BIG MATCH FEATURE: Bayern vs Real Madrid

One of European football's most enduring rivalries writes a new chapter in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League semifinals as Bayern München welcome Real Madrid to Germany. Catch the action live on SuperSport.

The teams have made a combined 52 previous appearances in the last four of the European Cup, and are the sides to have featured the most at this stage of the Champions League, with 30 previous semi-finals.

This is the eighth time the teams have faced off in the European Cup semi-finals, with Bayern managing four aggregate wins and Madrid three – including in the last two ties.

Both eliminated English opponents in the last eight to reach this stage, Bayern edging past Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate while Madrid dethroned holders Manchester City on penalties after an epic quarter-final tie.

This contest also pits Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti against the club he managed for just over two seasons, while Toni Kroos was part of Bayern's victorious Champions League squad in 2012/13, his penultimate season before swapping Munich for Madrid.

The winners of this tie will play Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final at Wembley on 1 June.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Bayern wins 11
Real Madrid wins 12
Draws 3
Bayern goals 39
Real Madrid goals 41

The most recent of the sides' 26 fixtures – all in the European Cup – came in the 2017/18 semi-finals, when Madrid triumphed 4-3 on aggregate to make it three successive wins in knockout ties against Bayern.

Zinédine Zidane's Madrid laid the foundations for their win in the first leg in Munich, although it was a Bayern side coached by Jupp Heynckes who struck first, Joshua Kimmich giving them a 28th-minute lead that was overturned by goals either side of half-time from Marcelo (44) and Marco Asensio (57).

Kimmich again opened the scoring in the return, levelling the aggregate scores after only three minutes, but a Karim Benzema double (11, 46) put Madrid in command, although they had to endure a tense final half-hour after James Rodríguez – who was on loan at the German club from the Merengues – had levelled on the night in the 63rd minute.

Madrid had won six successive matches against Bayern, scoring 15 goals and conceding five, before that second-leg draw at the Santiago Bernabéu.

That was the clubs' fourth two-legged tie in seven seasons, Madrid winning three of those to Bayern's one. Overall, the teams have played in 12 previous knockout contests – all in the European Cup – Madrid winning seven and Bayern five; the German club lead 4-3 in semi-final ties.

In the 2016/17 quarter-finals, Bayern – then coached by Ancelotti – struck first in the home first leg through Arturo Vidal (25), who then missed a golden opportunity to double the advantage when he failed to convert a penalty in added time at the end of the first half. Cristiano Ronaldo levelled two minutes into the second period and, after Bayern's Javi Martínez had been sent off for a second bookable offence (61), secured victory with his second of the night 13 minutes from time.

At the Santiago Bernabéu, Robert Lewandowski's penalty put Bayern in front (53) and, though Ronaldo restored Madrid's aggregate lead in the 76th minute, two minutes later a Sergio Ramos own goal sent the tie into extra time. Bayern played that extra period with ten men after Vidal's 84th-minute dismissal and were made to pay as Ronaldo scored twice more to complete his hat-trick, Marco Asensio completing a 6-3 aggregate victory for Zidane's side.

Ancelotti's Madrid were 5-0 aggregate victors in the 2013/14 semi-finals en route to lifting the trophy for a tenth time. Benzema (19) got the only goal of the first leg in Spain against Josep Guardiola's Bayern and in the second leg, Ramos (16, 20) and Ronaldo (34, 90) scored twice apiece in Munich to inflict what remains Bayern's heaviest European home defeat.

Bayern, coached by Heynckes, had come out on top when the sides met in the 2011/12 semi-finals, each recording a 2-1 home victory. Goals from Franck Ribéry (17) and Mario Gomez (90) gave Bayern the edge in Munich, despite Mesut Özil's reply (53) for Madrid.

Back in Spain, Ronaldo scored twice early on (6pen, 14), only for Arjen Robben to respond from the penalty spot for Bayern (27). With no further goals, extra time and penalties followed, Bayern prevailing 3-1 with David Alaba – now of Madrid – Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger converting for Heynckes' men; only Xabi Alonso – who later moved to Bayern – was successful for José Mourinho's Madrid. Manuel Neuer saved from Ronaldo and Kaká while Ramos fired over for Madrid; Toni Kroos, now at Madrid, and Philipp Lahm had their kicks saved by Iker Casillas.

Bayern also got the better of Madrid in the 2006/07 round of 16, winning on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw. Madrid won 3-2 in Spain, Raúl González scoring twice, but went out after losing 2-1 in Munich, a match in which Bayern's Roy Makaay scored the fastest goal in Champions League history after just 10.12 seconds.

Zidane notched the decisive goal against Bayern in the 2003/04 round of 16, in a 1-0 second-leg win in Madrid; the first game in Munich finished 1-1.

The clubs met in three successive Champions League campaigns between 2000 and 2002, with the winners going on to lift the trophy on each occasion. Madrid held sway in the 1999/2000 semi-finals (2-0 h, 1-2 a) and the 2001/02 quarter-finals (1-2 a, 2-0 h); Bayern were victorious in the 2000/01 semi-finals (1-0 a, 2-1 h). Bayern were superior to Madrid in the 1999/2000 second group stage, winning 4-2 in Madrid and 4-1 in Munich.

The German side were also victorious in the teams' first two ties, in the 1975/76 semi-finals (1-1 a, 2-0 h) – when they proceeded to lift the trophy for a third year running – and at the same stage in 1986/87 (4-1 h, 0-1 a). Madrid, however, triumphed in the 1987/88 quarter-finals, 4-3 over two legs (2-3 a, 2-0 h).

The duo have tended to hold the edge in their own stadium. Bayern were unbeaten at home to Madrid before that 2014 defeat but have now lost the last three; their home record against Madrid is W9 D1 L3 F26 A18. Madrid's record at home to Bayern is W9 D2 L2 F23 A13.

Last time Real Madrid and Bayern met in the Champions League... 🔎#UCL pic.twitter.com/mc7DX9dxlx

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 29, 2024

FORM GUIDE

BAYERN

Record against Spanish clubs: W33 D16 L20 F115 A85

Home record against Spanish clubs: W21 D7 L4

Bayern were paired together with Barcelona in last season's Champions League group stage, winning 2-0 at home and 3-0 away.

That made it seven wins and three draws in Bayern's last 11 games against La Liga sides, home and away.

The exception to that unbeaten run was a 1-0 loss at Villarreal in the first leg of the 2021/22 Champions League quarter-final – Bayern's last knockout contest against Spanish opponents and one that ended in a 2-1 aggregate defeat.

Bayern's record in knockout ties against Spanish sides is now W11 L12. They have lost six of their last eight.

Bayern had won only one of six games against Spanish clubs before a remarkable 8-2 defeat of Barcelona in the one-off 2019/20 UEFA Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon; they have won six of the nine since (D2 L1).

Bayern are appearing in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the 13th time, moving ahead of Barcelona and behind only Real Madrid (17).

Bayern's European Cup semi-final record is W11 L9:

Before beating Lyon in a one-off tie in Lisbon in August 2020, Bayern had lost four consecutive semi-finals, having won the previous four.

The Munich side have featured in the Champions League in every season since 2008/09, reaching the knockout rounds in each one of those campaigns.

Overall, this is Bayern's 27th campaign in the Champions League proper, level with Porto and fewer only than Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 28).

Bayern followed an opening 4-3 win at home against Manchester United with a 2-1 victory in Copenhagen and then beat Galatasaray in both Istanbul (3-1) and Munich (2-1) before their winning run was ended by a 0-0 draw at home to the Danish champions – ending a sequence of 17 successive group victories, a competition record. They concluded their campaign with a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.

Thomas Tuchel's side then went down 1-0 at Lazio in the round of 16 first leg but turned round the tie with a 3-0 victory in Munich in which Harry Kane scored twice. They came through a tight quarter-final against Arsenal, following a 2-2 away draw with a 1-0 home win in which Kimmich scored the only goal.

In 2022/23, under Julian Nagelsmann, the Munich club became the first team to win all six games in the group stage on three occasions. They finished ahead of Inter Milan, Barcelona and Viktoria Plzeň in Group C before ousting Paris in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 2-0 h) only, with Tuchel having succeeded Nagelsmann, to come up short against eventual champions City in the quarter-finals (0-3 a, 1-1 h).

A 3-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020/21 quarter-final first leg ended Bayern's run of eight successive home Champions League victories and is one of only four of their last 24 matches in the competition in Munich they have not won. Aside from this season's draw against Copenhagen, the others were 1-1 second-leg draws against Villarreal and Manchester City in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 quarter-finals respectively, both results spelling elimination from the competition.

Tuchel's team responded to their Champions League elimination last season by winning Bayern's 11th successive Bundesliga title, pipping Dortmund on the final day of the season.

The six-time European champions – who claimed their fifth European Cup in 2013 at Wembley, the venue for this season's final – have been eliminated in the last eight in the last three seasons but have now reached the quarter-finals or better in 12 of their last 13 Champions League campaigns, the exception a last-16 elimination by Liverpool in 2018/19.

REAL MADRID

Record against German clubs: W40 D15 L24 F149 A118

Away record against German clubs: W9 D8 L20

Madrid have already faced two German clubs this season. They were paired with Union Berlin in Group C, Jude Bellingham scoring in the 94th-minute to secure a 1-0 home win on Matchday 1 before Dani Ceballos struck in the 89th minute of a 3-2 victory in Germany on Matchday 6.

They then overcame Leipzig in the last 16, a 1-0 first-leg victory in Germany preceding a 1-1 home draw.

A 3-2 loss at Leipzig on Matchday 5 last season is Madrid's only defeat in their last 18 matches against Bundesliga clubs, home and away (W12 D5).

The Spanish side have recorded eight of their overall nine away victories against German clubs in their last 13 games (D2 L3).

This season's round of 16 meeting with Leipzig was Madrid's first knockout tie against a Bundesliga club since beating Bayern 4-3 on aggregate in the 2017/18 semi-finals.

Madrid's record in two-legged ties with German clubs in UEFA competition is now W19 L8. They have won each of their last nine ties against German opposition, scoring 37 goals in the process; their last defeat came against Dortmund in the 2012/13 semi-finals (1-4 a, 2-0 h).

This is Madrid's 33rd European Cup semi-final, with the record W17 L15:

The 2022 triumph against Manchester City was the first time Madrid had come from behind to win a European Cup semi-final after losing the first leg, home or away. They had been eliminated on all eight previous occasions.

Madrid have won four of their last six semi-final ties, having been beaten in five of the previous six.

The Spanish side have lost their last three away games in Champions League semi-finals, conceding ten goals. The 2-1 victory at Bayern in 2018 is their only win in seven away matches at this stage (D1 L5).

Madrid are making their 17th appearance in the Champions League semi-finals, a competition record, four more than Bayern with Barcelona on 12.

This is Madrid's 28th Champions League campaign, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97.

Madrid have now qualified for the knockout rounds in all 28 campaigns and have won their section 20 times including each of the last four.

Having claimed the club's 14th European Cup – and eighth Champions League, also a competition record – in 2021/22, Ancelotti's side then finished first in their section last season, winning four of their six games (D1 L1) before beating Liverpool in the round of 16 (5-2 a, 1-0 h). That set up a second successive quarter-final against Chelsea, Madrid winning 2-0 home and away, before going out against Manchester City (1-1 h, 0-4 a).

The 4-0 defeat at City last season equalled Madrid's biggest Champions League loss.

This season, after seeing off Union Berlin on Matchday 1, Ancelotti's side have beaten both Napoli (3-2 a, 4-2 h) and Braga (2-1 a, 3-0 h) twice. They made it six wins from six – matching their feat in 2011/12 and 2014/15 – with a 3-2 victory at Union.

A 1-0 win at Leipzig in the round of 16 first leg put Madrid in control of that tie, although they failed to win for the first time in this season's competition in the return, which ended 1-1.

Ancelotti's side then came through an epic quarter-final against City, the first leg finishing 3-3 in Madrid and the Manchester return 1-1 before the Spanish side prevailed 4-3 on penalties.

Madrid have lost eight of their last 28 Champions League away games, winning 11. They have been beaten in four of the last 14.

The Merengues ceded the Spanish title to Barcelona last season, finishing ten points behind their great rivals in the Liga standings.