There aren’t many names in football who possess football intelligence comparable to Toni Kroos, the man who played for two of the biggest clubs in European football – Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
As Bayern wrapped up an impressive 1-2 victory against Real Madrid at Bernabeu, the Bundesliga club’s fans rejoiced at the advantage the Bavarians gained ahead of the return leg at home. But Bayern’s performance didn’t convince Kroos as much because of the late goal the club allowed to concede. Kroos was quick to fire a warning that the tie is far from over.
The Bayern vs Real Madrid matches are often closely contested, though the head-to-head stats favour the Spanish club. More often than not, Real Madrid have managed to beat Bayern, even when they have been trailing at early intervals of the game. There’s a reason why Real Madrid are called the ‘Kings of Comeback’, and Kroos saw glimpses of that in the first leg in Spain.
“I was not surprised by what happened in the game, although Bayern signed an excellent performance, but what happened after getting 0-2 was the most striking aspect mentally,” the former Germany midfielder said.
“In recent years, Bayern has offered good performances against Real Madrid, but in the return matches they often fail to maintain their level or secure the classification, being affected by small details,” he added.
Kroos isn’t wrong, At Least Historically
In the 2023/24 semi-final second leg between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the La Liga side scored twice — in the 88th and the 91st minutes — to beat Bayern 2-1 and enter the Champions League final. The first leg was a 2-2 draw.
That wasn’t an isolated case. In the 2017/18 semi-final first leg between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Real Madrid scored twice — in the 44th and the 57th minutes — to beat Bayern 2-1 after Joshua Kimmich had opened the scoring. The second leg was a 2-2 draw, allowing Madrid to progress to the final.
The 2016/17 quarter-final second leg saw Real Madrid score four times — including three goals in extra time — to beat Bayern 4-2 on the night and progress 6-3 on aggregate. Bayern had led 1-0 and 2-1 during regular time to force the match into extra time.
In the 2016/17 quarter-final first leg, Los Blancos scored twice — in the 47th and the 77th minutes — to beat Bayern 2-1 after Arturo Vidal had given the hosts an early lead.
The 2001/02 quarter-final second leg saw Real Madrid progress 3-2 on aggregate after winning the second leg 2-0. Bayern had won the first leg 2-1, meaning Madrid had to come from behind in the overall tie to enter the semi-finals.
Historically, Bayern have let their focus slip against Real Madrid, let the occasion get the better of them. The onus is on Vincent Kompany’s side to avoid a repeat of the same at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.