UEFA Champion's League Semi-Final Preview and Prediction
Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid: Champions League semi-final preview and Prediction
Their only prospect of a trophy this season, Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday
Bayern’s final shot at salvation in 2023/24 comes in Europe with their campaign reignited by a quarter-final victory over English Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Already out of the DFB Cup and now at best Bundesliga runners-up for the first time in 12 years, the full focus in Bavaria is on the sporting behemoths from Madrid.
In preparation for the match, the record champions' star man, Harry Kane, warmed up his shooting boots with two goals in a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The England captain is Europe’s deadliest striker with 42 goals in 42 games this season and he will be giving everything to capture the first trophy of his professional career finally.
Kane has met Real twice before at Tottenham and is unbeaten, but the history between the clubs is far more extensive. This will be the 27th meeting between the European giants and it currently stands at 11 wins for Bayern and 12 for Madrid, with FCB’s last victory coming in the 2012 edition when a penalty shoot-out victory earned a spot in the final in Munich.
Since then Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has managed both sides and been victorious in the fixture while in Spain, but not during his time in Germany between 2016 and 2017. Current Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel will be leaving at the end of the season, but has a wealth of experience in the Champions League and was a winner with Chelsea in 2021.
Just a year prior Bayern collected their sixth title in Lisbon at the expense of Tuchel's Paris Saint-Germain, and only two sides have lifted the European Cup on more occasions - AC Milan and their final four opponents in white
Real Madrid were potentially still reeling from their 4-0 demolition job from Manchester City in last season’s Champions League semi-finals but exorcised those demons by taking down the holders on penalties to set up an iconic reunion with Bayern.
Following that victory, they then beat rivals Barcelona in La Liga to put one hand on the title, and they’ve since moved even closer, with a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad putting them one win from glory.
Making a surprise appearance on the bench in that game, but not featuring, was a familiar face for Bayern fans, of Jude Bellingham. The former Borussia Dortmund man was struggling with gastroenteritis, but even making the dugout suggests all should be well for a return to the Allianz Arena.
The England superstar faced Bayern eight times for BVB and never experienced victory, losing seven and drawing one. Now, though, the 20-year-old is a completely different animal, taking on a new attacking role that has seen him rack up 21 goals and 10 assists - his best career total, and the best of any Madrid player this season.
An even more recognisable name joined him in having a rest of the bench, former Bayern star Toni Kroos, who is having an epic season that coincides with a return to the Germany national team. Star forward Rodrygo and defender Ferland Mendy did not make it, but both have trained fully before travelling to Germany.
Match stats
Only Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappé (8 goals) has found the net more times in this season's Champions League than Kane (7).
Bellingham has four assists in the competition this season, only current BVB man Marcel Sabitzer has more (5). Kane is also Bayern's leading goal-maker in the competition with three assists.
Kroos won three Bundesliga winner's medals during eight years at Bayern (2006-2014). He made over 200 competitive appearances and would have played more but for an 18-month loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen (January 2009-summer 2010).
Like Kroos, Alaba made his name at Bayern. He collected 10 Bundesliga titles, six DFB Cups, two Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups over 12 years at the club, which also included a half-season loan at Hoffenheim in the 2010/11 campaign.
Bayern's record against Spanish clubs reads: W33, D16, L20. At home, it's an impressive 21 wins and four losses from 32 matches.
No teams have featured more in the Champions League semi-finals than Bayern and Madrid. Meanwhile, this is the eighth time the pair have met in the last four. Bayern have won four of those ties to Madrid's three.
PREDICTION: FULL-TIME DRAW @3.55
Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League semi-final preview and prediction
Borussia Dortmund will look to take advantage of France as they host Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
Flying in Europe in 2023/24, Dortmund suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat away at RB Leipzig last time out. Despite the result, they can no longer finish lower than fifth, which is likely to be enough to secure a Champions League spot next season, regardless of whether they go all the way and lift the trophy at Wembley.
However, with a place in the showpiece now just two games away, Edin Terzić and Co. will be desperate to prevail here and keep their dreams of a second Champions League success alive. Jadon Sancho was his side's goalscorer at the Red Bull Arena, and he is expected to feature on the right of three attacking midfielders against PSG.
Donyell Malen remains a major doubt, but Sébastien Haller - who scored a crucial goal against Atlético Madrid in the quarter-final first leg - is out. Emre Can and Ian Maatsen are available again, though following domestic one-match bans.
Runners-up to Dortmund in the group stage, PSG missed the opportunity to clinch a 12th Ligue 1 title at the weekend, although they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Le Havre. Head coach Luis Enrique rotated his starting XI, which included keeping Kylian Mbappé on the bench before introducing him in the second half.
PSG defeated Barcelona 6-4 on aggregate to reach the final four, with this just their third-ever semi-final appearance. For this clash, the French outfit is only without Presnel Kimpembe and Sergio Rico, neither of whom would be expected to start.
There will be several familiar faces for Dortmund to encounter, too - ex-players Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé are likely to play from the off. At the same time, former Bayern Munich defender Lucas Hernández should slot in at the heart of the back four alongside captain Marquinhos.
Match stats
Marcel Sabitzer leads the way for Champions League assists in 2023/24 with five, one more than a group of players on four that features former Dortmund midfielders Jude Bellingham and İlkay Gündoğan.
This is Dortmund's fourth Champions League semi-final and their first since reaching the all-Bundesliga final against Bayern in 2012/13. There is a chance of a repeat of that final, should BVB beat PSG and Bayern get past Real Madrid.
Dortmund finished top of Group F, three points ahead of PSG to qualify for the knockout stages, despite losing in Paris and drawing the home tie.
Hakimi scored seven times in 54 Bundesliga games for BVB, while Dembélé notched 12 assists and scored six times in 32 league appearances in 2016/17, helping the club to the DFB Cup.
Randal Kolo Muani scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt last term. He even played the first two games of the 2023/24 campaign, scoring the only goal in the Matchday 1 win at home to Darmstadt, before joining PSG.
Meanwhile, Hernández won four Bundesliga titles with Bayern and did the Bundesliga-DFB Cup-Champions League-UEFA Super Cup-FIFA Club World Cup quintuple with the record German champions in 2019/20.
PREDICTION: OVER 2.5 GOALS @1.50
