It’s the biggest tie of the UEFA Champions League this season as the German league leaders play host to the Spanish league leaders in the strongest of 4 quarter-finals. Both teams will be desperate to get into the semi-final of the competition and will have to be at their best to see this dream become a reality. The Allianz Arena will be bouncing as the Bayern faithful will want to push their team onto a good first-leg lead.

STATS

• It’s a surprise that Bayern didn’t actually win their group as they lost 2 games. The loss against FC Rostov shocked the football world while their narrow loss to Atletico was a great example of Atletico’s smash-and-grab game plan. They destroyed Arsenal 10-2 over two legs in the last round and were absolutely devastating going forward.
• Real Madrid are yet to lose in this season’s Champions League but 2 draws with Dortmund in the groups showed that they aren’t invincible. They comfortably beat Napoli in the last round with two 3-1 wins and a 6-2 victory on aggregate and looked dangerous from set-pieces.
• Robert Lewandowski has been brilliant so far and with 7 goals, there are only 2 players who have managed to score more. His goals have been vital for Bayern’s progression so far and it won’t be a surprise if he scores against Real Madrid.
• For the first time in several years, it isn’t Cristiano Ronaldo leading the scoring for Real Madrid in Europe, it’s Karim Benzema. With 5 goals so far, he is the top scorer for the team who has won the famous trophy most.

HEAD TO HEAD

Real Madrid have dominated this fixture over the last handful of meetings. With 5 wins in the last 7 between the two, it’s Real Madrid who hold the monopoly of this fixture. It was Real Madrid who won last time as they defeated Bayern 4-0 at the Allianz on the way to the final, which they won in 2014.

BAYERN NEWS

Bayern will be hoping to get this tie off to a good start with a win. They need to make sure they have built a good enough cushion to take to the second-leg next week in Madrid. However, Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Lewandowski may not feature as he’s still recovering from injury but Manuel Neuer will return to the first team, which will be a massive boost for the German champions. Mats Hummels will miss both legs with an ankle injury, a huge absence at the heart of the Bayern defence.

Latest matches in UEFA Champions League, Knockout stage: Bayern Munich

07.03.2017	UEFA	Arsenal FC	Bayern Munich	1:5	W
15.02.2017	UEFA	Bayern Munich	Arsenal FC	5:1	W
03.05.2016	UEFA	Bayern Munich	Atletico Madrid	2:1	W
27.04.2016	UEFA	Atletico Madrid	Bayern Munich	1:0	L
13.04.2016	UEFA	Benfica Lisbon	Bayern Munich	2:2	D

REAL MADRID NEWS

An away goal will be huge for Real Madrid as it would make their task in the second-leg at the Bernabeu much easier. They also need to stay tight defensively so that it’s still all to-play-for next week. Real Madrid have some defensive problems of their own as Raphael Varane and Pepe will both miss the game, leaving Sergio Ramos as the only first-choice centre-back. Gareth Bale and Ronaldo are both available for the holders of the competition.

Latest matches in UEFA Champions League, Knockout stage: Real Madrid

07.03.2017	UEFA	SSC Napoli	Real Madrid	1:3	W
15.02.2017	UEFA	Real Madrid	SSC Napoli	3:1	W
28.05.2016	UEFA	Real Madrid	Atletico Madrid	1:1	D
04.05.2016	UEFA	Real Madrid	Manchester City	1:0	W
26.04.2016	UEFA	Manchester City	Real Madrid	0:0	D

SUMMING UP!

With two of the best teams in world football locking horns in this one, it has potential to be a fantastic Champions League game and with no real favourite, it could go either way. With home advantage, you would expect a Bayern Munich victory but Real Madrid could easily take the first-leg win. Both teams should score but it’ll be quite a defensive affair with neither side wanting to give too much time or space to the other side.