Football fans get ready for the big matchup of the day between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, as they their sights on Champions League title.
The defending Champions Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich in the first leg of the 2018 Champions League semifinals at the German team’s home ground. Real Madrid will be seeking to lift the title 13th time, as they play eighth straight semifinal this year.
Now the German team is coached by Jupp Heynckes, who led Bayern to the title in 2013 before his first retirement. Heynckes came back in October to rescue Bayern after its faltering start to the season led to Carlo Ancelotti’s departure and has already said he will not be staying on beyond this season.
Champions League: Real Madrid leave for Munich in style
Heynckes led Bayern to a Champions League-Bundesliga-German Cup treble in 2013 and is attempting to do so again, having already won the league and reached the final of the cup.
The German club has been eliminated by Spanish opposition every year since Heynckes first retired and Madrid is the favorite heading into the two legs.
The defending champions travel to Germany after a full week of rest and preparation since their last match, a 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Bilbao. They received the extra days off because their Spanish league match against Sevilla, originally scheduled for this weekend, was moved to next month after Sevilla reached the Copa del Rey final played on Saturday.
Madrid man Ronaldo will be seeking to continue his incredible scoring run after having scored in all 10 matches in the competition this campaign for a total of 15 goals. Meanwhile, Bayern will be without combative midfielder Arturo Vidal because of a knee injury.
So the stage is set, with final in sight, both teams would be aiming to for another glory in Europe’s biggest competition.