When Real Madrid were drawn against
Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final on 10 April, there was a strange sense of disappointment. A disappointment that this clash of two of Europe's greatest sides would not be saved for a fitting finale in Lisbon on 24 May.
Instead, we have been treated to a compelling double-header that remains finely poised following Madrid's narrow 1-0 victory at the Santiago
Bernabeu last week. If Madrid are to achieve that holy grail of a tenth European Cup—la
decima—they must complete the most daunting of challenges: holding a rampant
Bayern side at the
Allianz Arena.
We have all the details you need to make sure you don't miss a moment of the action, as well as the main talking points ahead of the clash.
Match : Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid Live
Date: Wednesday, April 30
Time: 00:45GMT
Can Bayern Contain the Real Madrid Counter-Attack?
There's little dispute that
Bayern will control possession at the
Allianz Arena. Pep Guardiola's side dominated proceedings at the
Bernabeu with 72 percent of possession, as well as 17 shots in comparison to Madrid's nine, as per BBC Sport.
But statistics only tell half the story.
Despite an excellent display from
Iker Casillas in goal,
Bayern struggled to break down Madrid and convert their dominance into goals. At the
Allianz, Munich will have little option but to attack—they must score, and that in itself brings danger.
Real Madrid are Europe's greatest proponents of counter-attacking football. With an attack including Angel
di Maria, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim
Benzema and Gareth Bale, it's not hard to see why. Madrid can eviscerate their opponents within moments. One only has to watch Gareth Bale's lung-bursting rampage through the Barcelona defence in the
Copa del Rey final to understand the dangers Madrid bring.
The Times' Oliver Kay reported Pep Guardiola's comments following the first leg on Twitter:
Guardiola's challenge will be to dominate possession, while retaining sufficient cover to absorb the inevitable Madrid counter-attacks. Key to that challenge will be Bastian
Schweinsteiger, who must walk a delicate tightrope between attack and defence, ensuring that
Bayern are not overrun by Bale and Ronaldo.
Neuer vs. Ronaldo: Can the World's Best Goalkeeper Deny the World's Best Player?
If Madrid score, they will most likely claim a spot in the final. That's why Manuel
Neuer is so integral to
Bayern's hopes.
The Germany No. 1 will be called into action, and how he responds will be a key factor as to whether
Bayern go through. Ronaldo was once again in scintillating form at the weekend with two long-range goals in a 4-0 win over
Osasuna, as reported by
The Guardian.
The
Gelsenkirchen shot-stopper missed a mid-week
DFB Cup semi-final win over
Kaiserlautern with a calf injury, but
Bundesliga.com reports that
Neuer expects to be available for the return leg.
So unfavourable is Real Madrid's record against
Bayern in the Champions League that they have been nicknamed "la bestia negra" (the black beast). Of 15 clashes to date, Bayern have prevailed in eight, Madrid in six, with one draw. Not a terrible record some might say, but few clubs in Europe have a positive record against Madrid.
La
decima has become something of an obsession in the Spanish capital: That all too elusive 10th title in a competition Madrid have come to think of as their own.
But if there is one European side with as strong an affinity with the grand old trophy, it is
Bayern. Three consecutive titles in the mid-'70s under the leadership of Franz
Beckenbauer attest to that. Victory this year would make the Bavarian giants the first side to win consecutive Champions League titles.
Not only do these two European heavyweights have the expectation of the current generation on their shoulders; they also carry the tremendous burden of history. It will be the side that best deals with the expectation in the fierce cauldron of the
Allianz Arena that will rightfully go on to Lisbon; most probably to become champions of Europe.
