Despite being inferior for much of the first leg, Real Madrid still hold hope of overturning the result against Bayern Munich, as they trail by just one goal. Given the narrow scoreline, both sides expect a contested game, with an offensive approach dominating. Moreover, fans are closely monitoring the status of Kylian Mbappé as his presence could prove in the Champions League Quarterfinals.
After avoiding injuries in recent matches, Kylian Mbappé is in peak physical condition. Because of this, coach Álvaro Arbeloa will start the Frenchman, hoping his scoring impact will help overturn the result. In addition, he was decisive in the first leg, so another standout performance is expected. With this, he could look to silence the criticism surrounding his season, which has otherwise been impressive.
Alongside the Frenchman, Real Madrid will once again rely on the partnership with Vinícius Jr. However, the absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni due to yellow card accumulation will force adjustments in the starting lineup, such as deploying Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde at the base of midfield. As a result, Brahim Díaz could take on a key role, aiming to exploit spaces in the opposition’s midfield.
Bayern Munich will also have most of their squad available, with Harry Kane and Manuel Neuer returning to top form. After dominating in the first leg, coach Vincent Kompany may opt not to make changes to his starting lineup, as he confirmed that Serge Gnabry is fit enough to play 120 minutes if needed. In addition, Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanišić could once again play key roles, contributing to the team’s build-up play.
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid attempts to shoot past Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich predicted lineups vs Real Madrid
After their dominant performance in the first leg, Bayern Munich face Real Madrid as clear favorites. Coach Vincent Kompany will be without Lennart Karl and Sven Ulreich. However, the German side will rely on Kane, Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and Neuer as their core, maintaining their consistency. Despite this, they will face a tough challenge in defending space in behind, as Mbappé and Vinícius could use their pace to make the difference.
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The German side could lineup as follows: Manuel Neuer; Josip Stanišić, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Konrad Laimer; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović; Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, Luis Díaz; Harry Kane.
Real Madrid lineups vs Bayern Munich
Although they didn’t dominate the first leg, Real Madrid managed to be quite efficient, thanks to Kylian Mbappé. However, coach Álvaro Arbeloa will be forced to make changes to his lineup, as Aurelien Tchouameni will be out due to yellow card accumulation. As a result, they will start Valverde as a defensive midfielder. Following that, Arda Guler and Brahim will be responsible for linking the midfield and the attack.
With this in mind, Real Madrid will play as follows: Andriy Lunin; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy; Brahim Diaz, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler; Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappé.
