Real Madrid: Q and A with the Bavarians ahead of the second-leg
Real Madrid will play host to Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich in the second-leg of the Champions League semifinal. Here’s a look at what Bayern fans had to say about the first-leg and moving forward.
Los Blancos are looking to book their ticket to Kiyv as they chase their 13th Champions League title. Bayern Munich will be looking to spoil those dreams after a 1-2 defeat in Munich just a week ago. The second-leg will be played on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Ahead of the contested match, The Real Champs sat down with FanSided page Bayern Strikes. Benjamin Scott from the page was kind enough to answer some of our questions.
1. Who was your worst and best player in the match?
“I’ll start with the good. The two players who combined for Bayern Munich’s first goal were also the Bavarians’ two best players on the night: James Rodriguez and Joshua Kimmich. James was fired up from the beginning, eager to show his former team exactly what they’ve been missing out on. He was the creative force for Bayern in the center of the pitch, and he put in a solid defensive shift as well, something he has done more often than not this season. Kimmich, meanwhile, was superb on the right flank.”
“He could have grabbed an assist or two to go along with his goal if not for his teammates’ lack of quality finishing. The worst player has to be Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international is not exactly the most popular player among the Bayern faithful at the moment. He was far too wasteful with his chances and didn’t do enough in the build-up or in tracking back to make up for it. Lewandowski has a bit of a history of underwhelming on the big occasion. He definitely carries a big chip on his shoulder heading into the second leg at Madrid.”
2. What do you think went wrong and what went right?
“Once again, let me start with the good. Bayern Munich were the better team for most of the match. Tactically, Jupp Heynckes got it just about spot-on. His defense kept Cristiano Ronaldo quiet, and his attack created enough chances to score three or four goals. What went wrong?”
“The defense got caught ball-watching and gifted Marcelo a shot which he put away cleanly. Later, Rafinha played a perfect ball for Lucas Vazquez to initiate a counter-attack on Bayern’s goal. Those two gifts and Bayern’s utter failure to bury any chances meant the hosts lost a game 2-1 that they easily could have won 3-0.”
3. What is needed for Bayern to succeed? The biggest thing Bayern Munich must do to succeed is maintain a positive mindset.
“Things certainly could have gone much worse. It’s important they remain confident and stick to the gameplan. If they can keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet yet again (which will by no means be an easy task) and still create several chances, they’ll be in a good position to turn this tie on its head.”
“If I was Jupp Heynckes I would remind my squad that five of Real Madrid’s eight losses this season have come at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Madridistas – for some reason – seem to love booing their players when they make mistakes, and that’s something the Bavarians can certainly take advantage of.”
4. Ronaldo failed to score for the first time in the UCL this season, do you think that was on him or did Bayern did a good job to shut him down?
“Before Wednesday’s game, Mats Hummels told the press Bayern had developed a plan to silence Cristiano Ronaldo. I don’t think that was simply a statement to inspire confidence. It was obvious that Jupp Heynckes had drilled his men to keep an extra eye on Ronaldo. One way to stop him is play the offside trap, which is what Bayern did on a few occasions. He never tracks back, so you know where he’s going to be lurking.”
“It’s a relative weakness of his that I think Heynckes exploited intentionally. That being said, we’ll see if they can do it again on Tuesday. Silencing Ronaldo once is impressive, but twice? That’s a miracle.”
5. I know we discussed this earlier but many pundits like the panel including Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard think that your inability to punish Madrid comes from playing in a league where you are so dominant. Do you think you’re tested enough during the season to prepare you for the UCL?
“This is such a divisive issue right now amongst Bayern fans. My two cents: whether or not the Bundesliga is “weak” should have no relevance to Bayern’s performance in the Champions League. Bayern is a top five club worldwide, with some of the best players in the world in their ranks. These guys have the experience to know that playing in the Champions League is on a completely different level than their domestic league. Their failure to show up for the big occasion isn’t down to their domestic competition.”
“I’m sure those same pundits would argue that Barcelona and Manchester City have been tested plenty in their domestic leagues this season. But that didn’t seem to help them when it came down to the wire in the Champions League. It’s a completely different competition. No league can completely prepare a side for playing at this level.”
6. Do you think you can pull off a win with two more important players now injured?
“Yes, it’s still very much possible. Niklas Sule is a more than capable defender to play at this level. He’s actually played more minutes this season than Jerome Boateng anyway. He’s a world-class center-back and won’t weaken Bayern’s backline at all. There’s still a small chance Arjen Robben makes it back for the second leg. Not having him as an option will definitely be a blow, but Bayern will manage.”
Next: Three takeaways from Real Madrid’s win against Leganés
“Most didn’t expect or want him to start the home leg, as he’s been out of form for some time now. However, he’s a big game player and always leaves 100 percent on the pitch. The real injury that weakens Bayern attack significantly is Kingsley Coman, who has been out for several months. He would definitely be a difference maker in a match like this.”
7. What’re your thoughts on how James Rodriguez celebrated Kimmich’s goal? It’s funny you ask, I was intentional myself on looking for a celebration from the Colombian after Bayern took the lead.
“I was pleased to see the passion and jubilation James showed after assisting the opener. Unless something takes a drastic turn for the worse between now and the end of next season, James Rodriguez looks committed to Bayern Munich for the long-haul. He’s been a key player for the side this season and could remain a huge part of the club for years to come.”