Real Madrid host Bayern Munich on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals – a fixture that would have been a nightmare for the ‘Merengues’ at the start of the century, but they now know well how to deal with the German side.
The wildness of nature and football have one thing in common: in both, the hunter can go from being in a dominant position to being dominated and becoming the prey.
For many years, Bayern Munich was known in Spain as the Black Beast – the ‘Bestia Negra’ in Spanish – particularly in Madrid. Facing the German side in a Champions League knockout tie was practically synonymous with defeat for the ‘Merengues’.
‘Los Blancos’ are set to face ‘Die Bayern’ once again in the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League, although the script has taken a dramatic turn, particularly over the last 14 years, during which the German side has gone from being the hunter to the hunted.
The Spanish side have not lost to the Bundesliga champions in almost 14 years, recording seven wins and two draws in their last nine encounters, a period in which Bayern Munich have lost ground as an European powerhouse and Real Madrid have further cemented their position as the majestic kings of the Champions League.
Shootout heartbreak as turning point
From the time Madrid and Bayern first faced each other in Europe in March 1976 until April 2012, the Bavarians were a real nightmare for the Spanish side, who had a poor record of 6 wins, 2 draws and 11 defeats.
In fact, the ‘Merengues’ managed to secure just three wins in their first 13 matches against ‘Die Bayern’. However, everything changed in the spring of 2012, when Real Madrid suffered their last defeat against the German side to date.
The Spanish side were drawn against the Germans in the semi-finals of the 2011/12 Champions League, suffering a 2-1 defeat in the first leg at the Allianz Arena. Although they managed to secure a 2-1 victory over the Bavarians in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, the tie was decided in the iconic penalty shoot-out that went in favour of the visitors, with a memorable performance from Neuer and Sergio Ramos’s infamous penalty that sailed into the stands.
What those players, then led by Jose Mourinho, did not know was that this painful elimination on penalties would mark a turning point that would herald the start of their golden era in their rivalry against the German side.
Taking into account that bittersweet victory, Real Madrid have faced Bayern Munich nine times in the last 14 years, remaining unbeaten with an excellent record of seven wins and two draws.
‘Los Blancos’ were drawn against Bayern once again in the semi-finals of the 2013/14 Champions League, a tie that clearly reflected the reversal of fortune in the rivalry between the two sides, as the Spanish side thrashed the Germans 5-0 on aggregate to go on to win the final in Lisbon.
The wildness of nature and football have one thing in common: in both, the hunter can go from being in a dominant position to being dominated and becoming the prey.
For many years, Bayern Munich was known in Spain as the Black Beast – the ‘Bestia Negra’ in Spanish – particularly in Madrid. Facing the German side in a Champions League knockout tie was practically synonymous with defeat for the ‘Merengues’.
‘Los Blancos’ are set to face ‘Die Bayern’ once again in the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League, although the script has taken a dramatic turn, particularly over the last 14 years, during which the German side has gone from being the hunter to the hunted.
The Spanish side have not lost to the Bundesliga champions in almost 14 years, recording seven wins and two draws in their last nine encounters, a period in which Bayern Munich have lost ground as an European powerhouse and Real Madrid have further cemented their position as the majestic kings of the Champions League.
Shootout heartbreak as turning point
From the time Madrid and Bayern first faced each other in Europe in March 1976 until April 2012, the Bavarians were a real nightmare for the Spanish side, who had a poor record of 6 wins, 2 draws and 11 defeats.
In fact, the ‘Merengues’ managed to secure just three wins in their first 13 matches against ‘Die Bayern’. However, everything changed in the spring of 2012, when Real Madrid suffered their last defeat against the German side to date.
The Spanish side were drawn against the Germans in the semi-finals of the 2011/12 Champions League, suffering a 2-1 defeat in the first leg at the Allianz Arena. Although they managed to secure a 2-1 victory over the Bavarians in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, the tie was decided in the iconic penalty shoot-out that went in favour of the visitors, with a memorable performance from Neuer and Sergio Ramos’s infamous penalty that sailed into the stands.
What those players, then led by Jose Mourinho, did not know was that this painful elimination on penalties would mark a turning point that would herald the start of their golden era in their rivalry against the German side.
Taking into account that bittersweet victory, Real Madrid have faced Bayern Munich nine times in the last 14 years, remaining unbeaten with an excellent record of seven wins and two draws.
‘Los Blancos’ were drawn against Bayern once again in the semi-finals of the 2013/14 Champions League, a tie that clearly reflected the reversal of fortune in the rivalry between the two sides, as the Spanish side thrashed the Germans 5-0 on aggregate to go on to win the final in Lisbon.
