Bayern Munich winger Bryan Zaragoza has hailed Real Madrid as one of the greatest teams in UEFA Champions League history but does not consider them unbeatable. Zaragoza thinks it is a 50-50 contest and is confident of his team’s chances of beating the 14-time European champions.
Bayern Munich’s Bryan Zaragoza Warns Real Madrid Ahead Of UEFA Champions League Semi-Final
Bayern Munich will welcome Real Madrid to the Allianz Arena for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night (April 30). The Bavarians secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Arsenal in the quarter-final to make it to the final four while the Whites overcame defending European champions Manchester City on penalties.
Ahead of Tuesday’s highly anticipated ‘European Clasico’, Zaragoza launched a stern warning, claiming the six-time European champions had what it took to beat the record 14-time victors. He said (via MARCA):
“We know that Real Madrid is a great team and that in the Champions League they are one of the greatest, along with us, but it is a 50-50% tie.
“In our locker room, with enthusiasm and desire, we are convinced that we can win and we are going for it.”
The Spaniard also shed light on the mood inside the Bayern Munich dressing room, revealing:
“In the locker room, the atmosphere is one of great expectation and motivation ahead of the game. Being Spanish, for me it is also a special match, since we always like to play this type of games since we were little.
“We are all focused and very excited to have a positive result.”
Bayern Vs. Madrid: Head-To-Head
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have met a record 26 times in the history of the UEFA Champions League. The German outfit have a slender advantage when it comes to head-to-head record, with them winning 12 matches as opposed to Madrid’s 11. Los Blancos, however, have thoroughly dominated the last five meetings with Bayern in the competition.
The All-Whites came out on top on four occasions, with the remaining game ending in a draw. Madrid have also beaten Bayern Munich in their last two semi-final meetings, dispatching them 3-2 (aggregate) in 2017-18 and 5-0 (aggregate) in 2013-14.