

When: Wednesday, April 24; Tuesday, April 30

Where: April 24 at Signal-Iduna-Park (Dortmund); April 30 at Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid)

While Madrid come in hot after a 5-3 aggregate victory over Galatasaray in the quarterfinals, the draw couldn't have been tougher for Jose Mourinho's club. 

Dortmund is the only team remaining of the four that have yet to lose a match, and they have some momentum in head-to-head matchups with Los Blancos after winning in group play in October 2012 and pushing another 2-2 draw through at Bernabeu within a month of the initial victory. 

The record between the two is 2-1-3 in favor of Madrid, in large part because of Mesut Ozil's heroics to keep Dortmund from sweeping Los Blancos in group play.

The major focus for Dortmund will be stopping Ronaldo, a man who had three of his clubs aggregate goals against Galatasaray and single handedly made sure the Turkish comeback was in vain by the end of the match. Although Los Blancos lost, 3-2, Ronaldo's two goals helped give Madrid the extra cushion they needed to advance.

On the flip side, Madrid will have to find a way to keep Dortmund out of the net. Los Blancos have given up a goal in all but one of their matches in Champions League play, finding a way to somehow survive on the leg of Ronaldo in the second leg.

The Bundesliga side has Jurgen Klopp at the helm, and despite Madrid's recent dominance in different stages of their schedule, have a claim as the team to beat moving forward. It's hard to bet against Ronaldo right now, making this two-leg trip an exciting experience for Champions League fans everywhere. 

While Dortmund is likely content to miss Munich after their Bundesliga matchups this season, the draw for Madrid is a tough one. There are clearly no breaks to the path to hoisting the European Cup. 

FC Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

What: UEFA Champions League Semifinals

When: Tuesday, April 23; Thursday, May 1

Where: April 23 at Allianz Arena (Bayern); May 1 at Camp Nou (Barcelona)

In the other semifinal match, Barca will take on Bayern Munich in a battle of 2009 rivals. Barcelona completed a UCL title that same year and beat Munich 4-0 in the process. 

Things are different now, but one thing is not—Barcelona striker Messi is one of the toughest men to stop on the planet. 

Even with a hamstring injury that cupped his chances of being 100 percent in the quarterfinal round, Messi came off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain to help lead his club to a thrilling victory by being involved in the lead-up to the equalizer in the waning minutes. 

Like rival Ronaldo, Messi is the man to stop in this match. 

Both clubs appear poised to win their respective leagues, with Bayern wrapping up their 23rd league title last week and Barca expected to do the same with Atletico Madrid and Real both on the outside looking in with respect to the points standings. 

Throw in Pep Guardiola, expected to take over managerial roles at Bayern next season after formerly coaching Barcelona, and all the elements are there for two close legs of this championship-sending rivalry. 

With Messi getting time to rest and Bayern not backing down from anyone in an impressive German and Champions League showing, expect this match to also pack a punch, with the winner either facing a common opponent or another club from a different country. 

We've got a couple of weeks before things officially kick off, but it's never too early to look ahead at the Champions League semis—especially with the current field and the expectations of how things could play out.