Real Madrid were handed a 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. It’s fair to say that the scoreline doesn’t fully reflect the disappointing performance showcased by Los Blancos in that matchup.
That said, what’s done is done, and Real will have to look ahead. The club are gearing up for the second leg at the Allianz Arena. Bayern’s lead is slim, and Merengues fans will certainly expect a comeback from their team.
However, for that to happen, the Los Blancos players will have to be at their best. Here are three Real stars who must live up to their reputation vs Bayern.
Vinicius Junior
On his day, Vinicius Junior is probably still the best left-winger in the world. But he has been inconsistent lately, and that has hurt the team. In the first leg, the 25-year-old was poor by his standards and missed a 1v1 which should have been scored.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian international will have to bring his best version onto the field against Bayern in the upcoming tie for Real to have a chance of turning things around.
Vini has scored five goals and provided seven assists in the Champions League this season. It will be interesting to see if he can add to that tally on Wednesday.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has recently returned from injury. Surprisingly, since then, Real have unfortunately failed to win any of their matches in all competitions.
Anyway, that doesn’t take away from the fact that the superstar is one of the most important players for Los Blancos. Notably, the Frenchman is currently the leading goalscorer in the Champions League this season with 14 goals.
He was also on the scoresheet against Bayern last week, which has honestly kept Real in the tie. There are a lot of expectations resting on his shoulders, and Mbappe will have to step up and deliver in the decisive second leg as well.
Alvaro Carreras
Carreras has been trusted as Real’s primary left-back option since his arrival last summer. However, one cannot deny that he couldn’t keep up with Bayern’s Michael Olise in the first leg. The French winger was seen getting past him with ease on multiple occasions.
That said, Carreras is inarguably incredibly talented, and it was possibly an off day for the Spaniard. In fact, fans would hope that he learns from his mistakes and improves in the second leg.
It is worth mentioning, though, that Ferland Mendy is fit and could be preferred ahead of Carreras for this matchup due to the veteran’s experience.
In conclusion, the Bayern matchup might be the last chance for Real to salvage anything from this season. They are already out of the Copa del Rey and have lost the Spanish Super Cup as well. Additionally, they find themselves 9 points behind bitter rivals Barcelona in the La Liga table. As a result, Real will have to give it their all, or else they would be staring at yet another trophy-less campaign.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow