FC Bayern Women’s friendly with Real Madrid on Thursday (4pm CEST) has the feeling of a heavyweight European clash. It’s Germany’s domestic double winners against one of the biggest names in Spanish football at the FC Bayern Campus. The visitors have enjoyed a rapid ascent in women’s football and arrive with lofty ambitions at home and abroad. Find out more about Real Madrid here…
Young club, big ambitions
The name Real Madrid resonates around the sporting world, with connotations of glamour and power. In men’s football, it has long stood for success, especially on the continental stage. But the name was long absent from the world of women’s football. It was only in 2020 that Real entered the field by taking over local side Club Deportivo Tacón. Perhaps late to the game, but by no means slow in what they’ve done since. Anyone who believed that the club would take a quiet approach to building its women's division underestimated the DNA of the club. Real Madrid does not think in terms of years of development, but in terms of title windows. Today, just five years on, the late starters have become an integral part of the European elite – with four runner-up finishes in Spain, two quarter-final appearances in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and a squad that attracts international names.
Title dreams and a historic Clásico
Their on-field rise has been as rapid as it’s been remarkable. Real’s first season in the top-flight Liga F saw them finish second in 2020/21. They’ve since finished runners-up three more times – on each occasion behind the dominant Barcelona. They reached the final of the Copa de la Reina in 2023, losing to city rivals Atletico Madrid. Las Blancas have also made their mark on the European stage, again reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season, where they lost to eventual winners Arsenal.
The long-standing rivalry with Barcelona has also been passed from the men’s game to the women. The Catalans have been champions for the last five years and looked untouchable domestically until March 2025 when Real earned a famous 3-1 win in El Clásico. It was their first win ever against Barca and only the Catalans’ second league defeat of the season. Yes, the result was more of a matter of pride, but also a sign that the gap may well be closing.
Experienced squad
Madrid have opted for an experienced and balanced squad based around the collective. María Méndez is a reliable regular in defence, while World Cup-winner Misa Rodríguez, who has over 130 appearances for the club, is captain and goalkeeper. Alba Redondo and Signe Bruun lead the way up front. The former scored 15 goals last season, with the latter managing a combined 19 goals and assists. Athenea del Castillo provides pace and drive out wide, with the individual abilities of Caroline Weir, Teresa Abelleira and Linda Caicedo completing the team. Pau Quesada took over as coach this summer, looking to add new impetus with his experience in youth and senior football.
Familiar face returns
Thursday’s friendly sees a familiar face return to Munich in Sara Däbritz. The Germany midfielder spent four years at Bayern between 2015 and 2019, winning the Bundesliga in 2016. After successful spells and trophy-laden years at Paris Saint-German and Lyon, the 30-year-old moved to Spain this summer looking for a new challenge.
She isn’t the only German in the Madrid setup. Experienced goalkeeper Merle Frohms enjoyed success at Wolfsburg and is another new arrival alongside defender Sara Holmgaard, midfielder Hanna Bennison and promising young defender Bella Andersson as Real look to further their ambitions at home and in Europe.
Bayern will face Borussia Dortmund in the first round of the DFB Cup:
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