Bayern Munich winger Bryan Zaragoza has praised Real Madrid as one of the greatest teams in UEFA Champions League history but believes they are not unbeatable. Zaragoza views the upcoming match as a 50-50 contest and remains confident in his team’s ability to defeat the 14-time European champions.
Bayern Munich’s Bryan Zaragoza Warns Real Madrid Ahead Of UEFA Champions League Semi-Final
Bayern Munich is set to host Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night (April 30). The Bavarians secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Arsenal in the quarter-final to advance to the final four, while Real Madrid overcame defending European champions Manchester City on penalties.
Prior to the highly anticipated ‘European Clasico’, Zaragoza issued a warning, expressing confidence in the six-time European champions’ ability to defeat the record 14-time winners. He stated (via MARCA):
“We know that Real Madrid is a great team and that in the Champions League they are one of the greatest, along with us, but it is a 50-50% tie.
“In our locker room, with enthusiasm and desire, we are convinced that we can win and we are going for it.”
The Spanish player also provided insight into the atmosphere within the Bayern Munich dressing room, disclosing:
“In the locker room, the atmosphere is one of great expectation and motivation ahead of the game. Being Spanish, for me it is also a special match, since we always like to play this type of games since we were little.
“We are all focused and very excited to have a positive result.”
Bayern Vs. Madrid: Head-To-Head
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have faced each other a record 26 times in the history of the UEFA Champions League. The German club holds a slight advantage in the head-to-head record, with 12 wins compared to Madrid’s 11. However, Real Madrid has dominated the recent encounters with Bayern in the competition.
Real Madrid emerged victorious in four out of the last five meetings, while the remaining match ended in a draw. Madrid also defeated Bayern Munich in their last two semi-final clashes, with scorelines of 3-2 (aggregate) in 2017-18 and 5-0 (aggregate) in 2013-14.
