Champions League Fixtures 2015: Semi-Finals Leg 1 Schedule, Live Stream Info
The first legs of the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League are nearly upon us, with the first two fixtures taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Viewers will get to watch Real Madrid take on Juventus in Turin and Barcelona host Bayern Munich, with full live stream coverage available for both matches.
All four of these clubs rank among the most successful and most revered teams in European football, and fans should be in for two phenomenal semi-final ties. Let's have a look at the schedule for the first legs of each match:
| Tuesday, May 5 | 7:45 p.m. | 2:45 p.m. | Juventus | Real Madrid | Sky Sports 1 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (US) | Sky Go/Soccer 2Go |
| Wednesday, May 6 | 7:45 p.m. | 2:45 p.m. | Barcelona | Bayern Munich | ITV 1 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (US) | ITV Player/Fox Soccer 2Go |
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
To access the Fox Soccer 2Go app, click here. For the Sky Go app, click here. For the ITV Player, click here.
Juventus v Real Madrid
Defending champions Real Madrid will travel to Turin and play historical rivals Juventus on Tuesday, at the Juventus Stadium. The Bianconeri are making their first semi-final appearance in this competition in over a decade, a remarkably long absence for such a storied club.
Of course, the Calciopoli scandal played a large part in the club's struggles the past decade, but with their fourth consecutive Serie A title in the bag after the win over Sampdoria, those struggles are well and truly in the past, per the club's official Twitter account:
The Bianconeri briefly celebrated the title before turning their eyes toward Los Blancos and the difficult challenge that awaits them, according to centre-back Leonardo Bonucci:
Real managed to end Sevilla's unbeaten run at home over the weekend, emerging with a 3-2 win to keep the battle for the La Liga title alive. Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net three times, and looks to be in strong form heading into Tuesday's clash.
According to the club's official Twitter account, he made history by scoring yet another hattrick for Los Blancos:
On paper, the defending champions hold a clear advantage over the Italians, who haven't played at this stage of the competition in years and don't field a lot of players with experience late in tournaments.
But the presence of veterans like Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon should help settle the nerves, and with the Serie A title race wrapped up, Massimiliano Allegri's troops can shift their focus entirely toward this tie, unlike Los Blancos.
Allegri also believes the absence of Luka Modric gives his team a chance, per Football Italia:
Modric isn't the only high-profile midfielder who will miss Tuesday's clash, as Paul Pogba won't be able to return from injury in tiem to make the squad, via Fox Soccer:
Historically, Juventus have always given Real trouble in European competition. The Italians defend with discipline and aren't afraid to get rough if the situation calls for it, and with Carlos Tevez playing up front, they field one of the most in-form strikers capable of deciding a match on the counter-attack.
Giorgio Chiellini's struggles this season could be exposed against Real's powerful attack, however, providing the Italy international starts to begin with. This match may be low on goals, with both teams eyeing the second leg at the Bernabeu to make the difference.
Barcelona v Bayern Munich
Wednesday's match features two absolute giants of European football, with Pep Guardiola traveling back to the Camp Nou to face former club Barcelona. Like Juventus, Bayern Munich have already locked up the domestic title and can focus on this tie, and this tie only, via ESPN FC:
Barcelona have been in ridiculous form of late, blowing last-placed Cordoba out of the water during the weekend in an 8-0 rout. Luis Suarez bagged his first La Liga hattrick and leads arguably the hottest attacking trio of Europe into Wednesday's clash, with Lionel Messi and Neymar also firing on all cylinders.
As shared by Goal UK, the numbers are truly staggering:
Of course, the Catalans will now go up against former boss Guardiola, who helped revolutionise the system the club's current success is based upon. He may not hold all the secrets, but he will have some inside into stopping Messi and Co.
Besides, the Bavarians are no scrubs either. Several star players were rested in the 2-0 loss against Bayer Leverkusen, and with a well-rested Robert Lewandowski joining Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze up front, they certainly have the firepower to match Barcelona's.
Bayern's biggest question mark remains the back four. Dante has regressed in the last two seasons and has become somewhat of a weak link, and while Jerome Boateng is one of the world's best centre-backs, he's been banged up of late and didn't even travel to Leverkusen.
The defender also knows that if their form doesn't improve, they'll have no chance at the Camp Nou, per Goal:
Bayern have looked dominant for the bulk of the season, but occasionally deliver an absolute dud. Wolfsburg ran rampant over the Bavarians in January, for instance, and more recently, FC Porto almost embarrassed the German champions during the first leg of the quarter-finals.
The result of Wednesday's match will largely depend on whichever team shows up. They have the talent, experience and discipline to slow down the Catalan machine, but every single mistake will be punished.
