From Group D Dominance to Quarter-Final Victory: Real Madrid is no stranger to success in the Champions League, having won the prestigious tournament a record-breaking 14 times.
In the 2021-22 season, they made it to the semi-finals once again, and here’s a look back at their journey to get there.
The journey started in Group D, where Real Madrid was drawn with Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk, and RB Leipzig. The Spanish giants were quick to assert their dominance, winning their first three matches and securing an early qualification for the knockout rounds. Although they dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar, they comfortably finished top of the group, with 13 points from their six games.
In the last 16, Real Madrid faced off against Liverpool in a highly-anticipated rematch of the previous year’s final. Liverpool got off to a flying start, scoring two early goals in the first leg, but Real Madrid came back strong, thanks to goals from Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, and Karim Benzema. They won the first leg 3-1 and followed it up with a 2-1 victory in the second leg to progress to the quarter-finals.
There, Real Madrid faced off against Chelsea in a repeat of the previous season’s quarter-final. This time, Los Blancos made it look easy, winning 2-0 in the first leg at home and sealing their victory with a 2-0 win in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. The 4-0 aggregate scoreline was a testament to Real Madrid’s dominance and saw them comfortably progress to the semi-finals.
Real Madrid now faces Manchester City in the first leg of their last-four affair at the Bernabeu, where they’ll be hoping to take one step closer to lifting the trophy once again. With the likes of Benzema, Vinicius Junior, and Eder Militao in top form, they’ll be a formidable opponent for any team.