Bayern take on Real Madrid in this year’s Champions League semi-finals, with Los Blancos coming to the Allianz Arena for the first leg on Tuesday. The Bavarians then head to Madrid and the Santiago Bernabeu eight days later to determine who will reach the final at Wembley. It’s set to be a hotly contested two games against the competition’s record winners. Find out more about Real in our opposition profile…
The competition: European royalty
The club from the Spanish capital have been champions of Europe a record 14 times. To put that into perspective, the next best teams are AC Milan with seven, then Bayern and Liverpool with six each. Real have won it five times alone in the last 10 years, most recently in 2022.
Their success on the continent’s big stage stems from their remarkable winning mentality. The Madrid club appear to come into their element in the knockout stage, as they proved once again in their quarter-final victory over Manchester City. Captain Nacho and his team battled back after going behind before holding their nerve in the shootout in Manchester, despite missing their first spot-kick.
The team: Lots of experience and exciting talent
The fact Real have once again made it to the Champions League’s final four this year is down to the quality of their squad. Starting at the back, where Antonio Rüdiger has established himself as their rock in central defence. The Germany international has mostly been partnered recently by captain Nacho or Aurelien Tchouameni. Former Bayern man David Alaba is out for a number of months with a cruciate ligament injury.
The real experience in this Real team comes from the trio of Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who combined have 360 appearances in the Champions League. It’s often been Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde alongside ex-Bayern playmaker Kroos in midfield, while 20-year-old Jude Bellingham is their top scorer. Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior (both 23) round off the exciting youngsters in the final third.
The coach: Nobody can outdo Ancelotti
There’s a familiar face on the Madrid bench in Carlo Ancelotti, who was in charge at Bayern between 2016 and 2017. The Italian returned to the Bernabeu in summer 2021, having previously been at the helm between 2013 and 2015. The 64-year-old is vastly experienced with 201 Champions League matches under his belt, but he’s also the most decorated coach in the competition’s history with an outright record of four Champions League titles. He lifted it twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007, before achieving the feat two more times with Real in 2014 and 2022.
The veteran tactician now returns to his former stomping ground at the Allianz Arena and will be reunited with five ex-players from his time in Munich in Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich, Joshua Kimmich, Kingsley Coman and Thomas Müller.
Current form: On course for title
Los Blancos lead the way in Spain’s LaLiga with six games to go. They took a big step towards the title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Barcelona a few days ago after Bellingham’s added-time winner. Real were also victorious on Friday night with a 1-0 win away at Real Sociedad, having rested a number of key players. The Madrid club have lost only once in the league all season, being beaten 3-1 by city rivals Atletico Madrid in September.
Their record in the Champions League this season is even more impressive, having not tasted defeat once in Europe in 2023/24. They recorded a perfect group stage with six wins from six before a 2-1 aggregate success over RB Leipzig in the round of 16. Two draws in the quarter-final against Manchester City (3-3 and 1-1) took that tie to penalties, where the Spaniards prevailed. The only blotch on their season remains the early elimination in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey (4-2 after extra-time against Atletico)
A closer look at the numbers means their success this season is no surprise. Real top the LaLiga chart for goals scored (71) and fewest goals conceded (22). They have also demonstrated tactical versatility, with Ancelotti mostly opting for a midfield diamond behind two strikers. However, their recent games have seen variations of 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations, allowing the forwards the freedom to play to their strengths.
In focus: Jude Bellingham
Summer signing Bellingham has become central to Ancelotti’s system. The England midfielder embodies Real’s winning mentality, regularly snatching vital points for his team late in games. His goal in added time in El Clasico was the fourth time this season he’s netted the winner after the 90th minute.
The 20-year-old has exceeded all expectations following his summer switch from Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham boasts 21 goals and 10 assists to his name in a Real shirt. He’s mostly been used as a number 10, given freedom to break forward to appear in dangerous areas. Bayern will be well aware of what he’s capable of from his time in Germany, though,
Head-to-head: Even!
These two giants of European football have met 26 times before, making this the most played fixture in the history of the Champions League/European Cup. The record so far is 12 wins for Bayern, 11 for Real, plus three draws. The most recent encounter was in the 2017/18 semi-finals. The Spaniards advanced on that occasion after a 2-1 first-leg win in Munich and a 2-2 draw back in Madrid. This time Bayern want to ensure they’ll be the ones in the final…
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