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– Jude Bellingham has scored two goals in his last three appearances
– Harry Kane is the joint-top goalscorer in this season’s Champions League with eight
– Recommended bet: Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane both to score
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich lock horns at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday, with a spot in June’s final at Wembley up for grabs.
After drawing 2-2 in the first leg at the Allianz Arena, there is everything to play for in the return fixture in Spain, and it promises to be another enthralling encounter between these two European heavyweights.
Team news
Madrid welcomed back goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from injury in Saturday’s victory at Cadiz, and he is expected to retain his place, keeping Andriy Lunin on the bench.
Dani Carvajal is available after completing his European suspension, and he could be drafted straight back into the starting XI, but David Alaba is still sidelined.
Bayern are without Raphael Guerreiro, who is set to miss the rest of the campaign with an ankle problem. Kingsley Coman, Sacha Boey, Bouna Sarr, and Tarek Buchmann also remain sidelined.
Eric Dier is expected to shake off a thigh issue that forced him off at the weekend, and Matthijs de Ligt is also close to a return after being out of action with a knee problem.
The stats
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Madrid, who clinched their 36th LaLiga title on Saturday, are on a 20-game unbeaten run across all competitions heading into this contest, last tasting defeat in the Copa del Rey on January 18.
Los Blancos have not lost a Champions League home game since a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea in the 2021-22 quarter-finals, though they have drawn both of their knockout-stage matches at the Bernabeu in this season’s competition.
Bayern suffered a 3-1 defeat at Augsburg at the weekend, their fifth loss in their last nine away assignments in all competitions, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 11 road fixtures.
Munich ace Harry Kane is the joint-top goalscorer in this season’s Champions League, netting eight times, while Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has four to his name.
Prediction
The first leg between Madrid and Bayern was an entertaining affair, and Wednesday’s fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu should be no different, with attack favoured over defence.
Plenty of goals are set to be on the agenda and there are two players in particular, Kane and Bellingham, who look capable of striking for their respective sides.
England international Kane has been in sensational scoring form in his debut season at Bayern, notching a leading 36 times in the Bundesliga and grabbing eight goals in the Champions League.
The 30-year-old has five goals in his last four appearances, having bagged in the first leg, and he can continue his fine form in the final third in Spain.
Joining Kane on the scoresheet could be Madrid superstar Bellingham, who has taken his game to another level in his first campaign with Los Blancos.
The 20-year-old has two goals in his last three outings and he will be eager to have a bigger impact in the second leg, having been kept quiet in Germany last week.
