Fan views ahead of first leg at Real Madrid: ‘We can do it!’

Once again, it was nothing short of amazing. Despite temperatures just above freezing and light snowfall, over 2,000 fans turned up at Säbener Straße last Tuesday to watch Bayern’s open training session during the international break. It was as if the spectators wanted to shout across the pitch to the players: We’ll support you come what may, we’ve got your backs – especially in these now crucial weeks of the season. April brings not only the eagerly anticipated Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, but also the DFB Cup semi-final at Bayer Leverkusen (22 April) and perhaps even a potential Champions League semi-final first leg in Liverpool or Paris (28 April) – assuming quarter-final success.

But for now, the only thing that matters is this monumental clash in the Champions League against Real Madrid. Ahead of the first leg at the Bernabéu on 7 April, we spoke to the fans at training about our upcoming opponents.

Fans talk about quarter-final with Real Madrid

Marlon: “It’s going to be an incredible match. It’s the biggest game you can get in football, especially as a Bayern fan. I reckon Bayern’s chances are better this year than usual. Real might have the slightly better squad, but our players are playing so well together at the moment. Given our form, we’re the favourites right now. Bayern will beat Real and win the Champions League this year too. In the past, matches against Real have always been close – down to refereeing decisions, narrow offside calls or Cristiano Ronaldo’s class.”

Flo: “This is a top-level match, the very best of the best. Nothing beats it. I was at the stadium myself three years ago when Real played in the semi-final in Munich. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Given how the season has gone so far, I’m very confident we’ll make it through to the next round. Real are a worthy opponent, but I believe we’ll rise to the occasion.”

Markus: “The odds have never looked better. Real aren’t as good as Bayern this year. Everything has changed since Vincent Kompany joined the team. I once went to the Olympiastadion to watch Bayern take on Real – that was when Roberto Carlos scored for them. Things can only get better.”

Fenja: “Real are a tough nut to crack, but Bayern can do it this year. The last few games against them weren’t great, but it’ll be better this time.”

Andy: “It’s an absolute classic. It’s always a real treat to watch. Bayern’s chances look pretty good because they’re on a roll. I reckon Bayern are the better team, even though Real have top stars too. But stars alone don’t make a team, so I see that as a big advantage for Bayern.”

Helena: “I come from a football-mad family, so there was always huge excitement for this match. What I remember most about that clash is Neuer’s incredible save against Ronaldo – those were epic encounters.”

Marie: “We can do it! We’ve definitely got a chance. We haven’t been this good in a long time. I reckon Real will be strong at home, but we’ll be stronger at the Allianz Arena.”

David: “Probably the two biggest teams facing off. I’m absolutely certain we’ll go through.”

Sian: “It’s a top match. We’re going to knock out Real.”

Max: “I hope Bayern get to the final. I think there’s an 80 percent chance they’ll go through.”

Moritz: ‘I think it’ll be more of a 50-50 game; Real have always been good against us recently.’

Viktor: “We want to get to the semi-finals. Real are a bit of a wild card, as you can see in the league. They play well even against good teams. We need to get at least a draw in Madrid, then our chances look good.”

Take a look back on previous classic encounters at the Bernabéu: