Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid: Betting Odds & Prediction
(Featured image: Alamy Images)
It is a clash between European royalty on Tuesday night as Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
The two teams have met more frequently than any other in the Champions League/European Cup; from 26 games, Bayern have won eleven, Real have won twelve, with three draws. Recent history has favoured the Spaniards though, who have won seven of the last ten meetings. Kick-off at the Allianz Arena will be at 8pm.
Recent Form
Bayern Munich
With the Bundesliga already wrapped up for Bayer Leverkusen, and Bayern also out of the DFB-Pokal, all that Thomas Tuchel’s side have left to play for is the Champions League and they will be desperate to ensure that they end the season with silverware. They have returned to form recently, going unbeaten in their past five games in all competitions, including both legs of their quarter-final against Arsenal, which they won 3-2 on aggregate.
Bayern’s form in Europe has been in stark contrast to their disastrous domestic season by their standards. They have lost just once in ten games (P10 W7 D2 L1), away to Lazio in the first leg of their last-16 tie, which they comfortably overturned. The Bavarian side have accumulated an average expected goals (xG) of 1.95 per game, and impressively have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three home games in the Champions League.
Harry Kane added two more goals as Bayern beat Frankfurt 2-1 at the weekend, which took his total to 42 in all competitions, breaking his own personal record. The England captain has more goal involvements than anyone else in the Champions League this season, with seven goals and three assists in ten games.
Real Madrid
The record fourteen-time Champions League winners are in the semi-finals for the fourth straight year after beating Manchester City in a dramatic penalty shootout in the previous round. Their European experience was on full display as they withstood a barrage in the second leg in Manchester, but still managed to find a way to progress after the tie finished 4-4 on aggregate. Los Blancos are also closing in on the La Liga title, currently sitting thirteen points clear at the top with five games left. They won 1-0 away to Real Sociedad at the weekend, and were able to rest many of their stars in the process.
Real are unbeaten in their last eighteen games in all competitions, and they have also gone without defeat throughout the entire Champions League campaign so far (P10 W7 D3), including an 100% record in the group stage. They have scored an average of 2 goals per game on their travels in Europe this season, which is even better than the 1.82 goals per game they have scored in their away games in La Liga. However, they have only kept one clean sheet in their five Champions League away games this term.
Rodrygo scored both home and away against Man City in the quarter-finals, as the Brazil forward continues to cement his reputation as the man for the big occasion for Los Blancos. He now has five Champions League goals this season, taking his all-time record in the competition to an impressive 20 goals in 49 games. He may not get the same fanfare as Jude Bellingham or Vinicius Jr., but there is no disputing how vital he is to Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Prediction
Anything can happen at this stage of the competition, and it is a match-up between two giants worthy of a Champions League semi-final. Both sides are in great form and there is not much to split them, but Bayern could be without a few key players through injury. Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala are all doubts having missed the weekend’s match, while Matthijs de Ligt and Konrad Laimer also came off in that game, and Kingsley Coman is definitely out.
Real Madrid are without long-term absentees Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba, and Dani Carvajal is suspended. Over the course of the season, Madrid have been the better and more consistent team, and also have a good recent record against Bayern. It will be tight, but OddsNow are backing Los Blancos to find a way to win once again in the Champions League.