MADRID — Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich will visit Real Madrid on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals high on confidence and looking like Europe’s most complete side, bolstered by the likely return of superstar striker Harry Kane.
Record 15-time winners Madrid has endured a difficult season, plagued by inconsistency, but has made a habit of pulling off the unexpected in this competition, AFP reported.
Just as it seemed their well of Champions League magic was running dry, Madrid produced their best performance of the season to crush Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the last 16.
Despite Madrid’s prestige and troupe of attacking stars – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham included, as well as City hat-trick hero Federico Valverde – Bayern are arguably favourites to lift the trophy.
“It would be presumptuous to assume that we’ll definitely advance,” said honourary Bayern president Uli Hoeness.
“But we haven’t had such great chances in terms of the playing quality as we have this year in a long time.”
Kane, who has scored 48 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this season, missed Bayern’s battling 3-2 Bundesliga win at Freiburg on Saturday with an ankle issue.
“He’d play in a wheelchair,” said Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, while Kompany added that he had “a feeling” that the England striker would be ready.
With Michael Olise and Luis Diaz joining Kane in attack, Kompany’s side play an aggressive, high-pressing style which helped them demolish Atalanta in the last 16, 10-2 on aggregate.
Bayern came from two goals down to beat Freiburg and match-winner Lennart Karl said that fighting spirit was crucial heading into the Madrid clash.
“It gives us a lot of confidence. It was very important – we actually feel unbeatable at the moment,” he said, with Bayern’s last defeat coming in January, 14 matches ago.
In that same period Madrid has lost four times, with coach Alvaro Arbeloa struggling to find the right balance when all his superstars are fit, just like Xabi Alonso and Carlo Ancelotti before him.
“They’re not playing the best football, but they’re outstanding in terms of experience,” noted Hoeness.
Madrid fell to a disappointing defeat at Mallorca in LaLiga on Saturday, leaving them seven points behind rivals Barcelona in the Spanish title race.
Arbeloa brushed off the loss and said it would have no bearing on his team’s performance against Bayern, in the club’s favoured competition.
“I know what my players are capable of, I know they understand the importance of Tuesday’s game,” Arbeloa told reporters.
“The demand on the team will be maximum and I know the support that Madrid fans will offer us – with them, everything is easier.”
