At FC Bayern there is a real house row before the semi-finals of the Champions League, but Real Madrid appears united. Coach Carlo Ancelotti surprisingly even brought David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois with him to Munich.
While FC Bayern’s house blessing is hanging awry and they seem to be preoccupied with honorary president Uli Hoeneß’s excessive criticism of Tuchel and the reactions to it on Säbener Strasse, Real Madrid is forming a unit.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti traveled with 23 professionals to the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in Munich on Tuesday – including, surprisingly, ex-FC Bayern player David Alaba, who tore his cruciate ligament in December. According to Spanish media, the Austrian is said to be unfit for action, but Ancelotti should take him to his old home in Munich so that all the professionals are together – probably as moral support.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is also surprisingly in the Real Madrid squad. The Belgian suffered a torn meniscus in March. Ancelotti had already announced the keeper’s comeback a few days ago for the league game against Cadiz on May 4th.
Real Madrid are record champions in the Champions League
Ancelotti, who coached FC Bayern between 2016 and 2017, not only came to his old employer with a unit, but also with rested players. The Italian recently rested many of his stars in the 1-0 win at Real Sociedad: Antonio Rüdiger, Toni Kroos, Vinicius Junior. The latter regularly creates dangerous situations up front – together with the 20-year-old top scorer Jude Bellingham and the 23-year-old offensive artist Rodrygo. In addition to the young star players, Real Madrid also relies on experience: Daniel Carvajal, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have made 360 Champions League appearances between them.
And one thing is also clear: Real Madrid can compete in the premier class. The Spaniards have already won the European top league 14 times, more than any other team. In the last ten years alone, Real have triumphed five times, with the Royals last winning the trophy in 2022.
Real Madrid with young offensive power and experience
And Joshua Kimmich also said the Spaniards had “that certain something”. “They always show their mentality and quality. They have a strong team, a lot of talent and experience. You can feel that, especially in important Champions League games.”
With this flair and their winning mentality, the Madrilenians also managed to defeat Manchester City, last season’s premier class winners. In the Champions League quarter-finals, Real prevailed against the English club – albeit only narrowly with a 4-3 penalty shootout.
Close games: weakness or strength of nerves?
It wasn’t just close in the quarter-finals, the Madrilenians also had to struggle against RB Leipzig and – with a little luck from the referee – they progressed after a 0-1 and 1-1 draw. And although the Madrilenians dominate the Spanish league and are on the verge of the championship title (five wins in the last five games, 13 points ahead of second-placed Girona), Ancelotti’s troops put in an unspectacular performance at El Clasico.
Jude Bellingham gave Real Madrid a late win against Barcelona 3-2 (1-1) in the first minute of stoppage time. But Real Madrid is also known for shifting gears when it matters most.
The narrow successes could be interpreted as a weakness – or as a strength. Being able to win games against top teams at the last minute or on penalties shows strong nerves. And the Madrilenians could also use that against FC Bayern.
Eighth meeting in the Champions League semi-finals
It is the eighth time that Real and Bayern have met in a semi-final of the premier class. After the Munich team advanced in four of the first five semi-final duels from 1976 to 2012, it was the Madrilenians who progressed in the last two semi-finals in the 2013/14 and 2017/18 seasons.
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Source: Blickpunkt Sport April 29, 2024 – 5:00 p.m