BAYERN MUNICH host Real Madrid in the first leg of their mouthwatering Champions League semi-final tie on Tuesday night.
The German giants booked their spot in the last four courtesy of Joshua Kimmich’s bullet header, securing a narrow 3-2 aggregate win over Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
The Champions League remains Bayern’s last chance to win silverware this campaign.
The Bundesliga outfit was dumped out of the DFB-Pokal by Saarbrucken and lost the league for the first time in 11 years to Bayer Leverkusen.
Thomas Tuchel will be aiming to bow out as Bayern manager on a high, having confirmed that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Real Madrid progressed after beating holders Manchester City on penalties at the Etihad, leaving no English teams in the Champions League final four.
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However, two of England’s biggest stars, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, are still in the competition as they prepare to face off in the semi-finals.
The pair will hope to emulate Gareth Bale, the last Brit to win a Champions League title with a foreign club when he triumphed with Real Madrid. The last of his five wins came in 2022.
The last Englishman to manage the feat was Owen Hargreaves, who won the competition with Bayern in 2001.
Bayern and Real Madrid have 20 titles between them, with that number possibly to grow at the end of the campaign.
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Madrid are aiming to win a double, having almost wrapped up the LaLiga title.
Los Blancos are 14 points clear of Girona with only five games left to play.
Their hopes of a treble ended back in January when they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Atletico Madrid in round 16.
Team news
Left-back Alphonso Davies has served his one-match ban for the quarter-final second leg against Arsenal but is an injury doubt after straining his left knee.
Matthijs de Ligt and Konrad Laimer were both forced off in the 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend and are both doubts for Tuesday night.
Jamal Musiala missed Saturday’s game but could return from a tendon issue, while Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry have returned to training and are in contention to face Real Madrid.
For the Spanish giants, starman Jude Bellingham did not play against Real Sociedad due to a stomach issue but is set to be available for Tuesday night.
Experienced right-back Dani Carvajal is suspended for the first leg at the Allianz, with Lucas Vazquez expected to start.
Who will be the key stars?
Jude Bellingham will be looking to get one over his international captain when Real take on Bayern.
The midfielder has been in fine form for the Spanish side and has been just as impressive in the Champions League.
Bellingham has scored four goals and assisted four more in the competition.
He will be just as keen to get a positive result, having played for Bayern’s rivals, Borussia Dortmund, before his move to Real.
Harry Kane will be vital for Bayern’s hopes as he has been in scintillating goalscoring form since his switch from Tottenham.
Just like Bellingham, Kane has flourished this season and has proved he can perform on the biggest stages.
In the Champions League, he has scored seven goals and assisted three more in his 10 appearances.
What have the managers said?
Tuchel has asked Bayern’s fans to create a “top atmosphere” for Real Madrid’s visit.
He said: “We need an absolutely top atmosphere.
“It was already great against Arsenal – it has to be even better now.
“We also need the spectators to support us, even in moments when it’s more difficult.
“We need maximum support to get through phases in which we have to suffer.
“Together with the spectators, we need to create an atmosphere that gives us an advantage.”
Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that defender Militao could be back in the starting eleven for Bayern.
He said: “I still have to think about the line-up for Tuesday. Militao is back, he played very well and it was his first game as a starter after returning.
“They are options and I will evaluate them all in the next few days.
“Militao is slowly getting back to his best and now he has time to improve.”
SunSport prediction
Bayern Munich 1 Real Madrid 2.
When is Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid?
- Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid will take place on Tuesday, April 30.
- Kick off will be at 8pm BST.
- The Allianz will host.
What TV channel is Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid on and can it be live streamed?
- Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.
- You can live stream the match on the discovery+ app/website.
- Alternatively, you can follow SunSport’s live blog to keep up to date with all the action.
What are the odds?
Match result
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- Bayern Munich – 13/10
- Draw – 5/2
- Real Madrid – 15/8
*Odds courtesy of Ladbrokes and are correct at the time of publication
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
