What: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich – Champions League semifinals second leg
When: Wednesday, May 8th, kick-off 3 PM ET
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
The Champions League semifinals proceed this week and on Wednesday, Real Madrid welcomes Bayern Munich to the Santiago Bernabeu for a crucial second leg, with a spot in the showpiece on the line. The kick-off is scheduled for 3 PM ET. The return fixture ended 2-2 at the Allianz Arena in Munich last week in what proved to be a thrilling affair. This one shouldn’t be any different as the two European giants battle to have a chance at winning the entire competition on June 1st. Keep reading for the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich picks.
Los Blancos are a heavy favorite on Wednesday with -112 odds for an implied win probability of 52.83%. Bayern returns at +305 and has a 24.69% chance of coming out victorious. A draw is priced at +285.
Can Madrid Get it Done?
Real just won the LaLiga title over the weekend, reclaiming Spain’s biggest trophy from Barcelona. But, the job is not done. The 14-time Champions League winners are searching for their 15th piece of silverware in Europe’s most prized competition and have already knocked off the title-holders along the way, eliminating Manchester City in the quarterfinals. Carlo Ancelotti’s men haven’t tasted defeat in the 2023-24 UCL campaign and it will likely stay that way if they lift the grand prize.
The first leg against Bayern was a treat to watch. Vinicius Junior was the star of the show for the Spanish giants, scoring a brace in Munich, with his second coming from the penalty spot. Madrid controlled 48% of the possession and had 10 total shots, with four hitting the target. It was a relatively even match with both teams enjoying their fair share of chances.
When it comes to recent form, Los Blancos are enjoying a 20-game unbeaten run, with their last defeat coming in the Copa del Rey to Atletico Madrid in January. It’s also important to note they haven’t lost a game at home at all this season, which is a positive sign ahead of the second leg. Madrid will surely be bringing their best.
Bayern’s Only Chance at Silverware
It’s been an interesting campaign for the Bavarians. They lost the Bundesliga to Bayer Leverkusen by a lot and then decided to dismiss Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season. But, they’ve remains competitive in the Champions League, easily winning Group A with a 5-1-0 record before taking care of Lazio and Arsenal in the knockout stages to set up this meeting with Madrid. Bayern showed well in the opening leg, too. They conceded early but Leroy Sane equalized shortly after halftime. Harry Kane then put the Germans ahead just four minutes later but Vinicius converted from the spot late in the second period to equalize.
There’s been a lack of UCL success for Bayern since winning the competition in 2019-20 when they beat PSG in the final behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Bayern won the treble that year. While that can’t happen again, lifting the UCL trophy would be considered a massive success despite their lack of consistency in the Bundesliga.
Kane has been absolutely fantastic in his debut campaign in Munich, scoring 36 league goals and another eight in the Champions League. He once again produced the goods over the weekend, netting his side’s only goal in a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Stuttgart. Not a great result by any means ahead of Wednesday’s encounter, but it should definitely give the visitors tons of motivation to win this. A victory could set up an all-German UCL final if Dortmund gets past PSG on Tuesday.
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich Picks
It’s very tough to look past Madrid’s perfect record at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they’ve only settled for draws. After celebrating the LaLiga title, I expect Los Blancos to keep it rolling by winning the vital second leg here.
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Quinn Allen is a journalist who specializes in writing sports betting previews. He holds a senior editor position at ClutchPoints. He has been contributing to Vegas Betting as a writer since 2022.