Will Real Madrid pass "Go" on the Road to Munich or
remain behind? This seems to be the
question weighing heavily on every Madridista's mind. Los
Blancos are currently riding a post-high wave having beaten Barça at Camp
Nou this past Saturday. However, they
must focus on the task at hand. The men
face a 2-1 deficit against Bayern Munich, and while it is nothing to be worried
about, the fact remains – they are behind.
Bayern's away record this season in the Champions League isn't the
most convincing. The German side tabbed
wins against Zurich in the qualifiers and against Villarreal in the group
stages, but the clash with Napoli ended in a draw. Their loss against City on the final day was
hardly considered a loss, with Bayern already qualified at the top of the group
and Jupp Heynckes – the man who saw the Champions League trophy back at Madrid
after a 32-year dry spell in '98 – fielding a reserve side. The loss to Basel came at a time when Bayern
hit their low in terms of form. The
return leg showed what Bayern was capable of doing to Basel as Xherdan Shaqiri’s
side was destroyed –annihilated – 7-0.
Meanwhile, RM has had a flawless
home record. Prior to their meeting
with Bayern, los Blancos had not lost
a match this season in the UCL. Albeit,
they have enjoyed an easier campaign in comparison to their German opponents...
A 1-0 win would see José Mourinho's side
through to the final. Madrid exacted
vengeance on each team that has beaten them this season. Levante and Barça achieved that feat, but were
beaten by the Whites in reverse fixtures.
Additionally, they have drawn games this season at the Bernabéu, such as
against Malaga and Valencia. Bayern does
not have to win to advance, but rather, a draw.
A handful of players on both sides face the threat of missing the
final if they are booked tomorrow. For
RM, Fábio Coentrão, Xabi Alonso, Gonzalo "Pipita" Higuaín, and Sergio
Ramos will all have to err on the side of caution, while seven Bayern players skate
on their last warning, including Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller.
written by Gail Hidalgo
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