By DAN KARELL
Real Madrid are only 180 minutes from achieving “La Decima” but Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola stand in their way.
The two European giants meet up for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie on Tuesday (2:45 p.m., Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes) at the Allianz Arena with Real Madrid aiming to reach the final for the first time since 2002 and Bayern attempting to return for the third straight year. Cristiano Ronaldo is fit again ,while Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are raring to go for Bayern in this highly anticipated matchup.
After Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Bayern Munich needs to score at least twice to advance to the final in Lisbon.
If you will be watching today’s match, please feel free to leave your thoughts, some play-by-play and analysis in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
Why all the hate on Gus Johnson? What is he doing so badly?
Wynalda I get, but Johnson?
Not so much what he’s doing, as what he isn’t doing. The vacuum of knowledge leaves something to be desired. Wynalda also suffers as he is left to hang himself with out someone to reign him in.
Okay, seriously getting sick of Wynalda trying to tell us all the reasons why Pep Guardiola isn’t a good coach.
My god.
my wife just said, “who is that talking? he sounds like an !d!ot.”
Still better than Twellman in my opinion.
That’s like saying a given food is better than gruel.
No mute button on your tv I take it?
Wow.
Wow wow wow.
Things have changed since German teams destroyed all in their wake last year.
I wish it could be someone else doing this. Real is almost as bad as Man City in my book.
Yup… that thing twitching on the ground over there was the greatest team in the history of everything one month ago. In the leadup to the final, we can now look forward to plenty of “is he the best ever?” stuff about Ronaldo, which will probably last well into June if they win.
Too bad it will end badly. In Manaus.
Just goes to show you a counter attack, as part of the game plan, can win a game. Remember the USA win against Spain in the Confederations Cup. Real Madrid over Barcelona? USA in the World Cup may HAVE to rely on the counter.
A lot easier to counter when you have possibly the two fastest players in the world….
and mourinho built this team to counter. bale just makes them that much better at it.
i agree that we’ll have to counter in the cup, but i obviously don’t expect madrid’s success. 🙂
This gives us some insight into how bad the Bundesliga must be in comparison to some of the other leagues.
that’s what i take from it, too. i don’t think bayern are playing any worse than they have been for a while, and while real madrid are hitting their stride, they’ve been playing like this for months now. i do think it indicates the disparity of strength between the spanish liga and the bundesliga.
Yeah, especially with Bayern winning 5-2 over the weekend. Real Madrid isn’t even in first in their league.
I would say that only England and Spain have a competitive top 3 that are truly great. Italy has 2. Germany has 2.
Also Arsenal aren’t great… they just don’t have it. I dunno why but they can’t seem to stay focused long enough.
No, it does not reflect on the Bundesliga. Don’t bring a third grade school ground argument based on stereotyping. Real Madrid reflects on the use of good tactics..possession when they have to and counter when they have to…a very solid performing team doing all the little things well. Bayern is VERY good in possession outside the penalty area passing side to side until they lose the ball or miss a shot or shank a shot. Bayern needs more urgency to get into the penalty area instead of passing side to side outside the penalty area. Anyway, enjoy the game.
The Mexican national team did lots of side to side passing in WCQ with lots of coaching changes. Bayern does this too..difference is the forwards at Bayern finish things off better…possession with a purpose and URGENCY are key.
Did you say the same thing last year when German teams dismantled the elite Spanish teams?
Ancelotti would be massively naive to leave Ramos out there, he is a walking yellow card waiting to happen.
Bayern are playing like a bunch of thugs. Dante should have seen read for his dirty tackle on Ronaldo and replays showing Ribery actually slapped Carvajal in the face while waiting for a conern kick. Ribery frustrated because Carvajal owned him in Madrid and against today in Munich. Neuer getting caught out and this is a tactic I think the USMNT can use against Germany. Madrid doing a great job pressing Bayern in their own half.
I predict a red card for Bayern before this is over.
why is Tim Howard in that new
Nike/FIFA commercial? he doesn’t even say a word or wear his Everton jersey.
i can imagine millions may be unsure of who he was. I’d have figured Neuer or Casillas or Buffon or Cech would be in that commercial.
I’m sure Nike is trying to reach all audiences with that commercial, including the American audience. So, why wouldn’t they put him in there?
True but why not Clint Dempsey?
everyone in England knew who he was. He is marketable. 55 PL goals in England in just 6 years
everyone in England probably believes that Depsey is “retired” and his last season with Tottenham wasn’t exactly something to remember.
Probably because the US is a huge market and they wanted one American in it. Other than that there really isn’t a reason.
Everton is fashionable right now too. He isnt exactly unknown…..
Pepe is such a tool. And I’m a Madrid fan. Can’t stand him.
I don’t think anyone likes him. He is apperance matches his personality — unlikable.
Yup, but you gotta give it to him, he’s playing the best 2 matches of his life when it counts.
Ancellotti should shackle Ramos to the locker room and not allow him near the field the 2nd half.
This game is gonna get chippy, and his yellow card prognosis is 10000000% He can’t help himself…
i’d like to see Ramos subbed out for sure. can’t lose him and Xabi.
Wynalda is condescending, arrogant and beyond annoying.
Dislike Pepe as much as everyone else, but seriously? He just took a line drive cross to the face from like 8 or 9 feet.
Ya, but like you said. It’s Pepe. No one can take anything he does seriously.
I do hate him…
A guy on BBCFootball.com just now: “You’ve got to think that Jupp Heynckes is watching this somewhere with a big smile on his face.”
Truer words were never spoken.
Xabi dude. Why?! Ramos needs to be subbed out so he doesn’t miss the final.
I wonder what the job security is like for Pep. I don’t think winning the league is enough for management. I doubt he is fired this year, but I wonder if he fails to deliver next year he won’t be gone.
I bet they fire him immediately if this gets to 5 or 6 to nothing.
It’s not as good as people might think I bet. I would guess he is gone if he only wins the League. He has had trouble in the Champions league.
Trouble with Arsenal, United, and getting owned by Real?
If he loses to Klopp in the DVB DFB pokal, he might be fired. I won’t say will but its not looking good.
yeah, i wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been let go after losing here, but getting humiliated like this? i would expect nothing less.
Did Wynalda just say Khedira is an ex Bayern player…? Stuttgart dude, right?
Goal!!!!!!
Yes he did.. They’re both clueless
This is an all-time beat down right now. Embarrassing.
Real counters like no one else. I bet they may have another goal or two in them considering the numbers Bayern will push forward.
lol well I can go back to work now
the rout is on
Yup, Pep is gunna get destroyed in the press tomorrow. He deserves it too. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that he is neglecting the whole concept of defense or he doesn’t understand it.
got beat on a zone marking situation, got beat m2m on that last one, not that you’d zone on a free kick like that, but no answers on the restarts. agree with Increase about missing them directness and that one time strength
It’s just… they seem to have Barca disease. Doesn’t have them hitting hard on counter attacks like they did last year. IReal doesn’t have any reason to fear a counter and no reason not to push forward like crazy. They know Bayern will give them time to fall back.
Could it be argued that when Pep sat (rested) some his starters those few games that his team lost all of their momentum?
This game is over, wonder if Bayern clinching the league so early really hurt them. They haven’t been the same for the last month or so.
We harp on this every week, but my god Wynalda and Johnson are terrible.
I have the game muted for other reasons today but I don’t mind them tho I prefer Wynalda in the studio stirring it up
I really like Wynalda in the studio, don’t like his commentary. He’s very opinionated, which is great for 10 minutes at half time, but gets really annoying over 90 minutes.
Gus Johnson is putrid, soundless would be preferable.
RAY-al Madrid…
Is that not how it’s pronounced? Have I been saying it wrong my whole life? In my Spanish classes the teacher said that is how it would be pronounced.
Nope….it would be Re-al. RE would sound like you would pronounce “red” Al would sound just the Al in “Albert”.
“Ray-al” is correct. Red is English is not the correct sound. That would be “rah-al”. “E” in Spanish is pronounced the same as literally saying the letter “A” in English. Specifically when referring to the word “Real”
of course, the placement of a letter can change the sound and different regions say things differently (ex. “ll” in Mexican spanish compared to Argentinian spanish)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah15nB3no_Y
there’s a video for “Real Madrid” pronunciation.
Stress is on the second syllable, as well.
Would love to see an all Madrid final. Imagine the fire in that game. Probably would be a lot note exciting than Chelsea making it through.
So many red cards.
This is amazing!
bayern couldve used julian green today
The Green Lantern wouldn’t have helped Bayern today.
+1
they wanted to win not to concede another 4
Madrid is dominating Bayern.
Yikes!! Is that game over? Bayern needs 4 now eh .
it’s over
Agreed, its done. Pep just doesn’t use these players right and I don’t think he knows how to deal with life without Messi.
Man, you get up from your desk for 5 min….
I had to be thirsty then? Really?
Def bad timing for a beverage my friend. This has not gone how I thought.
Unbelievable
holy heck!! Crazy
RAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dante should have been shown red!!!! Wow
On my… If it was chippy before that goal (and that foul), now it’s going to be really something…
Ramos!!!!!
bam…yellow for Dante on Ronaldo
I not really shocked that it was a corner. Just friggen put Martinez in okay Pep?
Wow! 1-0 Real! This game is gonn heat up quick.
I think Real has this… to be honest. Pep has taken all the directness and strength out of the team. Bayern just seem slow and soft.
Still soft.
RAMOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSS
What a gaffe from Neuer!
Listening to Gus Johnson and Eric Winalda takes away from the experience. No music. No poetry. No insight.
I had to change feeds. It was pretty painful.