UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: Team News, Match Preview

The Champions League makes a quick return with less than a week from their previous encounter, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will go toe to toe once again. The previous match was a tale of two halves, Bayern were stronger in the first, but Madrid came out on top in the 2^nd half thanks to a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo, leading Los Blancos to a 2-1 away win. A red card to Javi Martínez dismantled Bayern’s set-up as well as their composure, giving Madrid the confidence to push the Bavarians back. The Madrid attack came in waves, peppering Neur’s goal with shot after shot. If not for the German goalkeeper, Madrid may have scored three or four. The boys in white may well be disappointed not to have scored more, but few can complain about the result.

Zidane rotated the squad completely over the weekend barring his only two fit center backs, Sergio Ramos and Nacho. Playing away in Gijón, the relegation-contenders were looking to battle their way out of the bottom three with a hard fought win against the mighty Madrid. It looked like Sporting would come away with a point as the final minutes of the game went passing by; for Madrid it would have been two crucial points dropped. It would have, if not for Isco, who put in a world- class performance to save Madrid. Sporting had taken the lead twice during the 90 minutes, but there was no stopping the former Malaga man as he scored two goals, including a last-minute winner. Isco, whom the team calls “Magia”, certainly had magic in his boots on Saturday, he was simply unstoppable.

There is a decision to be made on Tuesday—who should replace the injured Gareth Bale? There are four options—Isco, Asensio, James, or Lucas Vázquez. Judging by recent performances, Zidane’s decision has likely been narrowed down to Isco or Asensio. Will Zidane alter his tactics slightly to accommodate Isco and his sensational form or will a more ‘like for like change’ in terms of sticking with the system (maintaining a 4-3-3, with a RW) be in store with Asensio selected? Isco is the man of the moment and his performances are demanding a starting spot, but Asensio put in a strong performance on the right wing over Bayern in the 1^st leg, providing Cristiano with the game-winning goal. Ultimately it is Zidane’s call and it will be interesting to see what decision he makes on Bale’s replacement. The rest of the team will likely stay the same; all of the ‘Once de Gala’ were completely rested over the weekend.

Unlike the victorious Madrid, Bayern were held to a 0-0 draw against Bayern Leverkusen on Saturday, with Ancelotti making five changes to the team that lost against Real Madrid in mid-week. Lahm, Alonso, Ribery, Robben, and Boateng all did not feature this past weekend. Bayern still have injury doubts over Mats Hummels and their other 1^st-choice center back, Boateng, has also picked up a knock that has put his contention within the Madrid match up in the air. The one man who has declared himself fit for Tuesday is Robert Lewandowski. The clinical Polish striker is the type of player who can make a difference at the highest level and Madrid’s backline will need to put in a top performance to keep him quiet.

It is all to play for in the Bernabeau on Tuesday. Madrid will be favorites given the result in Munich, but the Bavarians will come out strong, giving everything they can in order to overturn the result. The Merengues can look to use the counter attack to their advantage as Bayern need to score. It will be gut-wrenching game for most Madrid fans, as the teams looks to stamp a ticket to the semi-final agaisnt a formidable Bayern. The ultimate European encounter will take center stage once again in Madrid on Tuesday; it will be a game not to miss.

How to watch Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich

Kick-off time: 20:45 CET, 02:45pm EST.

Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2 (Ronaldo, Benzema)-1 Bayern (Robben)

Available TV: FOX Sports (USA), Antena 3 (Spain).

Available streaming: FOX Sports 2GO (USA), Fubo.TV (EVERY Real Madrid game with a high-quality and legal stream, click here to sign up and benefit from a huge offer for new members and Managing Madrid readers).

Projected Line-Ups:

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Nacho, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo

Bayern Munich: Neur, Lahm, Boateng, Hummels, Alaba, Xabi Alonso, Vidal, Thiago, Robben, Lewandowski, Ribery.