Bayern Strikes
Fansided

An interview with a Madridista ahead of Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid

By Benjamin Scott

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 18: Thiago (L) of FC Bayern Munich vies for the ball with Carlos Henrique Casemiro (R) of Real Madrid during their 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 18 April 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 18: Thiago (L) of FC Bayern Munich vies for the ball with Carlos Henrique Casemiro (R) of Real Madrid during their 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals second leg match between Real Madrid and FC Bayern Munich at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 18 April 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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Much of Wendesday’s game between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will be won and lost in midfield. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
Much of Wendesday’s game between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will be won and lost in midfield. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images) /

Bayern Munich face off against Real Madrid in a huge Champions League semi-final clash, with Wednesday’s match at the Allianz Arena kicking off the tie.

Ahead of Bayern Munich‘s massive clash against Real Madrid, we had a few questions our friends at The Real Champs. Site expert Alex McVey was happy to respond and give some perspective on how the Madridistes are approaching this match.

1. First things first, what’s up with Real Madrid’s poor La Liga campaign?

Real Madrid got off to a really slow start at the beginning of the season, and it took them until late fall/early winter to pick up any steam. Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban from La Liga action after his silly decision to push a referee in the Spanish Super Cup didn’t help things, and kept Ronaldo from getting into full gear until late.

I think there is also the issue of the quality of Real Madrid’s substitutes. Last season, Zidane was able to make wholesale rotations in La Liga, while still putting out lineups which include the likes of Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez. Real Madrid also decided to let Pepe go this summer, and with him Madrid lost a lot of experience when they had to rely on their backups. Raphael Varane is having a great season, especially when playing alongside Ramos. But you can tell he’s still learning when he’s required to be the leader on the backline.

2. Why can Madrid be so consistent in the Champions League when they have had quite a tumultuous La Liga campaign? Is there any single thing that you can pinpoint that makes Real Madrid such a dominant force in the Champions League, in spite of poor league performances?

“Intensity” is the magic buzzword for Zinedine Zidane. He rails on his team’s need to maintain intensity over a full 90 minutes, and that seems to be the big difference between La Liga and the Champions League.

Real Madrid often begin games in the league looking lackadaisical, and fail to keep their focus over the full 90 minutes. Something about the Champions League seems to keep Madrid much more focused and disciplined. Perhaps it is the nature of the knockout tournament that makes the Madrid players hyper-aware that every minute of the match counts, and that any slip-up could have them dumped out.

And it’s also hard to discount Madrid’s history in this tournament. Madrid’s current squad players have a ton of experience in this tournament in particular, and everyone at the club knows that the Champions League is the tournament which defines Madrid’s identity.