Real Madrid: Q and A with The Bavarians ahead of the UCL semifinal
Real Madrid will head to Munich to play the first-leg of the Champions League semifinals against Bayern Munich in just two days. Here’s a look at what a true Bayern Munich fan had to say.
Los Blancos are gearing up to play in their eighth straight Champions League semifinal on Wednesday. With this being their best shot at a trophy this season, all the pressure is on them as they also look to re-write the history books once again.
The Real Champs sat down with site expert, Benjamin Scott from Bayern Strikes, to talk about how the Bavarians are approaching the huge clash.
1. Since December 1st, there have only been two plays that have played more than 2/3 of the games across all competitions, do you think that lack of continuity will have an effect?
“Depth is not much of an issue for the club, particularly in midfield. And Jupp Heynckes just seems to know how to get the best out of every single player, so rotating the lineup doesn’t create the problem it might at other clubs. That being said, there have been times where Bayern was slow to start a match, perhaps the starting XI wasn’t quite comfortable with each other.”
“But it’s never been a big enough problem to affect a match in a big way. Heynckes will start Bayern’s absolute best against Real Madrid. When they’re on the pitch it doesn’t matter how long it’s been since they last played together, they’re experienced professionals and won’t be affected by a lack of continuity.”
2. Will Manuel Neuer be back and, if not, how worried are you?
“Manuel Neuer definitely won’t be back for the first leg, and it’s extremely unlikely he makes it back for the second. But no, I’m not worried. Backup goalkeeper Sven Ulreich has been sensational this season.”
“Many fans [have called him the] player of the season, in fact. It would obviously be comforting to have the world’s best ‘keeper back in the net. But Sven Ulreich has done more than enough to gain my trust, even against one of the world’s most impressive attacking forces.”
3. Many feel that Bayern has yet to be tested in the UCL, do you agree?
“I don’t necessarily agree that we haven’t been tested, but I would be the first to admit that our path to the semifinals has been nearly as easy as possible. No disrespect to Besiktas or Sevilla, but they were both arguably the easiest possible opponent Bayern could have faced in the round of 16 and quarterfinals.”
“Then again, no team makes it in the Champions League by accident. Even the biggest underdogs can step up and pull off a surprise upset. Just ask Barcelona. We’ve been tested for sure, but we have had it a bit easy.”