European champions Real Madrid welcome the visit of Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final clash holding a 2-1 advantage over the Germans as the La Liga club go in search of a third straight title.
Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes has won this tournament as both a Munich and Real coach, but now has a difficult task on his hands considering the two away goals Madrid gained at the Allianz Arena last week.
Real Madrid
© Offside
The opening fixture in Bavaria flattered to deceive given the hype that surrounded the build-up to the game, although Madrid produced at the crucial moments to take control despite a first leg littered with mistakes from both sides.
Some poor goalkeeping from Keylor Navas handed Munich an early lead through Joshua Kimmich, but Real hit back and later took control as goals either side of half time from Marcelo and Marco Asensio put the Spanish side in the driving seat.
The victory saw Real record their sixth straight win against Bayern Munich, with all of those ties coming in the knockout stages of the Champions League. The record has left Bayern suffering their longest ever run of defeats against an opponent on the continental stage.
Zinedine Zidane takes control of another crucial European night knowing that he has never been eliminated out of the Champions League at the helm of the club. Under the Frenchman's reign, Real have progressed in all eight of their two-legged Champions League ties and won both of the finals that they have appeared in.
Welcoming Bayern to the Spanish capital, Real have also won seven of their eight knockout games at home under Zidane, while the club have scored in each of their previous 41 Champions League games when competing at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Main frontman Cristiano Ronaldo was quiet in the game at the Allianz Arena, but the Portuguese striker rests safe in the knowledge that he has 25 goals in his last 16 Champions League appearances. Marcelo and Asensio's efforts have put Madrid in the driving seat and Ronaldo will now fancy his chances of making Munich toil in Spain.
Only twice in Champions League history have a side been able to overcome a first-leg home loss to win the tie and progress into the next round. Madrid produced a 2-1 victory in Germany last time these sides met in the quarter-finals of last year's tournament, Real then progressing courtesy of an extra-time win at the Bernabeu.
Madrid have clawed points back on second-placed Atletico Madrid in La Liga of late and are now just four points behind their city rivals with a game in hand over Diego Simeone's charges. Real are unbeaten in four games since losing to Juventus in Europe and come into the contest with a weakened side having beaten Leganes at the weekend.
Recent form: WWDWDW
Recent form (all competitions): DLWDWW
Bayern Munich
© Offside
Heynckes returns to his former club where he won a Champions League title knowing that Bayern have their work cut out to somehow find a way into the final in Kiev next month.
If anybody is capable of doing it, it is Heynckes, who also has a Champions League winners' medal with the Bavarian club. The German coach has now called for complete concentration in the second leg after being less than impressed with his side's showing at home.
Bayern are on course for a double domestically having already been crowned Bundesliga champions, but the Bavarians have it all to do to get beyond Real. A number of first-team players struggled for consistency at the Allianz, even key frontman Robert Lewandowski.
The Poland striker has been breaking records in the Bundesliga this term, but has not scored in four Champions League games - his longest drought with the German outfit. Bayern fans will be hoping that the forward can rediscover the kind of form he has shown domestically, with 18 goals for Bayern in 18 competitive games this year.
The club head to Spain with a rather tepid run of form against Spanish opponents competing at home. Bayern's away record against Spanish sides has seen the club win seven, draw five and lose 15 games. The Bavarians broke a run of five straight defeats in Spain when they beat Sevilla 2-1 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan earlier in the tournament.
Recent records have left Munich frustrated and the club have lost their previous three semi-final contests in Europe. Prior to that Bayern had won the last four. Heynckes and his men will be itching to get back to winning ways and put to use some promising away form of late, having bagged 15 goals in their last four away matches.
What will likely inspire Bayern is the way in which Massimiliano Allegri's Juve went about their task in Madrid. The Old Lady would have taken the game to extra time had it not been for Ronaldo's crucial injury-time penalty in the quarter-finals.
Heynckes will be aiming to bow out from his latest Bayern stint before Niko Kovac arrives in the summer and in spite of the club's mounting injury crisis, the coach will know that his side are still in with a fighting chance given his experience on the continental stage.
Recent form: LWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): DWWWLW
Team News
© BBC
The crucial news for Madrid is that Daniel Carvajal has been ruled out after picking up a troubling knock in the first leg. Nacho has recently returned to full training but lacks match fitness, meaning that Lucas Vazquez might have to do a job at right-back.
Both Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos were rested over the weekend and are likely to return. Raphael Varane is carrying a slight knock but he should be fine to feature.
Niklas Sule was solid off the bench in the first leg and he is expected to start next to Mats Hummels for Bayern with Jerome Boateng out through injury.
Arjen Robben has been left out of the squad too after being taken off injured during the first leg, likely leaving Heynckes to opt for a 4-3-3 that sees Lewandowski, Franck Ribery and Thomas Muller starting up top.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Navas; Vazquez, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Asensio; Ronaldo, Bale
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Ulreich; Kimmich, Sule, Hummels, Rafinha; Alcantara, Martinez, Rodriguez; Ribery, Lewandowski, Muller
Head To Head
When the teams meet in Madrid it will be the 26th contest between the sides in UEFA club competitions - setting a new record.
Madrid have won 12 of those meetings, while Bayern have 11 victories to their name. During the contests there has been a total of 76 goals scored across the games.
The last time the teams met at the Bernabeu, Madrid progressed beyond Bayern following a 4-2 extra-time victory in last year's quarters.
We say: Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich
Madrid will be buoyed given how they performed against Bayern last year in the knockouts, while Zidane's charges have only known European success under the French manager.
Despite not scoring last week, Ronaldo has seven goals in his last four appearances against Bayern and will be hoping to provide the Germans with further torment at the Bernabeu.
Bayern were below their efficient standards at home last week and will need to call on the experience of Heynckes and some of his more well-travelled squad members to stand a chance of upsetting the odds in the Spanish capital.
Christopher Dodd
