ANALYSIS 

We are now into the semi finals of the Champions League and apart from Barcelona being ousted by Atletico, it’s the usual suspects – Bayern, Real Madrid and José Mourinho (this time with Chelsea).
European football, and probably the World game, is currently dominated by German and Spanish teams, something that will no doubt be reflected in this summer’s World Cup also.
For the Champions League, Atletico look the sharpest, their attacking style that is conducted at a lightning speed will take some beating – even for a team like Bayern. Of the remaining sides, Chelsea are clearly the weakest, although they have a manager who is used to winning at this level with Real and of course Porto. And as a consequence this ageing Blues side can never really be discounted, although the semi final stage may prove to be a step too far for them.
And what to make of Ronaldo’s Real who are also challenging for the La Liga title with Barcelona and Atletico – well, they like Bayern are in transition and as a result, they can be beaten, as can their Spanish rivals and pretenders Atletico who despite all their energy and pace often miss in front of goal.
So, all bets are off for one of the most open Champions League tournaments in years and the good news for the impartial observer is that the same can be said for Brazil 2014.