At the heart of a season marked by the dismissal of coach Xabi Alonso and a promised La Liga title for Barcelona, Real Madrid now only has the Champions League, its iconic competition won 15 times, to save face. After losing in the first leg (2-1), the Spanish club will need to raise their game level this Wednesday (9pm) on Bayern’s turf to advance to the semifinals.
In case of elimination, Real risks finishing without a national title or a Champions League triumph for the second consecutive season, a feat not seen since 2005/06. Back then, President Florentino Perez resigned, admitting the failure of his Galacticos project. Despite a shaky start in the group stage, the “Merengues” rediscovered their form against Manchester City in the Round of 16, but now find themselves on the brink.
(FC: Xabi Alonso was not the head coach of Real Madrid.)
The Bayern steamroller
“If there is a team capable of winning in Munich, it’s Real Madrid. Those who don’t believe it can stay here,” stated coach Alvaro Arbeloa after the first leg defeat. President Florentino Perez echoed, “Here, no one gives up.” The result and nature of the previous match provide some hope, as Real proved to be a constant threat with offensive players Vinicius Junior and Mbappe.
While Bayern left Bernabeu victorious for the first time since 2001, much credit goes to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. “We know there’s only one goal and it can go either way. But we have a slight advantage,” assessed the Munich captain in a press conference on Tuesday.
30th encounter between the giants in the UCL
The Bayern has been eliminated only once (out of 31) after winning the first leg away (against Inter in 2011), opposite to Real’s situation. The Bavarian club is still active on three fronts this season, aiming for a 35th domestic title and showcasing dominance both nationally and continentally (11 wins to 1 defeat against Arsenal in the UCL).
“We must not be too euphoric now. I see a bit too much enthusiasm at the moment, and to be honest, it doesn’t please me,” warned former Bayern player and executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, currently a supervisory board member. “It’s exactly the controlled euphoria we need. We can take this euphoria with us because what we’ve achieved cannot be taken away. Yet, we know a formidable opponent awaits us on Wednesday,” hinted sports director Max Eberl.
Bayern has faced four consecutive Champions League eliminations against Real (2014, 2017, 2018, and 2024). Their last qualification in this classic of European football dates back to 2012.
