Real trio out to reignite spark
Madrid, April 11: Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to rekindle some of the magic they once served up under Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday when they face their old coach in the latest edition of Real Madrid’s rivalry with Bayern Munich.
Real’s ‘BBC’ trident enjoyed one of their most productive nights under Ancelotti the last time they were in the Allianz Arena, running riot in a 40 win to inflict the heaviest ever defeat on a side coached by Pep Guardiola.
The expensively assembled trio have frequently been blamed by the Spanish media for Real’s unconvincing attacking displays this season, however, with the team relying on other parts of the team, not least defender Sergio Ramos, for goals.
The spotlight will be on the out-of-form trio in Wednesday’s quarter-final first leg in Germany as Real resume their bid to become the first team in the Champions League era to retain the trophy.
Bale, albeit while missed three months of action through injury, has endured his worst season since joining Real with nine goals in all competitions, while Ronaldo, with 19 in the league, is on course for his worst domestic tally since 2010.
Benzema, meanwhile, has also been far less prolific in domestic matches this year but is the team’s top scorer in the Champions League with five goals to only two each from his Portuguese and Welsh team mates.
There will be extra pressure on the forwards because of the absence from the Real defence of the injured Pepe and Raphael Varane, while Bayern will be missing defender Mats Hummels with an ankle problem.
Bayern’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski should be able to start, despite being forced off with a shoulder injury towards the end of the 4-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Games between the most successful clubs from Germany and Spain have thrown up plenty of violent scenes in the past, from Bayern goalkeeper Sepp Maier breaking Roberto Martinez’s nose in 1976 to Juanito stamping on Lothar Matthaus’s head in 1987.
LEICESTER READY FOR HARDENED ATLETICO
Leicester City have shown a remarkable ability to defy the odds but face their sternest test yet in the league against Atletico Madrid, the team they have replaced as European football’s most fashionable underdogs.
Before Leicester enchanted the sporting world last year with their miraculous Premier League title win, Atletico had worked similar wonders in 2014 by breaking the strangehold of Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga.
Now the two sides who have punched delightfully above their weight meet in the first leg in Madrid on Wednesday — but it is Leicester who remain the European novices while Atletico have grown into true continental heavyweights under Diego Simeone.
Yet Leicester are on a similarly hot streak under Craig Shakespeare, who became the only manager alongside Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti to win his first five games in the Premier League after succeeding Ranieri.