Mourinho aiming to equal Sir Alex Ferguson's record of seven semifinals in the Champions League

The Portuguese coach has reached the last four on six previous occasions, and can draw level with the Manchester United boss if his Real Madrid side get past Galatasaray this time

Jose Mourinho will draw level with Sir Alex Ferguson on seven semifinal appearances in the Champions League if his Real Madrid side gets past Galatasaray in their forthcoming last-eight tie.

Mourinho led Madrid to the last four of Europe's premier club competition in each of his first two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, and his team will be big favorites to advance for a third time in a row. Real hosts Galatasaray on Wednesday before traveling to Istanbul for the return leg next Tuesday.

MOST SEMIFINAL APPEARANCES IN THE EUROPEAN CUP/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Coach Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) Jose Mourinho (Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Madrid) Marcello Lippi (Juventus) Miguel Munoz (Real Madrid) Louis van Gaal (Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern) Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan) Vicente del Bosque (Real Madrid) Pep Guardiola (Barcelona) Helenio Herrera (Inter) Ottmar Hitzfeld (Dortmund, Bayern Munich) Giovanni Trapattoni (Juventus, Bayern)	No. of SFs 7 - '97, '99, '02, '07, '08, '09, '11 6- '04, '05, '07, '10, '11, '12 5 - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003 5 - 1960, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1973 5 - 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2010 4 - 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 4 - 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 4 - 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 4 - 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 4 - 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 4 - 1978, 1983, 1985, 1995

Madrid is still aiming for its 10th trophy - La Decima - in the history of the European Cup and the Champions League, while Mourinho has admitted he hopes to become the first coach to win the coveted crown with three different clubs.

The Portuguese made his Champions League debut in 2001-02, when he took over midway through the season at Porto, but won the competition in his first full tilt at the title, in 2003-04 (having won the UEFA Cup in 2002-03).

That turned out to be his only Champions League semifinal appearance at Porto as he moved on to Chelsea that summer. And he took the Blues to the cusp of European glory, losing out at the semifinal stage in both 2005 and 2007. On each occasion it was Liverpool who got the better of his side, with the Reds benefiting from Luis Garcia's 'phantom' goal on the way to the trophy in 2005 and then advancing on a penalty shootout two years later.

Mourinho left Chelsea shortly into the following season and did not return until the next campaign, when he agreed to coach Inter. His first season in Milan ended with a Serie A title, but disappointment in Europe as the Nerazzurri exited to Manchester United in the last 16. However, the Portuguese led the Italians to treble glory in 2009-10, as they claimed the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League - Inter's first success in Europe's premier club competition since 1965.

That was Mourinho's second Champions League victory and his fourth semifinal in the competition. With two more since added, he can now equal Ferguson with seven last-four appearances.

All of Ferguson's semifinal showings have come in his remarkable 26-year tenure at Manchester United. The 71-year-old Scot has led the English side to two Champions League wins, as well as two further final appearances (both lost to Barcelona). Defeats in his other three semifinals (in 1996-97, 2001-02 and 2006-07) also all came against the competition's eventual winners - Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and AC Milan, respectively.

Mourinho, meanwhile, lost his last two semifinals against Barcelona (in 2010-11) and Bayern Munich (last season). Either of those two teams could await in the last four this time around.

And should he have got that far, he will have equaled Ferguson's record for last-four appearances in the competition, having already overtaken a string of illustrious coaches. And given he is over 20 years younger than the Manchester United boss, Mourinho is probably just getting started.