Real Madrid Vs. Bayern Munich: Watch Live Stream Online; Prediction, Probable Lineups, Preview [Champions League Semi-Final, 2nd Leg]
When and Where: The Champions League semi-final second-leg kicks-off from the Santiago Bernabeu at 2.45 p.m. ET. A live stream will be available via a subscription to FoxSoccer2Go. Live TV coverage will be provided by FX. You can also follow live coverage of the match, below.
Preview: Last night a drama-filled match saw Chelsea reach the Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona. The message to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich: match that.
And match it they well could, surpass it even. With 20 appearances in the final between them, European pedigree just oozes out of these two soccer behemoths. And there is oodles of talent in the ranks of the current-day sides of Real and Bayern too, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribery, Mesut Ozil and Arjen Robben all desperate to leave their mark on the semi-final.
It was Bayern who got the upper-hand in the first-leg in Munich courtesy of Mario Gomez's late strike. Despite Real's favorite tag, Bayern held an element of control for much of the match and were not flattered by the 2-1 score line.
Bayern prospered with the inclusion of Toni Kroos ahead of Thomas Muller that allowed them to get the better of the key midfield area. That will be crucial again Munich as will Cristiano Ronaldo's ability to get the better of Philipp Lahm, who had the upper-hand on the great Portuguese forward in Munich.
Both sides come into the tie with plenty of added motivation to make another Champions League final.
Having effectively dethroned Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday, Real know that if they can also win the Champions League they will have achieved their objective of knocking Barcelona off their perch where it matters most.
While Real were celebrating on Saturday, Bayern watched on as rivals Borussia Dortmund celebrated a second-straight Bundesliga title. The Bavarians' fate confirmed despite Ribery's late winner against Werder Bremen earlier in the day. The Champions League is everything for Bayern this season and with the final taking place in their home stadium the desire has never been higher to win their first Champions League since 2001.
Team News: Bayern manager Juup Heynckes made eight changes for the trip to Bremen on Saturday. While first-team reinforcements from the bench were needed in the second-half, Bayern should be refreshed for Wednesday's clash.
All indications are that Bayern will revert back to the same side that equipped themselves so well in the first-leg.
In stark contrast to Bayern, Real stuck with the same side against Barcelona at the weekend that began at the Allianz Arena.
One change Jose Mourinho may well be considering for the second-leg is switching Fabio Coentrao with Marcelo at left-back. Coentrao had a poor game in the first-leg, but is generally viewed as a stronger defensive option than the Brazilian.
With Bayern doing such a good job in the midfield last week, Mourinho may also be tempted to reinforce the center of his side by including Esteban Granero at the expense of Mesut Ozil.
Probable Lineups
Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Khedira, Alonso; Di Maria, Ozil, Ronaldo; Benzema.
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba; Gustavo, Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Robben, Ribery; Gomez.
Prediction: This match is almost too close to call. Gomez's late strike last week completely changed the face of the tie heading into this second-leg, with the onus now on Real to take the game to Bayern. With the likes of Robben and Ribery, as well as the lethal Gomez, the visitors could be primed to exploit Real defensively on the break-especially if Marcelo plays, or Coentrao is as poor as he was in Munich.
The tie has every chance of going all the way to extra time, but it could well be Bayern celebrating a return to the Allianz for the final next month.
Real Madrid 2-2 Bayern Munich
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