It's Germany's record champions against the Spanish equivalent, with FC Bayern set to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The first leg against Los Blancos will be played on 30 April, with the second leg taking place on 8 May. fcbayern.com has the lowdown on the opposition...
While coach Thomas Tuchel's team booked their place in the next round with a home win against Arsenal, Carlo Ancelotti's side beat holders Manchester City. After a high-scoring 3-3 draw in the first leg at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, the Madridistas won the return fixture on penalties to advance to the last four. As a result, Los Blancos remain unbeaten in this season's Champions League.
Almost flawless in the Champions League
Real took maximum points in the group stages, seeing off Union Berlin (1-0, 3-2), Napoli (3-2, 4-2) and Braga (2-1, 3-0) to reach the knockouts as section winners. In the round of 16, the club from Spain’s capital once again faced a German team, with RB Leipzig fighting vailiantly in a 2-1 aggregate loss (1-0, 1-1). Man City also threw everything at Real in the quarter-finals, levelling the tie at 4-4 late in the second leg (3-3, 1-1), only to fall short from the spot.
On course for La Liga title
In La Liga, the 35-time Spanish champions seem to have no equal this season. With just a few matchdays left to go, Real are eight points clear of second-placed FC Barcelona. Their Copa del Rey exit to city rivals Atlético after extra-time in the round of 16 is the only real blot to their copybook.
Real's key players
It's not without reason that Real are once again among the favourites for this season's Champions League, especially as the squad is stacked with world-class players. Two mainstays are ex-Bayern duo Toni Kroos and David Alaba, the latter of whom is currently injured. Going forward, summer signing Jude Bellingham has made a big impact, and alongside the club's top scorer, Brazilian pair Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo are big threats in front of goal. Veterans such as Luka Modrić, Daniel Carvajal and captain Nacho Fernández bring a wealth of added experience to the team.
Bayern's record against Real
Bayern and Real have met 26 times in the Champions League so far, and their record could hardly be more evenly matched: 42 goals apiece, twelve wins, three draws and eleven defeats from Bayern's point of view. Looking at the stats, we're in for another thrilling semi-final clash!
Watch highlights of Bayern's win over Arsenal below:
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