Having already secured the La Liga title, Real Madrid face another key match in their quest for the UEFA Champions League title as they face Bayern Munich in the second leg of the semi-final.
The first leg ended with a 2-2 draw, as a Vinicius Junior double was able to keep the Merengues even with the hosts during a visit to the Allianz Arena.
For this upcoming match on Wednesday, Carlo Ancelotti has another key player recovered, i.e., Thibaut Courtois, while Eder Militao was also available for the first leg. Now, only David Alaba remains on the sidelines with his ACL injury.
Being one of the potentially two most important games left in this season, the Italian tactician is expected to put in his strongest starting eleven on the pitch, and there are not any surprises likely to be experienced in regards to the lineups for a match of this significance.
Here is how Real Madrid are expected to lineup against Bayern Munich:
Expected lineup:
GK: Andriy Lunin
Although Thibaut Courtois was able to play the full game against Cadiz last Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti will once again put Andriy Lunin between the sticks, especially as the Ukrainian has not provided many causes for complaints in the Belgian’s absence, and has been key for Real Madrid in their Champions League run.
RB: Dani Carvajal
Having missed the first leg of the tie because of a suspension, Carvajal will return to the fore in this game, and help the team on both offensive and defensive ends.
CB: Antonio Rudiger
The German has been one of the most important players for Ancelotti this season, and he will slot back into the starting lineup after having got some rest in the match against Cadiz. He will once again be looking to keep the dangerous Harry Kane under control.
CB: Nacho
This will be one of the more difficult decisions as Ancelotti can opt for either Militao, Nacho, or Tchouameni to partner with Rudiger in the center of the defense.
However, Nacho is likely to get the nod once again, because he is the most experienced of these three players, while Militao has not had enough game time to get on the pitch for such a demanding encounter and Tchouameni will be needed in the midfield.
LB: Ferland Mendy
Having rested in the La Liga game against Cadiz, Ferland Mendy will be fresh for this game, and will be key for Real Madrid to contain the danger posed by the likes of Leroy Sane and Alphonso Davies.
CDM: Aurelien Tchouameni
If he does not play as a center-back, the Frenchman will once again be the pivot in the midfield for Real Madrid, where his defensive skills will be needed to a very high extent. Was seen limping while leaving the training session last week, but is expected to be 100% ready for this game.
CM: Toni Kroos
Kroos has been another integral player for Real Madrid this season, and showed why this is the case in the first leg as he put in an exquisite ball for Vinicius Junior to open the scoring. The German rarely drops from the standard he has set for himself but hopefully will be playing at an even higher level in this game as he faces off against his former club.
CM: Fede Valverde
The Uruguayan has been undroppable for Carlo Ancelotti and has appeared in every league and Champions League game this season. His energy and athleticism in the midfield will be key for the Merengues as they take on a side as intense as Bayern Munich.
CAM: Jude Bellingham
After a rather quiet first leg, the Englishman will be gunning to prove himself in the second leg against the side that snatched the Bundesliga title right from his hands when he was still playing for Borussia Dortmund. Hopefully, Jude will be able to get another goal in this match after having scored against Barcelona and Cadiz in recent weeks.
ST: Vinicius Junior
The Brazilian was the MVP for the first leg, as he scored both of Madrid’s goals, and will once again be the most potent threat to Bayern Munich’s hopes of reaching the Champions League final this season.
ST: Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo will be looking to link up with Vinicius Junior and Bellingham to create danger in Bayern box. He won the penalty that led to Real Madrid’s second goal in the first leg, and will hopefully once again be at his best in the competition in which he shines the most.
