Real Madrid v Bayern Munich: a short history
There is footage of a notorious incident at the final whistle, when an affronted Madrid fan charged onto the pitch, struck Gerd Müller as he ran past, and then knocked down the referee, Erich Linemayr, with a single punch. A dazed Müller was carried from the field. Real Madrid were subsequently banned from European competition for one year; the newspaper Marca commented:
“Uefa has assassinated its own father.”
However, UEFA lifted the ban a few weeks later. Real Madrid, displeased by the incident, hired private detectives to identify the assailant. Eventually, a 26-year-old waiter from Madrid was identified.
The players on a yellow card
Several players from both teams are currently on yellow cards, including notable names.
Real Madrid: Huijsen, Carreras, Tchouameni, Vinicius Jr, Mbappe, Bellingham.
Bayern Munich: Laimer, Upamecano.
Real Madrid have made three changes to the side that won 2-1 at the Etihad in their last Champions League game: Andriy Lunin, Alvaro Carreras, and Kylian Mbappe replace Thibaut Courtois, Fran Garcia, and Brahim Diaz. Jude Bellingham, recently returned from injury, remains on the bench.
Bayern Munich's lineup is as expected, with two changes from the first leg of their 10-2 aggregate victory over Atalanta. Manuel Neuer and Harry Kane replace Jonas Urbig and Nicolas Jackson. The team had fielded several second-string players in the second leg against Atalanta, most of whom are on the bench tonight.
A key matchup to watch is Trent Alexander-Arnold facing his former Liverpool teammate Luis Diaz.
Real Madrid (4-2-2-2): Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Pitarch; Valverde, Guler; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
Subs: Gonzalez, Carvajal, Eder Militao, Alaba, Bellingham, Camavinga, Gonzalo Garcia, Asencio, Ceballos, Francisco Garcia, Diaz, Mastantuono.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Stanisic, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Gnabry, Diaz; Kane.
Subs: Urbig, Kim, Goretzka, Musiala, Jackson, Davies, Bischof, Ito, Guerreiro, Osmani, Karl.
Kane starts for Bayern
Harry Kane, who was doubtful for the game, is included in Bayern Munich's starting eleven. Full team news is available.
Hello, buenas noches, guten abend, and welcome to live coverage of Real Madrid versus Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals. Every football competition needs a clásico: a highly anticipated contest between two major teams. Real Madrid versus Bayern Munich is considered the clásico of European football. This is their 29th meeting and 14th two-legged tie, both UEFA records, all taking place in the European Cup or Champions League. In eight of the previous 13 ties, the winner went on to win the competition that season.
While it would be unwise to assume the same outcome this year given the competition's quality, the winner of this contest will carry a sense of destiny.
Most consider Bayern Munich the favorites: they finished second in the group stage, seven places ahead of Real Madrid, and are progressing towards another Bundesliga title. Real Madrid, meanwhile, recently lost to Mallorca and trail Barcelona by seven points in La Liga.
Form, logic, and reason often take a backseat in Champions League play. Anything can happen, which adds to the excitement ahead of this clásico.
Additional notes
At the end of tonight’s game, there is a humorous reference to a fan charging onto the pitch and assaulting referee Michael Oliver, which is a fictional exaggeration. However, it echoes the infamous incident during the first meeting between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich will aim to overcome what has become a challenging stage for them, having been eliminated in the quarter-finals in five of the six seasons since their last Champions League victory.
Another Champions League quarter-final match tonight is Sporting versus Arsenal, which can be followed with coverage by Yara El-Shaboury.
In sad news, Romanian football legend Mircea Lucescu, who coached his national team in the recent World Cup playoffs, has passed away at the age of 80.
The second leg of the Real Madrid versus Bayern Munich tie will take place in Munich one week from tomorrow. The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool in another high-profile contest.
