Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League semi-final, second leg tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich from the Bernabéu, which starts at 2-2, more all-square than ever in this vacuous, post away goals era. The home side, winners on 14 occasions, two of them under Carlo Ancelotti in 2014 and 2022, take on Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich, champions on six occasions, none of them under the current manager who did, nonetheless, take PSG to their only final in 2020 and won it with Chelsea the season after, neither of them in front of a full house because of the pandemic.
Victory for Bayern tonight would give Tuchel the opportunity of facing a packed Wembley, the scene of triumphs for him in two FA Cup semis but defeat in both finals and a League Cup final as FC Hollywood bid to move above Liverpool and level with AC Milan on seven European Cups. For Ancelotti, an unprecedented fifth European Cup/ Champions League as a manager, taking him two ahead of Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane and Pep Guardiola, should end up, as I advocated last week, with him keeping at least a personal replica, much as clubs used to get to keep the current trophy after a fifth win or third in succession.
The odds tonight are with Real Madrid, who have lost only one of 15 knockout ties in this competition when they have drawn the first leg away from home, and lead the head-to-head 12-11 with five draws though Bayern have won through in four of their seven semi-final meetings. More ominous still for the Bavarians, of Real Madrid’s 31 home semi-final legs, they have won 19, drawn nine and lost only three – to Ajax in 1973, Bayern Munich in 2001 (by virtue of Brazilian goal machine Giovane Elber) and Barcelona in 2011. That victory 23 years ago ought to give Bayern hope as should their defeat in 2012 when, the scoreline after 120 minutes tied the match at 3-3 with both clubs recording 2-1 home wins, Jupp Henyckes’ side proceeded to win the shootout, Manuel Neuer saving penalties from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka while Sergio Ramos blazed his over the bar.