Nyon - Back to back winners Real Madrid continue their title defense as they face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 Champions League.
Following the Champions League draw on Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo's Madrid will head to the Allianz Arena for their first leg clash with Bayern Munich.
The defending champions Real Madrid, who have won the competition an astonishing 12 times, made their way into the semi-finals by outplaying a resilient Juventus side on Wednesday. The Italian giants mounted a strong comeback in the second leg before Cristiano Ronaldo scored a crucial late penalty to help his side secure qualification on a 4-3 aggregate.
The Bavarian challenge
Zinedine Zidane and his men will face a daunting task in the form of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who have looked like a formidable side throughout the tournament. Announcing their former player Niko Kovac as the next coach just minutes before the draws were announced, FC Bayern showcased their brilliant defense against Spanish side Sevilla in the quarter-finals. The second leg ended in a 0-0 draw as the home side advanced to the semi-finals on a 2-1 aggregate.
The Bavarians will be looking for redemption this time around as it was Madrid who knocked them out of the tournament last year in the quarter-finals.
Sporting director for Bayern Munich, Hasan Salidhamidzic is confident that his side will win this time around.
"They are formidable opponents. We were knocked out by them last year and we want to do better this year," Salihamidzic said in a recent interview. He also added, "I'm optimistic. We have great respect for them but we're not afraid."
Head to head
The two teams have faced each other 25 times in the Champions League, which makes it the most played fixture in the competition's history.
This will be the seventh time, the two sides will go head to head in a semi-final stage of the tournament. Bayern Munich has the had the upper hand so far, winning four of these encounters. However, Real Madrid has defeated their Bavarian rivals in their last five games together. Bayern will have to keep an eye out for Ronaldo who has scored seven goals in the last three games played between the two sides.
The first leg of the semi-final will take place on April 25 in Munich, while the second leg will be on May 1 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
The winner of the semi-final will travel to Kiev, Ukraine to play either Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool or AS Roma in the final of 2018 Champions League final.
