© Imago
It doesn’t get more prestigious than this! FC Bayern take on Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. A change of coach, a surprise cup exit against a second-division side and occasional defensive lapses that led to defeats, but also a lot of injuries have caused unrest at Real this season. But Madrid have stabilised over the last few weeks and are confident ahead of the quarter-finals. “When Real Madrid play in this competition, everything changes. We’re ready for more, for anything that comes up,” forward Vinícius Júniorsaid ahead of the clash with FC Bayern. fcbayern.com takes a look at the opposition's squad, their season so far and their current form.
Real’s season: strong start, turbulent winter
Coach Xabi Alonso was dismissed after Real lost to Barca in the Supercopa final. | © Imago
Xabi Alonso took over from Carlo Ancelotti as head coach last summer. After the former Real and Bayern pro’s impressive active career and a successful spell in the Bayer Leverkusen dugout, there were high expectations. After reaching the Club World Cup semi-finals, Real got off to a very promising start to the season, winning 13 of their first 14 competitive matches, including a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Clásico. However, a 1-0 Champions League defeat away to Liverpool marked the start of a turbulent late autumn and winter for Real. They lost their lead in the table after three draws in a row and failed to impress in Europe’s elite club competition.
Álvaro Arbeloa succeeds Xabi Alonso
Real’s results were more consistent around the turn of the year, but things remained turbulent off the pitch, with rumours about the relationship between the coach and individual players. The Supercopa final defeat to Barcelona in mid-January led to the dismissal of Xabi Alonso, with former Real pro Álvaro Arbeloa taking over. But Real were eliminated in the cup match against second-division side Albacete Balompié in Arbeloa’s first game in the dugout.
Álvaro Arbeloa has been Real Madrid's head coach since mid-January. | © Imago
The team then stabilised and reclaimed top spot in the league for a time, but Real stuggled with injuries again and again: top stars like Kylian Mbappé (knee), Jude Bellingham (thigh), Trent Alexander-Arnold (muscle injury) and recently Thibaut Courtois (muscle injury) and Rodrygo (cruciate ligament rupture) were sidelined for long periods, which led to inconsistent results. Real lost their lead in La Liga back to Barcelona and had to contest the Champions League play-offs after finishing ninth in the league phase.
Defeat in dress rehearsal
Real fell 2-1 to Mallorca in Saturday's dress rehearsal. | © Imago
Real had impressively returned to winning ways before the international break. Los Blancos had won five competitive matches in a row, including the two CL round of 16 games against Manchester City (3-0 at home and 2-1 on the road). However, Real fell 2-1 to RCD Mallorca in Saturday's dress rehearsal.
Expected line-up: Attacking power
Real's attack is packed with world stars. | © Imago
Álvaro Arbeloa usually chose a 4-4-2 formation in recent matches. Andrij Lunin is expected to start between the sticks after Courtois’ injury. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen and Fran García will probably feature in a back four. After Jude Bellingham’s injury, youngster Thiago Pitarch turned in convincing performances in central midfield recently. The 18-year-old is likely to start alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni if Bellingham isn’t fully fit. The duo of Arda Güler and Federico Valverde have proven themselves on the wings in recent weeks. Brahim Díaz played alongside Vinícius Júnior up front in recent matches, but if Kylian Mbappé is fully fit, the Frenchman, who tops the scoring charts in the Champions League (13 goals) and La Liga (23), will probably start.
Real Madrid are confident ahead of the quarter-final first leg against Bayern thanks to their recent results and the club’s self-image. They boast impressive attacking power with superstars like Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. Despite a few turbulent spells this season and recurring defensive lapses, the team are solid and extremely dangerous at the moment. For FC Bayern, the key will be to control Real’s stars in attack – and make the most of the space that opens up. Pack ma’s!
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