Real Madrid are all set to host Bayern Munich in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final at Santiago Bernabeu.
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will once again square up against each other, and this time around, it is for a place in the final of this season’s UEFA Champions League, which will be played at Wembley in London.
The first leg of this tie was played at the Allianz Arena last week, and it ended in a 2-2 stalemate. While Real Madrid took the lead in the first half, the German club bounced back with two quick goals early in the second half before eventually conceding another one.
Bayern Munich failed to win at home, and they will now have to take down the record Champions League winners Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. They have a quite big task at hand, but if there is a team that can stun Los Blancos, in their own backyard, the Bavarians are the ones.
Real Madrid have been a dominant force throughout the season. They have already secured the league title and are now all set to go after the Champions League. They took down Manchester City to make it to the semi-finals and are well-placed to go past Bayern, with things level heading into the second leg at home.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have been inconsistent for the majority of the season. For the first time in over a decade, they have failed to win the league. But, their form in the UEFA Champions League has been good, and they made it to the semi-finals after going past Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, which was a big boost for them.
But, now they gear up for their biggest test as they need to defeat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu where they have some incredible history. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
The home team will be without the services of David Alaba. Apart from him, everyone else is available for selection here. While Thibaut Courtois is back fit, Andriy Lunin is expected to continue in goal for the semi-final second leg as announced by Carlo Ancelotti ahead of their last outing.
The biggest boost for the home team is that Dani Carvajal is back available after missing the first leg due to suspension. Ancelotti will recall all his first-team regulars for this fixture after putting out a second-string team against Cadiz.
Los Blancos will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Lunin will be in goal. Dani Carvajal will be the right-back, while Ferland Mendy will continue on the left. Eder Militao might be back fit, but he is not really ready for a game of this intensity. As a result, Aurelien Tchouameni could be once again seen in the heart of the defence alongside Antonio Rudiger.
Eduardo Camavinga will feature in a holding role, with Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde in support. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and keep hold of the ball. Finally, Jude Bellingham will be the attacking midfielder, while Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior should line up as the two forwards.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Tchouameni, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior
Bayern Munich
The visitors will be without the services of Raphael Guerreiro, Kingsley Coman, Sacha Boey, Bouna Sarr, and Tarek Buchmann for this fixture. While Matthijs de Ligt is nursing a knee injury, he is expected to be back in time for this clash.
Thomas Tuchel will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Manuel Neuer will be in goal. Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies will feature as the full-backs for the visitors. Kim Min-jae is unlikely to feature in the fixture after a horror show in the first leg, Matthijs de Ligt should take his place and pair up with Eric Dier in the heart of the defence.
Konrad Laimer should pair up with Leon Goretzka in the centre of the park. They will form the double pivot in the centre of the park which will look to protect the backline. Jamal Musiala will be the attacking midfielder, while Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry should both feature on the flanks. Star striker Harry Kane will be leading the line for Bayern.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Dier, de Ligt, Davies; Goretzka, Laimer; Sane, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
Key Stats
- The head-to-head record between the two teams remains intact following the first-leg stalemate. Real Madrid have won 12 times while Bayern Munich have 11 wins in the 27 meetings between the two.
- A total of 84 goals have been scored in those 27 meetings, with Los Bancos scoring 43 of those.
- In the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid have gone past Bayern Munich on seven out of 12 occasions.
- Real Madrid have gone past Bayern Munich in the last three knockout meetings between the two teams.
- Bayern Munich have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 16 matches against Real Madrid.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham has put in incredible shifts in the knockout phase of this season’s Champions League. But the 20-year-old attacking midfielder has not found the back of the net in their last three UCL outings.
The English international, who has 22 goals and ten assists in his debut season at Real Madrid, will look to add to his tally when he takes the field against Bayern Munich. He will look to have a big impact on the biggest stage of them all.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Bayern Munich
It is going to be a hard-fought encounter between two of the best teams in Europe. While the first leg ended 2-2, this time, there will be a result for sure and we might not need penalties to separate the two teams. Bayern Munich might have done a decent job to make it this far in the tournament despite their poor overall form. But they might not be able to make it to the final.
Bayern Munich are squaring up against Real Madrid, a team that has been a dominant force throughout the season. The Merengues are all set to play in their own backyard, and taking them down at the Santiago Bernabeu is not an easy task. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
