Real Madrid on top again for Bayern conclusion

For the second time in 12 months, Real Madrid welcome Bayern München for a second leg defending a 2-1 advantage earned in Germany.

Real Madrid CF are within sight of a third consecutive UEFA Champions League final as they welcome FC Bayern München for a second leg seeking to build on a 2-1 away victory.

• In Munich on 25 April, Bayern struck first through Joshua Kimmich, only for Marcelo to level shortly before half-time, Marco Asensio coming off the bench to tilt the tie in favour of the holders with the winner just before the hour.

• Only twice in UEFA Champions League history have a team overhauled a first-leg home defeat to win the tie, and Bayern have painful memories of the more recent case having been beaten by FC Internazionale Milano in the 2010/11 round of 16 (1-0 away, 2-3 home). That followed AFC Ajax’s comeback against Panathinaikos FC in the 1995/96 semi-finals (0-1 h, 3-0 a).

• This is the teams’ 26th fixture – a record in UEFA club competition – and their seventh European Cup semi-final.

• The teams met in last season’s quarter-finals and it was Madrid, en route to becoming the first team to retain the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era and claiming a 12th European title overall, who came out on top. Zinédine Zidane’s side won, as now, 2-1 in Munich and then 4-2 in Madrid after extra time to progress to the last four.

• This is Madrid’s record eighth successive UEFA Champions League semi-final, while Bayern are in the last four for the sixth time in seven seasons.

Previous meetings

• This is the clubs’ fourth two-legged tie in seven seasons, Madrid winning two of those to Bayern’s one. Overall, the teams have played in 11 previous knockout contests – all in the European Cup – Madrid winning six and Bayern five; the German club lead 4-2 in semi-final ties.

• Madrid have won their last six matches against Bayern, scoring 15 goals and conceding five.

• Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score in the first leg but still has seven goals in his last four appearances against Bayern – and nine in seven matches overall.

• In last season’s quarter-finals, Bayern – then coached by Carlo Ancelotti, who had led Madrid to the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League title – struck first in the home first leg through Arturo Vidal (25), who then missed a golden opportunity to double the advantage when he failed to convert a penalty in added time at the end of the first half. Ronaldo levelled two minutes into the second period and, after Bayern’s Javi Martínez had been sent off for a second bookable offence (61), secured victory with his second of the night 13 minutes from time.

• At the Santiago Bernabéu, Robert Lewandowski’s penalty put Bayern in front (53) and, though Ronaldo restored Madrid’s aggregate lead in the 76th minute, two minutes later a Sergio Ramos own goal sent the tie into extra time. Bayern played that extra period with ten men after Vidal’s 84th-minute dismissal, and were made to pay as Ronaldo scored twice more to complete his hat-trick, Marco Asensio completing a 6-3 aggregate victory for Zidane’s side.