On Tuesday 30 April, at 21:00, two of the finest records in European football meet in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League. Bayern Munich, six-time winner of the competition, welcomes Real Madrid, the holiest club, with its fourteen “big earcups” to the Allianz Arena. A prestigious poster for a great classic: the two teams have already crossed swords twenty-six times in the tournament since the 1975-1976 edition of what was then called the Champion Clubs’ Cup; among them fourteen matches from the last four (seven semi-finals, with double confrontations). A record.
Obviously, these duels gave rise to legendary encounters. In 2000, for example, the Merengue, led by Iker Casillas, deprived the Germans of the final thanks to Nicolas Anelka, who had recently joined the club: goalscorer in the first half – which ended with a success for Real at home (2 – 0) -, made it the French national team player once again made the difference with a superb header and qualified his team despite the loss in Bayern on the return leg (2-1).
Already the executioner of Munich when he was a player (in 2002 and 2004), another blue, Zinédine Zidane, was also merciless on the Madrid bench in 2017 and 2018, coronation years for the Spaniards. The first time, it was in extra time that Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real took out the German champions in the second leg of the quarter-finals (4-2), after winning against their rivals in Act 1 (1-2). The following year Merengue won again with the same away score (1-2), then a double from Karim Benzema (2-2) opened the doors to the final.
In 2012, it was Manuel Neuer who disgusted José Mourinho’s Galacticos in the semi-finals. 2-1 winners in the first leg at home, the Bavarians saw the second leg at the Santiago-Bernabeu Stadium initially turn into a nightmare, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a double inside the first quarter. Arjen Robben will close the gap before half-time, and the two teams will finally decide in a historic penalty shoot-out.
The German goalkeeper, at the top of his game, stopped Ronaldo’s effort and Kaka on the right. Casillas stopped the strikes of Toni Kroos, then Philipp Lahm. Madrid defender Sergio Ramos fired over Neuer’s goal and it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who finally freed his team. Ironically, Bayern will fail against Chelsea in the next round… on penalties.
“It’s going to be a balanced, hard-fought game”
More than ten years on, some players from those previous editions are still there – Manuel Neuer, Luka Modric, Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos – but the two regulars of the last four have changed a lot. German champions for eleven consecutive years, Bayern have already lost the Bundesliga crown – to Bayer Leverkusen – and could end this season without a title in the event of failure in the Champions League.
Eliminated from the cup – by Saarbrücken, a third division club – and from the Supercup, that Record Masterled by Thomas Tuchel, has only the big-eared cup left to save a financial year 2023-2024 marked by inconsistency and a defensive sector in crisis – 38 goals conceded in the league in 31 games.
If he starts on Tuesday, Thomas Müller will honor his 150the Champions League match. Only Iker Casillas (150 games with Real Madrid) and Xavi (151 games with FC Barcelona) have done better in the competition’s history. But Bayern’s hopes will primarily rest on England international Harry Kane, author of 42 goals this season, including seven in the European tournament, to which must be added three assists. He will find it difficult to face Antonio Rüdiger, who managed to hold off Mancunian striker Erling Haaland in the quarter-finals. The task promises to be all the more complicated for the Germans as several players, including midfielder Jamal Musiala and centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, are doubtful for Tuesday’s game.
Immortal Real Madrid, for their part, eliminated the defending champions, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, on penalties. Peaceful, especially in defence, Carlo Ancelotti’s men, leaders of La Liga, impress with their ability to overturn poorly started matches with very experienced players such as Nacho, Antonio Rüdiger, Luka Modric or Toni Kroos, and brilliant young people such as Jude Bellingham ( 20 years) or the Brazilian duo Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. (both 23 years old). Capable of ultra-fast offensive transitions, they now present themselves with the best attack in the competition (22 goals), and therefore logically in the favorite position.
But watch out for Bayern, who want to return to Wembley Stadium in London, where the final will be played on 1eh June. Where in 2013 he won his penultimate Champions League, to the detriment of Borussia Dortmund. “They’ve had a complicated season, but they’re probably in their best form at the moment. And they’ve got Harry Kane, who scores a lot of goals. It’s going to be a balanced, competitive game.”, White House coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted at a conference. In particular, Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka wants to believe so “something has appeared [en quarts] against Arsenal ». Answer to the final whistle in the second leg, in Madrid, 8 May.
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