Bayern Munich, Real Madrid in European heavyweights clash
The 30th Champions League meeting between European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Real Madrid takes centre stage at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night.
Vincent Kompany’s side enter this mouth-watering quarter-final second leg boasting a one-goal advantage after winning last week’s first leg 2-1 at the Bernabeu.
Goals either side of half time from Luis Diaz and Harry Kane helped Bayern earn a slender first-leg victory over Real Madrid and ended their nine-game winless run against the Spanish giants.
The Bavarians will take comfort from having won 29 of their 30 two-legged ties in UEFA competition after winning the first leg on the road, including 12 out of 13 when winning the first leg by a one-goal margin. The only blot on their copybook came in 2010-11 when Inter Milan came from 1-0 down to win 3-2 in the second leg and progress from the last 16 on away goals.
Kompany’s men followed up their victory in Madrid with an emphatic 5-0 away success over St Pauli in the Bundesliga last Saturday.
Bayern’s immediate priority is the Champions League, though, and progressing to their first semi-final since winning the competition for a sixth time in 2019-20. That could prove challenging against Real Madrid, given they have lost seven of their last eight UEFA two-legged ties against Spanish teams and four of their last five such quarter-finals.
However, the Allianz Arena has become a fortress for Bayern, who have won all five European home games this season, averaging 3.2 goals in those games, and have lost just one of their last 28 UCL home fixtures (W22 D5).
Real Madrid face the grim prospect of a second consecutive season without a major trophy as their campaign has begun to unravel at a crucial moment, with last week’s first-leg loss to Bayern sandwiched between two disappointing La Liga results against Mallorca and Girona.
The 15-time European champions have only prevailed in one of their previous seven two-legged ties in UEFA competition after losing the first leg on home soil. However, Real Madrid have won all of their last seven European Cup/Champions League quarter-final ties against German opposition.
After both falling at the quarter-final hurdle in last season’s Champions League, the pressure is on Bayern and Real Madrid – particularly the latter – to produce a statement performance on Wednesday that will go a long way in helping them secure a place in the final four.
Time and time again, Real have defied the odds to prevail on the European stage, and while Los Blancos hold the historical edge with 13 wins to Bayern’s 12, they may come up short on this occasion. Indeed, the formidable home record of the German juggernauts, combined with an attacking unit in peak form, suggests that Real’s knack for UCL miracles will be pushed to its absolute limit.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Arsenal take on Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium
On the cusp of reaching back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time ever, Arsenal take on Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, in the second leg of their quarter-final encounter.
Mikel Arteta‘s men left it late to snatch a 1-0 win at the Estadio Jose Alvalade last week, but the domestic cracks have continued to widen for the jaded hosts.
Visiting a venue where they had found the back of the net five times in the 2024-25 league phase, Arsenal likely would have settled for a grand total of zero goals in the first leg against Sporting, who found no way past the impenetrable wall that was David Raya.
However, super subs Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz combined for a last-gasp winner on Portuguese turf, meaning that it is firmly advantage Arsenal as the Gunners endeavour to set up a semi-final tie with Atletico Madrid or Barcelona – most likely the former.
By avoiding defeat to their Primeira Liga foes in midweek, Arsenal would have made the UCL semis in successive seasons for the first time in their illustrious history, and the Gunners have won 17 of their last 18 continental two-legged ties when claiming a first-leg victory on the road.
The hosts also boast an eight-game unbeaten home run against Portuguese teams in Europe – winning six and drawing two of those contests, excluding penalty shootouts – but the Emirates walls came crumbling down at the weekend.
Indeed, Bournemouth’s merited 2-1 Premier League victory allowed Manchester City to cut the gap at the top down to six points with a game in hand, and in the eyes of many, the outcome of this weekend’s Etihad extravaganza could determine the fate of the title.
Suffering as many defeats in their last four games as they had in their first 49 matches of the season (three), the famed Arsenal ‘bottle’ is showing signs of rearing its ugly head again, but progression to the UCL semis – however ugly it may be – could have untold psychological benefits before Sunday’s season-defining showdown.
Still, Sporting should smell blood against a waning Arsenal side on Wednesday – especially given how they put Raya through his paces in Portugal.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Sexist abuse of Union Berlin boss ’embarrassing’
Union Berlin’s director of football has condemned “insane” sexist abuse directed towards new head coach Marie-Louise Eta.
Eta became the first woman appointed to manage a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues after being named interim head coach of the Bundesliga side.
Since her appointment on Sunday, the 34-year-old has been the target of sexist comments on social media.
“It’s just embarrassing. I’ve noticed it, but I also refuse to read or even just expose myself to that kind of nonsense because for me this is about quality – leadership quality,” said Horst Heldt.
“We’re talking about a highly competent leader here, and you can be sure that everyone here at Union, whether in the stands or within the club itself, stands 100% behind this decision and will do everything in their power to ensure that this doesn’t lead to any further discussion in the future.”
Eta, a former Germany youth international and Women’s Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, will take charge of Union Berlin’s women’s side this summer.
She became the Bundesliga’s first female assistant coach, with Union Berlin, in November 2023.
She deputised for manager Nenad Bjelica, who was serving a three-match suspension, during a 1-0 win over Darmstadt in January 2024 to become the first woman to lead a Bundesliga team from the touchline.
Credit: bbc
