Football Dynasty

Champions League Semi-Final Lineup Confirmed: Manchester City to Face Borussia Dortmund!

After a tense and tightly-contested quarter-final, Borussia Dortmund have booked their place in the semi-finals to face Manchester City.

In the first leg against Bayern Munich, the match ended 0-0, keeping the tie wide open. The second leg, held at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, was a classic German showdown.

Both teams were disciplined and cautious, but it was Dortmund's counter-attacking efficiency that made the difference. In the 109th minute of extra time, Stéphane Chapuisat broke the deadlock, scoring the decisive goal that sent Dortmund through.

This result highlighted Dortmund's defensive resilience and ability to strike on the counter, narrowly edging out a strong Bayern side in a matchup defined by fine margins—a true "Der Klassiker" on the European stage.

Meanwhile, in the other quarter-final, Real Madrid faced Bayer Leverkusen. After a 1-1 draw in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid's quality and experience shone through. Their pace, clinical finishing, and intelligent movement overpowered Leverkusen, resulting in a dominant 3-0 victory in the leg and a 4-1 aggregate win.

Real Madrid's strong attacking lineup and composure under pressure ensured they controlled the tie from start to finish, demonstrating why they are perennial favorites in Europe.

With both quarter-finals complete, the stage is set:

Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid vs. AS Monaco

Fans can expect high drama, tactical battles, and top-tier football as the Champions League enters its decisive stage.

Focusing back on Manchester City, the climax of their campaign immediately cooled down after their overconfidence in pursuit of the quadruple.

They were kicked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal!

It was a sting, but they could do nothing.

The next day, O'Neill and Mourinho were engrossed in an Premiere League highlight, discussing the technical abilities of players from recent matches. Mourinho, especially, was animatedly analyzing the skills displayed during the goals, highlighting moments of brilliance and meticulous execution.

Richard was sitting at a nearby table, sipping his orange juice while watching the two debate tactics.

Even though both basically used the same counter-attacking strategy, the two came from completely different backgrounds. In Barcelona, Spain, there had been a meeting of football philosophies. Mourinho often listened, usually acting as an interpreter, but he never joined high-level meetings, let alone gave his opinion.

But today, he countered O'Neill's views using tactical theories that prioritized strategy over skill. O'Neill, in turn, relied on examples of outstanding players to make his points, creating a vibrant atmosphere between them. Sipping his orange juice, Richard could see it all unfold.

Martin O'Neill's Style: Pragmatic, structured, and often reactive. His focus is on discipline and compactness, preventing space between lines. His counters are reactive and fast, often opportunistic—less about careful buildup and more about exploiting whatever space is available.

José Mourinho, on the other hand: Focuses on absorbing pressure with positional discipline, then exploiting opponent weaknesses using fast, structured transitions. His counter-attacks rely heavily on specific player roles—a playmaker or forward making intelligent runs, fullbacks providing width, and midfielders quickly distributing the ball. Even in a high-speed transition, every pass and run has a purpose.

From Makélélé and Van Bommel to Okocha and Neil Lennon.

Richard was surprised when he heard the list of names Mourinho mentioned. 'Is'n't Zidane supposed to be Manchester City's top assist?'

What had happened?

Suddenly, he remembered that in the match against Barcelona, there had been a minor conflict involving Zidane and Mourinho.

"Hmmm," Richard said to himself, observing Mourinho closely, but he decided not to bring up the matter. He didn't want to stir up old tensions, knowing that some things were better left unsaid.

In midweek, Manchester City faced a League Cup tie against Barnsley, a team currently languishing in the relegation zone.

Interestingly, Barnsley's presence evoked mixed feelings among Manchester City fans.

Years ago, when they had been promoted to the top tier, City had narrowly missed out on claiming the top spot in the First Division—thanks in part to Barnsley. At the time, a points deduction had played a role as well; without it, City might have claimed first place. Still, City fans had been frustrated.

Now, the situation was almost ironic. Barnsley, who had once inspired envy for their top-flight opportunities, were struggling near the bottom. The roles had reversed: a club that once seemed an underdog now faced the risk of relegation, while Manchester City's dominance in the league had become nearly unassailable.

As morning training came to an end, O'Neill clapped his hands and called the players closer. Looking at them, drenched in sweat, he spoke gently.

"The eleven players who started in the last match don't need to attend afternoon training. Stay at the hotel. Dr. Schlumberger will arrange recovery sessions for you this afternoon. And remember, you have a day off tomorrow. The rest of you are expected here as usual in the afternoon, when I'll announce the starting lineup and tactical setup for tomorrow's game. Any questions?"

The players looked a bit dazed at the announcement.

"Boss, aren't we playing an away game tomorrow? We won't even be at the venue," queried Zanetti, confused.

O'Neill smiled. "Yes. Dr. Schlumberger recommended you all get rest, so I'm giving you the day off. Spend time with your families or go out with friends, but remember, this day off is for recovering from fatigue—not an excuse to overindulge. We have another match in five days, and if any of you aren't in a condition deemed satisfactory by Dr. Schlumberger, you'll be sitting on the bench."

The starting eleven were secretly delighted. They appreciated staff like Schlumberger and Fevre the most. Thanks to them, massage therapists were available to soothe sore muscles, hot baths and swimming pools were at their disposal, and the players could fully relax. Truly, it was a pleasant experience.

The only minor complaint was the bland food—but even that had been carefully designed to meet their dietary needs.

Initially, the starting eleven flinched at the thought of a day off, fearing O'Neill might be dissatisfied with their recent performance against Arsenal. However, after listening to his explanation, they understood it was about balancing work and rest.

Even though the primary goalkeeper Buffon, midfield star Makélélé, and Zanetti all felt physically fit, they accepted the plan, considering the grueling forty-six-round league schedule.

Meanwhile, the substitute players were ecstatic. With no midweek matches, they had been training hard, and suddenly discovered they would be playing a full 90-minute match in a real competition—a thrilling opportunity they had long anticipated.

The result?

Manchester City 1–0 Barnsley

Ronaldo 44'

From the director's box, Richard saw the match differently. While the fans roared in delight as their beloved City marched into the League Cup quarter-finals, he felt only a heavy weight in his chest.

Manchester City's performance had been dreadful. Perhaps it was the absence of too many key players, perhaps something else—but whatever the reason, Richard could not shake his disappointment.

Wait… or perhaps, he could do something about it.

Richard immediately picked up his phone and dialed Miss Heysen.

CLICK

The moment the line connected, he didn't waste a second. "What's the non-main schedule for Manchester City's main squad over the next month?"

There was a brief pause. Miss Heysen was caught off guard by the sudden question, but she quickly regained her composure and answered in her usual professional tone.

The team has commitments with Maddox Entertainment, the Rover 100, Armani, and Adidas—all crammed into the coming weeks. Thanks to Manchester City's shocking performances this season, many personal sponsorships have been lining up to sign City players. Most, however, were turned down because the club had already accepted deals from companies under Richard's own group first.

"Cancel Maddox Entertainment, the Rover 100, and Adidas. As for Armani… let it be," Richard instructed firmly.

Thankfully, Maddox Entertainment, Rover 100, and Adidas all belonged to the Maddox Group, so calling off those events would not be difficult. Armani, however, was a different story. Since it wasn't under the Maddox umbrella, Richard couldn't simply cancel it at will.

"Why?" came Miss Heysen's cautious question on the other end of the line."**

Because football comes first. The players need to focus on the pitch, not parading around for sponsors. If we keep sacrificing performance for appearances, the club will collapse—no matter how many logos are on their shirts," Richard answered decisively.

He then continued, his voice firm and uncompromising. "I expect that when we travel to Leeds next week, every sponsor event except Armani will be off the table. No distractions, no excuses. The players' only job is to deliver results on the pitch. If any company complains about it, tell them to call me directly."

Since it was Richard who said so, Miss Heysen could only agree. "Understood, but I can probably only postpone the events, not cancel them outright. I'll need to discuss it with the players' agents and families."

"Understood," Richard replied without hesitation. "Give them the reason that we need to focus on the league and the Champions League. After that, they can accept as many sponsorships as they want—as long as those deals don't interfere with the club."