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On Tuesday we will find out if Munich's "Bayern" will take the first step towards the Champions League final - to be held specifically in this German city. This will require a favorable result against the powerful Madrid "Real" team.
Munich's "Bayern" - Madrid "Real" Stadium: "Allianz" arena, Munich (Germany) Referee: Howard Webb (England) Kick-off: 21.45 Broadcast: TV6, "Viasat Sport Baltic" (both live)
Munich will host the leader of the Spanish league, Madrid, in the first Champions League semi-final match on Tuesday.
The Germans will try to bounce back after setbacks on the domestic front: a loss to their main competitor, Dortmund's "Borussia," 0-1 and a draw 0-0 with "Mainz" practically burying Bayern's hopes of winning the country's championship title. Currently, "Borussia" leads the table with a safe 8-point advantage.
Despite this, critics cautiously assess Real's chances of crossing Jupp Heynckes' pupils, who have won six consecutive Champions League matches at home.
It is undeniable that the Spanish duo of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, not to mention Mario Gomez, who has scored 38 goals this season in all competitions, will cause big problems for the Spaniards. In addition, after an injury, attack organizer Bastian Schweinsteiger has recovered.
However, Bayern will have to do without another actively playing defender, David Alaba, who will miss the match due to yellow cards.
The hosts will face the challenge of Real, who have not lost in 20 consecutive matches in all competitions. The last time Jose Mourinho's students stumbled was on January 18, when they had to admit Barcelona's superiority.
Real's main strength is an unstoppable attack, which has already repeated the rapidly falling goal-scoring record in the Spanish league - 107 goals. One of the main "culprits" is Cristiano Ronaldo: the Portuguese forward has already defeated opponents' goalkeepers 53 times this season. He is assisted by Karim Benzema with 29 goals and 14 assists.
It is worth noting that the defense is also solid: Real has only conceded six goals in this Champions League season - the best result among the semi-final participants.
In addition, Portuguese coach Mourinho has a superbly fit Kaka and Xabi Alonso back in the squad after suspension.
The meeting with Real is expected to bring additional emotions to Bayern coach Heynckes, who won the Champions League in 1997-1998 with the Spanish team. They defeated Turin's "Juventus" 1-0 in the final.
Possible starting lineups:
Bayern: Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Contento; Gustavo, Kroos, Robben, Muller, Ribery; Gomez;
Real: Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso, Di Maria, Kaka, C.Ronaldo; Benzema;
