Atletico’s Simeone says Leicester have all to play for
Bayern Munich face a familiar problem as they travel to old European foes Real Madrid needing to make history to keep faint hopes of Champions League glory alive.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s secondhalf double in Munich last week made him the first man to reach a century of European goals, but more importantly handed Madrid a vital 2-1 first leg lead.
The 11-time European champions have never failed to progress after winning the first leg away from home in the Champions League.
“It won’t be easy, we’re the underdogs, but we’ll have a chance to win in Madrid,” insisted Bayern captain Philipp Lahm after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen.
Recent history, though, would say otherwise.
Should Bayern fail to pull off a fightback, it will be the fourth successive season they have been eliminated by a Spanish team.
When Pep Guardiola was hired as Bayern boss in 2013, he was expected by the Bavarians’ hierarchy to build on Jupp Heynckes’s treble and create a Bayern dynasty of the like that saw them win three consecutive European Cups between 1974-1976.
Heynckes’s Bayern thrashed a worn down Barcelona a year earlier 7-0 on aggregate on their way to winning the Champions League.
However, the Germans have only lost in four visits to Spain since without even scoring.
Guardiola was humiliated on his three returns to Spain as Bayern boss in three semifinal, first legs on the way to elimination against Real, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Carlo Ancelotti was named as Guardiola’s replacement specifically for his European nous having won the Champions League a record three times as a coach.
Yet, he hasn’t been able to find a solution for Bayern’s Spanish travel sickness as they also lost 1-0 to Atletico on their most recent visit in September.
Bayern’s struggles tell a broader tale, though, as Spanish sides have won their last 11 European ties against German oppo-
City remain a surprise guest at the top table of European football but a place in the Champions League semifinals beckons if they can overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Atletico Madrid.
The Premier League outfit have made a remarkable progression to the last eight and on Tuesday face a side who have mistakes made in the first leg. They started the first half on the front foot at the Allianz Arena but made silly errors which allowed Real to get back at them.
missed penalty towards the end of the first half and Javi Martinez’s second-half sending off were game changing moments. Bayern cannot afford to repeat such errors.
an early goal to get past the 1-2 deficit from the first leg, Bayern will have to be aware that Ronaldo is at the top of his game and capable of punishing them at any moment. thrived on adversity to compete in two Champions League finals in the last three years, having Drawn
Bayern won made it to four successive quarterfinals.
Leicester were outclassed for large parts of the first leg at a fervent Vicente Calderon Stadium but, crucially, return to the King Power Stadium on Tuesday with their storied opponents well in their sights after Antoine Griezmann’s solitary goal.
“I think they are betting everything on the second leg,” Atletico’s charismatic manager Diego Simeone told reporters after a tough first encounter with the Midlands side.
“It was a hard-fought match. It’s a good win for us but the second leg will be difficult. It’s all still to play for. As for the second leg, we anticipate a fantastic English atmosphere. The tie is still 50/50. Nobody sees us already in the semifinal.”
In the last round, Craig Shakespeare’s Leicester side overcame a similar 2-1 deficit against Sevilla, winning 2-0 at home in the return to set up the Atletico showdown.
“We know we have to be more open because we need a goal and one of Atletico’s plusses is their ability on the counter-attack,” Shakespeare told reporters after the defeat in Madrid.
“But we are still alive and we want to stay in the competition. I have seen enough throughout the squad. We know what we are about at the King Power and know what we need to do. ”