Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are set to face each other again in the Champions League semifinals. The first leg of this highly anticipated match will take place today at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti's men will seek a favorable result to take back to Madrid for the second leg, while the German team aims to secure a victory in this initial encounter at their home stadium. Both teams are focused on laying the groundwork for a successful journey to Wembley.
In total, there have been 26 matchups between these two clubs, including home and away games. This clash is also the most balanced: Real Madrid has claimed 11 victories, there have been three draws, and Bayern Munich has won 12 times. Additionally, these two teams have played the most games in the top European competition, with Real Madrid participating in 486 matches and Bayern in 392, achieving 292 and 236 wins respectively. They are also the clubs with the most semifinal appearances: Real Madrid with 17 and Bayern with 13.
This match holds special significance for the current Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who after his first stint with the Spanish club, moved to the German side and had to endure the dominance of his current team. Since the term "black beast" was coined by Oliver Kahn to fire up the atmosphere before the 2012 semifinals, Madrid has turned the tables and become the 'white beast' of Bayern: in the 2014 semifinals, 2017 quarterfinals, and 2018 semifinals, Real Madrid emerged as the final winner and ultimately the champion of Europe. Moreover, the Madrid team has gone through these knockout rounds undefeated, with six consecutive victories.
La Liga decided and focus now on the Champions League
Real Madrid managed to eliminate Manchester City in a memorable knockout round. Despite City's dominance, Madrid rewrote history by securing their first win at the Etihad Stadium in a penalty shootout. The first leg ended in a 3-3 draw, and after a 1-1 draw in the second leg, a brilliant performance by Lunin and a decisive penalty by Rüdiger advanced them to the next round.
Real Madrid arrives in Germany after a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, a match highlighted by the outstanding performance of Arda Güler. The Madrid squad is having a season with only two defeats, leading FC Barcelona by 11 points and clinching their 36th league title. After dominating all their opponents, Ancelotti's team is now aiming for a historic double of League and Champions League titles.
The only thing that has prevented Madrid from achieving a treble this season is their defeat in the Copa del Rey at the hands of Atlético Madrid at the Cívitas Metropolitano. In fact, Diego Simeone's team is the only one that has managed to defeat Ancelotti's men, first in the league and later in the Copa del Rey.
How is Bayern Munich doing?
Bayern Munich is entering the current football season without the prospect of clinching the German league title, a dominance it held for over a decade. This year, Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen has dethroned them, an achievement made even more remarkable by the fact that Thomas Tuchel’s team has amassed more points at this stage of the season than last year. This is not so much a reflection of Bayern's underperformance, but rather a testament to Leverkusen's exceptional season that may be hard to replicate.
In their recent matches, Bayern Munich has managed four victories and one draw in their last five games. The year 2024 has been particularly challenging for the Bavarians, so much so that their coach, Tuchel, announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season. With the Bundesliga title out of reach, the Champions League remains Bayern's last chance to avoid a repeat of the disastrous 2011/12 season when they failed to secure any trophies.
In the Champions League, Bayern faced some uncertainties against Lazio, losing 1-0 in the first leg. However, they secured their advance to the next round with a resounding 3-0 victory in the return leg, highlighted by a Harry Kane brace that breathed new life into Tuchel's squad.
Bayern Munich, having reached the semifinals of Europe's premier club competition 21 times, second only in number of appearances to Real Madrid, has won the Champions League six times. They are just one title behind AC Milan and on par with Liverpool in terms of European Cup victories.
The last time Bayern Munich claimed the Champions League title was during the 2019/2020 season. In that memorable campaign, they defeated Paris Saint-Germain, led by Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, in the final. This victory, along with their infamous 8-2 thrashing of FC Barcelona, occurred in a season marked by the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, making their triumph even more historic.