Bayern Munich were dominant against Real Madrid until they had Javi Martinez sent off in the first leg and two Cristiano Ronaldo goals saw Los Blancos seize a 2-1 victory. Those two away goals could prove crucial, but Bayern showed what a great team they are and with 11 men on the pitch, they will give Real a really tough game. It should be a fantastic match between arguably the best two sides in the world.
It pits the league leaders of La Liga and the Bundesliga against one another. Those are probably the two strongest leagues in the world right now when you consider the Premiership’s poor showing in this competition and Serie A’s lack of top teams apart from Juventus. Bayern are part of an elite club with Real and Barcelona as the big three in Europe, and it is these three that always seem to start the season as the favourites to win the Champions League. Whoever progresses here will be the favourite to go on and win it, what with Juventus thrashing Barcelona in the first leg of their tie. They are very evenly matched and it should prove to be another thrilling clash.
These two have arguably the best midfield in the world. Arturo Vidal, Xabi Alonso, and Thiago Alcantara are fantastic, but so are Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Then you have Ronaldo for Real, but the supremely talented Robert Lewandowksi for Bayern. He is set to return to the side for the match against Real Madrid after being out injured, and that will provide a huge boost for the German side. Both also have an abundance of talent going forwards, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery among Bayern’s options, while the likes of Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema can be devastating for Real.
But Bayern arguably have the better defence. Sergio Ramos is a titan for Real, but the players around him are not at the same level and Real have shipped 33 goals in 31 games in La Liga this season, compared to 15 conceded in 29 for Bayern. In Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich have the world’s best goalkeeper, and if they have both Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels back to join David Alaba and Philipp Lahm they will be a force to be reckoned with. It’s a big if as both have been missing of late, so you might want to check the starting lineups before placing a bet.
These teams are so evenly matched that backing the outrights looks fraught with difficulties. At odds of 19/10 with Bet365 Bayern Munich look tempting. But Real, who are 6/4 with 888 Sport, are perfectly placed here, because Bayern will have to come out and attack to get back into the tie, and Real are sensational on the counter attack. It worked a couple of years ago, when they beat Bayern 4-0 in this competition, and with the pace of Ronaldo up front, they could stretch Bayern on the break.
It really could go either way, so it might be better to look at other markets. Both teams to score looks likely, but odds of 2/5 with green listed bookmaker are not too attractive. Instead, over 2.5 goals and both teams to score at 6/10 with Coral offers more value. Lewandowski is a wonderful forward and he will relish the chance to pit his wits against Real’s defence. He should prove a real threat and the 6/5 on him to score at any time with green listed bookmakers looks a really good option.
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