Prediction: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich

Verdict: Both teams to score & Real Madrid to win

Best Odds: 12/5

Bookmaker: Bet365

Real Madrid are set to welcome Bayern Munich in the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal tie at Santiago Bernabeu in another mouth-watering clash that will see the Bavarian side try to overcome a frustrating deficit from the first leg in Munich.

Real Madrid

Spanish giants Real Madrid secured a 2-1 in the first leg in Germany with Cristiano Ronaldo stepping up to the plate to help his team overcome a big hurdle with a brace that made him the best-ever European scorer and the first player in history to reach the 100-goal mark at the continental stage. Cristiano Ronaldo also displayed his well-documented football intelligence as he basically elicited a red card from Javi Martinez, who left his team a man down and in a rather difficult position after a promising start. Los Blancos grabbed the chance with both hands as they kept piling pressure on groggy Bayern Munich for an important victory, their fourth on the trot against the Germany’s greatest. Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run to eleven matches in all competitions this weekend as they built on the Munich success with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Gijon on Saturday. Isco’s brace and Alvaro Morata’s rare goal were enough to dispatch the opponents who put plenty of pressure on Zinedine Zidane’s men in their La Liga title chase.

Team News

The hosts are once again likely to be without their defensive duo as Pepe and Raphael Varane are still suffering from respective injuries, which could leave Zidane with Nacho in the heart of defence alongside Sergio Ramos once again.

The bigger problem is the absence of Welsh wizard Gareth Bale who has sustained a fresh injury and will be ruled out both for the Bayern Munich rematch and the forthcoming El Clasico.

Bayern Munich

Things are not going well for Bayern Munich who are experiencing a rather inconsistent spell of late which saw them win only one of their last four matches in all competitions. The Bavarians recovered well from a surprising loss at Hoffenheim as they demolished Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker, but then disappointed their fans on the next two big occasions. Down to ten men and without their lethal blade Robert Lewandowski in attack, Bayern Munich succumbed to pressure and lost the match against Real Madrid. Things could have been significantly different had Arturo Vidal converted the first-half penalty which he ended up sending high over the bar, but Carlo Ancelotti should definitely take part of the blame for the defeat as he failed to make the necessary tactical alterations to prevent his former team Real Madrid from exploiting the numbers advantage so bluntly. Lewandowski’s absence is turning into a proper problem for the Bavarians who went on to record a goalless stalemate at Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend and the Pole’s return to action will be the much-anticipated boost for the visitors at Santiago Bernabeu.

Team News

Robert Lewandowski’s return is likely to send ineffective Thomas Muller back to the bench.

Bayern Munich will have some defensive issues however as Jerome Boateng and Matts Hummels are in line for a spell on the sidelines due to their groin injury and ankle problem, respectively.

Key Factors to Consider

• Real Madrid are on 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions
• Bayern Munich won only 1 of their last 4 games
• The Bavarians failed to score this weekend for the first time since November 2016
• Los Blancos have won last four meetings with Bayern Munich
• Real Madrid have always progressed after winning the first leg away from home

Conclusion

Real Madrid are relishing the opportunity to seal the win and finish what they’ve started in Germany against an out-of-form opponent. Bayern Munich are experiencing a worrying slump in form and will be challenged to improve their performances significantly if they want to progress into the Champions League semi-finals. Robert Lewandowski’s return promises plenty of excitements and goals should definitely be on the cards here.

Verdict: Both teams to score & Real Madrid to win

Best Odds: 12/5

Bookmaker: Bet365