Champions League 2021/22: will there be a draw for the semi-finals?

If you possess a particular penchant for watching UEFA’s Giorgio Marchetti drone through protracted exposition of draw procedures live from Nyon, then I’m afraid you’re out of luck for the time being.

That’s because there will be no need for a semi-final draw in the 2021/22 edition of the Champions League - or, for that matter, the Europa League and Europa Conference League.

We’ll know who is facing who in the last four as soon as the quarter-finals conclude, because March’s draws for the last eight also determined the pairings for the following round.

What will the Champions League semi-final pairings be?

In the Champions League, whose quarter-finals conclude on Wednesday, there is the potential for a Madrid derby in one semi-final. Real Madrid, who eliminated defending champions Chelsea on Tuesday, will face the winners of the quarter-final tie between Manchester City and fellow Spanish-capital club Atlético Madrid.

City take a 1-0 lead into Wednesday’s second leg at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, courtesy of Kevin de Bruyne’s late strike at the Etihad Stadium last Tuesday.

Madrid went through at Chelsea’s expense in a thrilling quarter-final second leg, Karim Benzema’s extra-time header at the Bernabéu earning Los Blancos a 5-4 aggregate win.

In the other Champions League semi-final, Villarreal await the victors of the quarter-final between Liverpool and Benfica. The Reds host As Águias in the second leg at Anfield, having established a commanding, 3-1 lead in the opening leg in Lisbon last week.

Villarreal are surprise semi-finalists. Unai Emery’s men pulled off a major upset in their quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich, ousting the six-time European champions 2-1 on aggregate thanks to Samu Chukwueze’s late goal at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

Champions League semi-final draw

The first legs are to be played on 26/27 April, with the second legs to scheduled for 3/4 May. Manchester City/Atlético Madrid and Benfica/Liverpool will be at home in the first leg.

Final ‘home’ team also decided already

The ‘home’ and ‘away’ team in the Champions League final was also determined in the quarter-final draw. The ‘home’ side will be the winner of the second semi-final, so the line-up for the showpiece, to be held at Paris’ Stade de France on 28 May, currently looks like this:

Europa League, Europa Conference League semi-final draws

In the Europa League, the semi-finals will be:

And in the Conference League, the last-four draw is:

The seconds legs in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and Europa Conference League are to played on Thursday.