Champions League: Real Madrid x Bayern Munich Preview, Predictions and Odds (08/05/2024)

The return leg of the Champions League semifinals between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will take place at the dramatic Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Since securing their 36th La Liga championship over the weekend, Los Blancos enter Wednesday's matchup overflowing with confidence. After rearranging his pack in a 3-0 victory over Cadiz, Carlo Ancelotti will likely field the strongest possible squad this time. Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde, and Vinicius Junior have all returned to the starting XI. The only home team absence should be David Alaba, as Dani Carvajal has returned from suspension.

Conversely, the Bavarians were defeated by Stuttgart 3-1 in their most recent Bundesliga match. Given the lacklustre performance of Thomas Tuchel's squad, we are inclined to wager on Real Madrid, given that they have transformed their Estadio Santiago Bernabeu into an absolute fortress. Due to injuries, the visiting team lacks Kingsley Coman, Raphael Guerreiro, Jamal Musiala, and Bouna Sarr.

Head To Head And Previous Matches

This matchup between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the Champions League/European Cup will mark their 28th encounter, establishing it as the most-contested fixture in the competition's history. Throughout the years, there have been epic confrontations, with Bayern dominating the early meetings by claiming nine of the first thirteen and losing only three, instilling Los Blancos supporters with dread.

Bayern dominated this match until the second leg of the 2002 quarterfinals, in which they were defeated 2-0 despite winning the first 2-1. Real has won just two of the last fourteen meetings since their first-leg loss in Munich in 2002, during which time the Spaniards have had the most success. Despite this, Bayern twice eliminated Real Madrid from the Champions League: in the 2007 round of 16, they prevailed on away goals following a 4-4 aggregate draw; in the 2012 semifinals, they prevailed on penalties following a 3-3 deadlock in the first two legs.

It is no secret that Real Madrid and Bayern Munich supporters regard their clubs' rivalry as the most significant international rivalry in European football. Last week's 2-2 stalemate in the first leg undoubtedly supported this assertion. We can now lie back and observe the pandemonium unfold once more.

Our Predictions

Real Madrid to win @1.87 on Skybet. ng

Real Madrid does not comprehend the term "boring" in the context of Champions League knockout matches, particularly in front of the white-clad Bernabeu audience, where Ancelotti's squad nearly invariably finds the secret to triumph.

As their injury situation improves, Bayern might be able to field a nearly full-strength squad, but their road performance in 2024 has been rife with vulnerabilities, and such defensive weaknesses could prove fatal as Real advances to Wembley after a mesmerizing matchup.

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