Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: Champions League – team news, start, lineups

Who: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
What: Champions League quarterfinal, archetypal leg
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
When: Tuesday, April 7 astatine 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary stream.

Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich sojourn Real Madrid precocious connected assurance and looking similar Europe’s astir implicit side, bolstered by the apt instrumentality of superstar striker Harry Kane.

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Kane, who has scored 48 goals successful 40 appearances crossed each competitions this season, missed Bayern’s battling 3-2 Bundesliga triumph astatine Freiburg connected Saturday with an ankle issue.

“He’d play successful a wheelchair,” said Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, portion Kompany added that helium had “a feeling” that the England striker would beryllium acceptable to look Madrid.

Despite Madrid’s prestige and troupe of attacking stars – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham included, arsenic good arsenic City hat-trick leader Federico Valverde – Bayern are arguably favourites to assistance the trophy.

Record 15-time winners Madrid person endured a hard season, plagued by inconsistency, but person made a wont of pulling disconnected the unexpected successful this competition.

Just arsenic it seemed their good of Champions League magic was moving dry, Madrid produced their best performance of the play to crush Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City successful the past 16.

‘We consciousness unbeatable astatine the moment’

With Michael Olise and Luis Diaz joining Kane successful attack, Kompany’s broadside play an aggressive, high-pressing benignant which helped them demolish Atalanta successful the past 16, 10-2 connected aggregate.

Bayern came from 2 goals down to bushed Freiburg astatine the play and match-winner Lennart Karl said that warring tone was important heading into the Madrid clash.

“It gives america a batch of confidence. It was precise important – we really consciousness unbeatable astatine the moment,” helium said, with Bayern’s past decision coming successful January, 14 matches ago.

In that aforesaid play Madrid person mislaid 4 times, with manager Alvaro Arbeloa struggling to find the close equilibrium erstwhile each his superstars are fit, conscionable similar Xabi Alonso and Carlo Ancelotti earlier him.

“They’re not playing the champion football, but they’re outstanding successful presumption of experience,” noted honorary Bayern President Uli Hoeness.

“It would beryllium presumptuous to presume that we’ll decidedly advance,” helium added. “But we haven’t had specified large chances successful presumption of the playing prime arsenic we person this twelvemonth successful a agelong time.”

Olise, left, celebrates with teammate Harry Kane aft scoring the opening extremity against FC Union Berlin connected March 21  [Anna Szilagyi/EPA]

‘I cognize what my players are susceptible of’

Madrid fell to a disappointing decision astatine Mallorca successful La Liga connected Saturday, leaving them seven points down rivals Barcelona successful the Spanish rubric race.

Arbeloa brushed disconnected the decision and said it would person nary bearing connected his team’s show against Bayern, successful the club’s favoured competition.

“I cognize what my players are susceptible of, I cognize they recognize the value of Tuesday’s game,” Arbeloa told reporters.

“The request connected the squad volition beryllium maximum and I cognize the enactment that Madrid fans volition connection america – with them, everything is easier.”

Mbappe reacts aft failing to people against Mallorca [Jaime Reina/AFP]

Bernabeu demands ‘nerves of steel’

Bayern are good alert of the interaction of Madrid’s supporters connected large European nights astatine the Bernabeu, which, on with the value of past and sublime idiosyncratic quality, helps Los Blancos propulsion disconnected singular results adjacent erstwhile the likelihood are against them.

“It’s the stadium and the fans who, unneurotic with the team, alteration into a hurricane that sweeps implicit the opponent,” said Bayern powerbroker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“You request nerves of steel, you person to enactment calm, and you person to beryllium mentally prepared … it’s not conscionable an mean game. It volition beryllium the toughest test.”

Two Bayern players who recognize that much than astir are goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich, who person some cracked successful the Bernabeu unit cooker before.

In the 2018 semifinal Ulreich went to prime up a backmost walk earlier abruptly realising his mistake and fto it tally past him, with Karim Benzema tapping into the bare net.

Madrid went connected to triumph that tie, arsenic they person connected each of the past 4 knockouts against Bayern. In each of those years, they went connected to assistance the trophy.

In the 2024 semifinals erstwhile Stoke City striker Joselu struck doubly successful the dying moments of the 2nd leg, the archetypal aft a Neuer handling error, to nonstop Bayern crashing out.

Head-to-head

No teams person faced each different much successful the competition, with Tuesday’s lucifer the 29th juncture Madrid volition conscionable Bayern.

Each nine has 12 wins implicit the other, with 4 of their encounters ending arsenic draws.

The German giants past eliminated Los Blancos successful 2012 but judge they yet person the prime this twelvemonth to rewrite the communicative of the past decade.

Last 10 encounters:

• May 8, 2024: Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern (Champions League semifinal)
• April 30, 2024: Bayern 2-2 Real Madrid (Champions League semifinal)
• May 01, 2018: Real Madrid 2-2 Bayern (Champions League semifinal)
• April 25, 2018: Bayern 1-2 Real Madrid (Champions League semifinal)
• April 18, 2017: Real Madrid 4-2 Bayern (Champions League quarterfinal)
• April 12, 2017: Bayern 1-2 Real Madrid (Champions League quarterfinal)
• April 29, 2014: Bayern 0-4 Real Madrid (Champions League semifinal)
• April 23, 2014: Real Madrid 1-0 Bayern (Champions League semifinal)
• April 25, 2012: Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern(p) (Champions League semifinal)
• April 17, 2012: Bayern 2-1 Real Madrid (Champions League semifinal)

Madrid’s squad news

First-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is Real Madrid’s biggest absentee arsenic a thigh wounded picked up during the past 16 second-leg triumph implicit Man City has ruled him retired for astir six weeks. Andriy Lunin is acceptable to play betwixt the sticks again successful Courtois’s absence.

Rodrygo is besides sidelined with an injury, portion Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos are doubts.

However, cardinal midfielder Federico Valverde is acceptable to instrumentality to the broadside aft serving a suspension successful La Liga.

Jude Bellingham whitethorn person to beryllium contented with starting connected the seat arsenic helium works his mode backmost towards afloat fittingness pursuing a hamstring injury.

Predicted lineup:

Lunin (goalkeeper); Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Pitarch, Guler; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

Bayern’s squad news

Ulreich, Cassiano Kiala, David Santos and Wisdom Mike person each been ruled retired with injuries, portion Kane volition look a precocious fittingness assessment.

If Kane is incapable to play, past Nicolas Jackson is expected to pb the line.

Olise and Kimmich are acceptable to instrumentality from serving suspensions successful the past 16.

Predicted lineup:

Neuer (goalkeeper); Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Gnabry, Diaz; Kane.