Champions League Draw 2015: Date, TV and Live Stream Info for Semi-Final, Final

There are four teams remaining in the race to be crowned as kings of European football, and the draw for the 2015 Champions League semi-finals will dictate their respective routes to the final on Friday.

Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid will all scrap it out to make it to the showpiece final in Berlin on June 6. With three of the four sides involved topping their domestic divisions, and the reigning European champions making up the semi-final cast list, we’re set for an engrossing set of matches.

Speaking with Bleacher Report, Thom Gibbs of The Daily Telegraph ranked the sides involved:

Eyes will be glued to screens across the globe when the draw is made on Friday. Here’s all the information you need on where to catch the draw and a closer examination of each side after their respective semi-final successes.

Date: Friday, April 24

Time: 11 a.m. (BST), 12 p.m. (CET, local), 6 a.m. (ET)

Live Stream: UEFA.com (UK and U.S.), Sky Go (UK)

TV Info: Sky Sports News HQ (UK)

Barcelona

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

The progression of Barcelona into the last four was never really in doubt after their excellent 3-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, but they gave us another indication of their quality with a clinical 2-0 win in the second leg.

There’s a festering sense this could be their season too. After all, as we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football, with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez spearheading their charge, they have the firepower to outgun any side in the tournament:

But there’s a steeliness about this team too, as the wins away at Manchester City and PSG illustrated. If they can strike an appropriate balance between stinginess at the back and their phenomenal front line, the Blaugrana have all the traits needed to notch their fifth European Cup.

Bayern Munich

Michael Probst/Associated Press

There were fears for Bayern Munich’s spot in the semi-finals after they lost to FC Porto 3-1 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. But a stunning first half in the second leg from the 2013 winners abated any concerns and served as an emphatic reminder that this is a squad capable of going all the way.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola deserves immense credit for the manner in which his team scythed through Porto, romping to a 5-0 lead at the end of the first half. Bayern eventually won 6-1, and as noted here by Cristian Nyari of FCB Media, when you consider the injuries this team had to cope with, it was a very impressive display:

With the domestic title all but wrapped up, Guardiola’s team will be able to focus on this competition and will be keen to ensure that sharpness remains high. After the humbling at the hands of Real Madrid at this stage 12 months ago, lessons will have been learned, and with Bayern set to welcome back key players, they have a brilliant opportunity to make it to a final on home soil.

Juventus

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Despite their domestic stranglehold under the tutelage of former boss Antonio Conte, this wonderful Juventus team were never quite able to crack the Champions League. But with Massimiliano Allegri at the helm, the Bianconeri have marched into the last four and are looking to sample European glory for the first time in 19 years.

As noted by James Horncastle of BT Sport, Allegri has made the Italian champions extremely difficult to beat in the Champions League:

Of the four teams left, Juventus are the least fancied, but it’d be extremely naive to write off their chances. They are a team that have grown together over the past four years, are extremely streetwise and will be very tough to prise apart. They are a quality outfit, but they can cap their status as an immortally great team with an appearance at the Berlin finale.

Real Madrid

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

After claiming he had the best set of players in the world on the cusp of Real Madrid’s clash with Atletico Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti’s injury-ravaged squad flexed their muscles to edge past their obdurate neighbours and into the last four.

Atletico were always going to be tough opponents, but after battling through the tie, the incentive for Los Blancos will be to become the first team to retain the Champions League in its current format. But with so many quality sides in the last four, it’s going to be far from a procession for the reigning champions.

Many will be desperate to see Real square off against eternal rivals Barcelona in two pulsating games in the next round, but Sid Lowe of the Guardian hopes they are kept apart in the semi-finals:

With memories of last year’s triumph still fresh, this is a squad of players that knows what’s required to get the job done in this tournament. History dictates they are likely to fall short, and there are some perennial concerns about the defensive side of this team, but with the attacking firepower at Ancelotti's disposal, they remain a proposition to be feared.