Real Madrid take on Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final tonight after the first leg finished in a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena.
Last week Vinicius Jr was on target twice for Madrid to cancel out goals by Leroy Sane and Harry Kane for Bayern, leaving Thomas Tuchel’s side needing to pull off a win in the Santiago Bernabeu to reach the final. “It’s one of the most difficult stadiums to win in, but not impossible,” Tuchel said yesterday. “Given that they’re at home, it’s maybe at 51 per cent for Real.”
Madrid claimed their 36th La Liga title at the weekend having lost only one league match all season. Ahead of this second leg the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, said that “anything can happen” as Madrid bid to add to their 14 European Cups. “We respect [Bayern] because they did very well and better than us in the first leg,” he admitted.
Follow all the live action in the blog below and get the latest Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich predictions and tips.
Kane for the golden boot?
Harry Kane has enjoyed a record-breaking first season at Bayern Munich with 44 goals in 44 appearances. That includes 36 goals in 32 Bundesliga games, the most in a debut campaign even in Germany.
His Champions League record has been pretty strong, too. With eight goals in 11, Kane is joint-top scorer in the Champions League this season, along with Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe is out, of course, so won’t be able to add to that. Kane’s closest challenger for the golden boot is Madrid’s Vinicius and Rodrygo, who have five goals each.
Jamie Braidwood8 May 2024 18:15
A look back at the first leg
Maybe there’s been an element of Real Madrid’s backline almost gaslighting teams all this time, defending off that aura. You don’t have to go around them repeatedly in the way Manchester City did – just go at them. That almost seemed to be proven a mere four minutes later when Jamal Musiala similarly went through.
Lucas Vazquez was apparently so confused by this that he made an unnecessary foul, with Kane then rolling in the penalty.
This was in the middle of two spells when Bayern could maybe have put the game out of sight. They had enough chances. Kane almost finished a big one, flashing just wide. Before that, he had just been a touch too slow when put through on goal.
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 18:00
A look back at the first leg
It seemed a vintage Real Madrid performance. They’d done the usual number on their opponents, while showing Thomas Tuchel hasn’t got many games left.
There was even the fact that Kroos and Vinicius exposed an area that has been a problem for Bayern all season. They’ve never properly covered that space in front of the defence, unless it is with massed ranks as against Arsenal.
Then, however, Bayern did something that most don’t do against Madrid. They went direct.
Some of that was itself directly influenced by a key Tuchel change. He introduced Raphael Guerreiro for Leon Goretzka, and Real Madrid didn’t really know how to respond to his movement.
Suddenly there was that bit more space for Bayern’s attackers, with Leroy Sane sprinting into it and then thumping the ball past Andriy Lunin to score. It was as brilliant as it was blunt.
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 17:45
A look back at the first leg
For all the evidence we have of 14 European Cups and so many world-class players, like Vinicius Junior, there is still sometimes a mystery over how the modern Real Madrid have actually managed this. They seem to leave so much to pure chance, in a way they shouldn’t even need to.
There is obviously intent and design here, given their recent record of success, but does that really involve the opposition getting into the box so often?
There was one spell in the first half when Madrid had nine players back in their box, all waiting to pounce on any open space. It was like a super-deluxe Sean Dyche Burnley.
Bayern had been doing an impressive job of forcing them back but, the longer they went without scoring, the more you sensed what was coming. Dyche’s Burnley never had anyone like Toni Kroos and Vinicius doing that.
Bayern could have done with a bit more defensive robustness themselves. As good as Kroos and Vinicius are, the German was allowed to amble into the middle and just pick a pass through the centre. The casual nature of it was only emphasised by Vinicius’s speed, which was matched by Kim Min-jae inexplicably thundering out in defence. Vinicius was left to just simply roll the ball past Manuel Neuer.
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 17:30
A look back at the first leg
A game that had almost everything was never going to leave Real Madrid with nothing. That’s just not how they do things in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti’s side probably deserved to lose. They were definitely the inferior side. Their English star had a much more challenging night than Bayern Munich’s English star.
And yet it is the 14-time champions that of course leave a big European night that bit more satisfied. Real Madrid have a 2-2 draw and now have the chance to win this semi-final in their own stadium.
It didn’t quite go the way everyone expected after Vinicius Junior’s opening goal, given how impressively Bayern Munich rallied. And yet the Germans – and even Harry Kane – will feel they could have scored far more.
That subtle psychology might be crucial for the second leg as Bayern try to save their season and Madrid only seek to embellish theirs, and their record. While Kane did score a penalty, it wasn’t a night to enhance Jude Bellingham’s reputation. He was substituted and had one of his most anonymous games for the club, ensuring Ancelotti found him quite dispensable. That might only rile Bellingham further for the second leg. There is still a job to be done, and a massive game to come.
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 17:15
Harry Kane reveals what Jude Bellingham said before Champions League penalty
The match ended in a 2-2 draw and Kane revealed that the 20-year-old told him what he’d said after the match.
“In the moment, I didn’t know what he said but I spoke to him after and he said: ‘I know you’re going to go left of the keeper’.” said Kane,
“On the pitch, I knew he was there but I didn’t know what he said. But I went left anyway. It was nice for me because I saw the keeper go a little bit early and I put it away.”
The penalty was Kane’s 43rd goal in 43 games in all competitions this season and helps Bayern in their aim of finishing the season by lifting the Champions League.
“It’s been a good season so far,” said Kane, who joined Bayern from Tottenham for an initial £86.4m last summer.
“Everything we’re fighting for this year is in this competition. It’ll be tough. We have to go [to the Bernabeu for the second leg] with full belief.
“I’m here for many years. It’s not a one-off year I’m here for. Of course at the start of the season the expectation was to win trophies. The Champions League is the biggest one. If we can somehow get our hands on that one, it would be an amazing season.
“These are the big games. The atmosphere was incredible. This is exactly why I came here, I want to be playing in these big games, these big moments.”
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 17:00
Harry Kane reveals what Jude Bellingham said before Champions League penalty
The score was level at 1-1 when Bayern were awarded the penalty and the young Real Madrid midfielder attempted to play some mindgames with his England captain.
Bellingham could be seen whispering to the striker as he placed the ball before being marshalled out of the box and Kane has now disclosed that Bellingham said “you’re going to go left of the keeper” in an effort to distract the Bayern star.
From his perspective, Kane did shoot left of goalkeeper Andriy Lunin who leapt in the opposite direction but added that he did not initially hear Bellingham’s suggestion.
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 16:45
Owen Hargreaves backs Harry Kane to deliver for Bayern Munich in Madrid
Hargreaves, who will be part of TNT Sport’s coverage of the second leg, added: “Harry’s football intelligence is special. We know that Harry will be there (with a performance) on Wednesday night. It is just, ‘Will the supporting cast be there?’
“The front players will create and score, so Bayern just have to tidy up at back and if they can do that then they give themselves a good chance.”
England midfielder Jude Bellingham will be hoping to help Real end the England captain’s European ambitions.
Hargreaves feels Bellingham has been “exceptional” this season after joining from Borussia Dortmund and believes the 20-year-old is one of several players who can help inspire England to a successful Euro 2024 campaign.
“Jude is at probably the biggest pressure club in the world in Real Madrid,” said Hargreaves, who won 42 England caps, playing at the 2002 and 2006 World Cup as well as Euro 2004.
“The way he adapts and manages that pressure to play to the level he has is exceptional.
“You know with Harry he is going to guarantee you goals, but I am just so excited about Phil (Foden) and Cole Palmer, (Bukayo) Saka and Declan (Rice), we have got so much to look forward to.
“There is pressure, but it is good pressure because they are creating something quite special.
“I am just excited to see how we put it all together, all the pieces of the puzzle.”
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 16:30
Owen Hargreaves backs Harry Kane to deliver for Bayern Munich in Madrid
“Obviously it hasn’t gone according to plan in the Bundesliga, but you have got to take your hat off to Leverkusen, because they have been spectacular,” Hargreaves told the PA news agency.
“Bayern just haven’t been consistent in the big games for multiple reasons – but definitely not Harry Kane.
“On the pitch and off the pitch, everybody has been so impressed by Harry – he is kind of the humble superstar.
“I am proud of him in a way for leaving his comfort zone and trying something new, I think every player should do it.
“It is easy to stay home, but when you leave you can learn a new language and culture.
“He probably wishes he won a couple of trophies this season, but next year I am sure there will be great opportunities.
“And let’s be honest, Harry could still win the two biggest ones of his life this season – the Champions League and the Euros – so that puts him in the Ballon d’Or conversation.”
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 16:15
Owen Hargreaves backs Harry Kane to deliver for Bayern Munich in Madrid
“Humble superstar” Harry Kane can spur Bayern Munich on to Champions League success before setting his sights on Euro 2024 glory, according to former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves.
Bayern head to Real Madrid for the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday night, which will be shown live on TNT Sports, with the tie delicately poised at 2-2.
Kane, who converted a spot-kick in the first meeting, has impressed in Germany following his big-money summer move from Tottenham, scoring 36 Bundesliga goals.
Despite Kane’s consistency in front of goal, setting a new record for a player in their first Bundesliga season, a first major trophy has so far continued to elude the England captain as Bayer Leverkusen marched to the title.
But Hargreaves, who moved to Bayern as a 16-year-old from Canada and went on to win four league titles and the Champions League before joining Manchester United, feels there could yet be a golden end to Kane’s campaign.
Sonia Twigg8 May 2024 16:00
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