On Tuesday evening, two of the best winners of European football will meet on the turf of the Allianz Arena (where the 2025 final will be held) with stars in their eyes and on their shirts: 14 for Real Madrid, the record holder, and 6 for Bayern, the third most successful club in C1.
Looking ahead to 2024, Bayern and Real will play 29 of the 69 finals (currently 11 for the Germans and 17 for the Spanish). And the two clubs have faced each other 26 times, almost always in the knockout stages, but strangely never in a neutral ground final.
Europe remains the only option for a trophy this season for Bayern, who were stripped of the national title by Bayer Leverkusen for the first time since 2013while the German Cup has not been relevant since the autumn (he left Saarbrücken in the round of 16, resident 3.E division). “They’ve had a complicated season, but they’re probably in their best form at the moment. And they have Harry Kane who scores a lot of goals. It will be a balanced and competitive match,” emphasized Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Controversy before the confrontation with Real
Behind the scenes, to bring these “ten incredibly important days”, to use the words of Thomas Tuchel, Bayern engaged in controversy in the pure style of FC Hollywood, in the past its nickname for the whims of its stars.
Four days before the decisive match, honorary president Uli Hoeness, still very influential, criticized Tuchel sharply, accusing him of not wanting to develop young players. The attack, taken badly by the person in question, “hurts his honor as a coach”.
“There is no worse timing for secondary sides,” added the Bavarian technician, for whom “the only thing that matters is Real Madrid, Stuttgart and Real Madrid.”
Hoeness’ remarks upset a Munich environment already confused by the search for a successor to Thomas Tuchel, whose leadership was forced to step down in the summer of 2024, twelve months earlier than originally planned, due to a series of negative results. February.
The name of Ralf Rangnick, the German coach of Austria, has repeatedly appeared in the German press in recent days. “We noticed it, but it doesn’t affect us as players. We won’t let ourselves be worried,” full-back Joshua Kimmich assured.
AND remake from the 2013 final?
Facing Real, who are all but certain to win the La Liga title and are determined to win a fifteenth European crown, Tuchel fears an opponent able to accelerate in a fraction of a second. “If we look at their goals and stop 10 seconds before, we don’t always see them coming,” warned Thomas Tuchel.
The Madrilenians knocked out defending champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals and presented the Munich men with a final and huge obstacle towards Wembley, where they captured their 5th.E star in the 2013 All-German final against Borussia Dortmund, including one remake is still possible as the last four approaches (BVB face Paris SG).
Harry Kane, who arrives in Bavaria to unlock his record, (already 42 goals this season, including 7 in C1) dreams of doing so in his London garden on 1.ahem June, but first he will have to get rid of his England teammate Jude Bellingham, who is pursuing the same goal for his first season in Madrid.
Everyday life March also dedicated its front page on Monday to Kane, “another monster to face for Antonio Rüdiger”, after he dominated Haaland and then Lewandowski during his last two shocks against City and Barca.