Champions League football is down to the second leg of the final four! Villarreal vs. Liverpool is set for Tuesday, May 3 while Real Madrid vs. Man City is slated for Wednesday, May 4. Both matchups start at 8 p.m. (BST).
If you want a free stream of the 2022 Champions League semi-finals, you’ll need a VPN. VPNs can change your IP address and reroute your traffic through one of their servers in the country where the broadcast is based. This kills off annoying geo-blocks and restrictions. Ready to roll? Just follow the quick guide below:
- Choose a good VPN. We’ve always liked NordVPN for streaming live sports. You’ll also need their wide network of servers.
- Register for an account via the provider’s website.
- Download the VPN onto your favorite device.
- Log in to the VPN with the information you created at sign-up.
- Connect to a server in Luxembourg.
- Now navigate to RTL ZWEE’s live player around kick-off. You’ll be live-streaming the 2022 Champions League semi-finals!
There are other free options to live stream the Champions League semi-finals as well. We’ve also rounded up English-language streams in the USA, UK and Australia if you’re looking to take that route. Find out all that and more in our guide below.
The final four stage of Champions League football is coming in hot, with the second leg of Villarreal vs. Liverpool slated for Tuesday, May 3 and Real Madrid vs. Man City set for Wednesday, May 4. Both matchups will be at 8 p.m. (BST).
Three of the remaining teams are regulars of the Champions League Finals, though only two — Real Madrid with a record-setting 13 championships, and Liverpool with 6 — have gone home with the title.
Whether you’re digging for free international online streams of Champions League football, or struggling with your home streaming service being geo-blocked while abroad, we’ve got you covered. All you’ll need is an online tool called a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
We’ll break it down for you in our full guide on how to watch the 2022 Champions League semi-finals for free, no matter where you are in the world.
How to Watch the 2022 Champions League Semi-Finals for Free
Different broadcasters hold rights to Champions League matches around the world. In the United States, CBS has locked in exclusive coverage, while in the UK, you’ll need BT Sport to watch. These are, of course, paid services. In the country of Luxembourg, though, with a population of just over a half-million, RTL broadcasts Champions League football for free.
We’re willing to bet that you won’t be in Luxembourg this week to watch the Champions League semi-finals for free. So we’ll show you how you can use a VPN to change your IP address to access the RTL website via a server within the country. This way, the website will read your device as logging in from Luxembourg, and will give you the go-ahead to watch the Champions League stream for free.
Just follow the simple steps below.
Step-by-step guide: Watch the 2022 Champions League semi-finals from anywhere with a VPN
- Choose a VPN popular for streaming. We’ve always liked NordVPN for live sports. Their server network is extensive, and they’re one of the few VPN providers with servers in Luxembourg.
- Register for an account via the provider’s website. You can sign up for Nord by clicking the orange button below.
- Download the VPN onto the device you want to stream the Champions League semi-final on. NordVPN’s PC app is very simple to set up and use, as is their mobile app. TVs can be a little more complicated, so you may want to consult our guide to get your VPN set up on your SmartTV if you decide to take that route.
- Log in to the VPN with the information you created at sign-up.
- Connect to a server in Luxembourg. Once you’ve connected, wait a few seconds.
- Now head over to RTL ZWEE’s live player. With your new IP address, the website will let you access the semi-finals for free!
Where to Watch the 2022 Champions League Semi-Finals
The one downside to free international streams is the language. If your Luxembourgish or German is a little rusty, you probably won’t be able to understand the commentators. Luckily, there are plenty of English-language live streams to choose from.
Below is a list including the top three streams in English, as well as some other free international streams of Champions League football. These sites also all block access based on their users’ geo-location. If you’re outside the country, you’ll need to connect to a VPN server where the service is based.
| COUNTRY | ONLINE BROADCASTER |
|---|---|
| United States | Paramount+ (Free 7-day trial) |
| United Kingdom | BT Sport |
| Australia | Stan Sport |
| Austria | Servus TV (Free, but limited coverage) |
| Luxembourg | RTL (Free) |
| Thailand | PPTV (Free) |
| Albania | RTSH (Free) |
Can I Use a Free VPN to Live Stream Sports?
In short, free VPNs aren’t going to cut it. Especially with the method we’ve shown you above. Also, keep in mind that there are generally two versions of free VPN providers:
- Free (albeit limited) versions of trusted VPN providers
- Downright dangerous VPNs that offer no protection and exploit their users
So, even the best free VPN providers come with strings attached, most of which will affect sports streaming. For example, with these services, you’ll run into data limits — sometimes as little as 500MB, though some offer 10GB per month. Streaming eats up a ton of data, so before you know it, you’ll be shelling out money for upgrades or add-ons anyways.
You may also be limited to a few servers. To access these Champions League semi-final streams, you need servers in Luxembourg, Austria, or Thailand. Good free VPNs may restrict access to their best servers, while bogus providers won’t even have them.
Watch out for dangerous VPNs
There are countless VPN providers that aren’t actually VPNs at all. They could be a guise for crypto-mining operations or data harvesting ploys. Your device could be added to their P2P network and used to mine cryptocurrency without your knowledge. Other providers keep logs of your online activity and sell them off to data vendors.
Instead of offering advanced encryption, anonymous IP addresses, and privacy protection as a VPN should, they do the exact opposite. Most of our top VPN recommendations come with 30-day money-back guarantees, so that’s the best way to try out the service and skip the hassles of “free VPNs.”
2022 Champions League Semi-Finals Fixtures
| Teams | First Leg | Second Leg |
|---|---|---|
| Villarreal vs. Liverpool | Wednesday, April 27 at 8:00 PM BSTLiverpool 2, Villarreal 0 | Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 PM BST |
| Real Madrid vs. Man City | Tuesday, April 26 at 8:00 PM BSTMan City 4, Real Madrid 3 | Wednesday, May 4 at 8:00 PM BST |
Champions League 2022: How Did We Get Here?
Much of the final four has been no surprise for Champions League fans. Real Madrid has a record-setting 13 championship wins, and managed to make the semi-finals by ousting returning champs Chelsea in the last round. Man City, though, narrowly squeaked by Atletico Madrid to get to the semi-finals. But their impressive 4-goal run up on Real Madrid in the first leg is proof that they won’t be easy work.
Meanwhile, Spaniards Villareal are coming off their world-rattling, last-minute second leg goal to knock out German favorites Bayern Munich. They face Liverpool, who muscled past Benfica in the last playoff series. Liverpool is no stranger to the coveted Champions League trophy, and have already run up a 2-0 score in the first leg of the semi-finals. Plenty of surprises and action are expected headed into the finals.
