James Rodriguez returns to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday (kick-off: 8:45 PM CEST/ 6:45 PM GMT/ 2:45 PM EST), with Bayern Munich needing to beat Real Madrid to have any chance of reaching the 2018 UEFA Champions League final after losing last week’s semi-final first leg in Munich 2-1.
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Real-owned midfielder James was one of a handful of regular first-team players rested for Bayern’s 4-1 win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Thomas Müller and Javi Martinez also sat the game out, but are not considered doubts for the second leg. Left-back David Alaba, who missed last Wednesday’s narrow defeat at the Allianz Arena, is expected to return at the expense of Rafinha, while Niklas Süle will partner Mats Hummels at the heart of the back four. Forced off eight minutes into the first leg, it remains to be seen what role – if any – influential winger Arjen Robben has to play in the Spanish capital. Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Arturo Vidal and Kingsley Coman are definitely out.
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane left out captain Sergio Ramos, defensive partner Raphael Varane and leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo of his squad to face Leganes at the weekend. Former Bayer Leverkusen right-back Dani Carvajal and midfielder Isco were two further notable absentees after picking up knocks against Bayern, and remain doubtful. With Nacho Fernandez sidelined, that leaves young Moroccan Achraf Hakimi as Real’s only natural right-sided defender. Forward Lucas Vasquez is another option, having slotted into the role for the final 10 minutes of the first leg. Marco Asensio, scorer of the winning goal in Munich, is set to come in for Isco.
Watch: All James’ Bundesliga goals and assists so far
Probable line-ups
Real: Navas – Vasquez, Varane, Ramos (c), Marcelo – Modric, Casemiro, Kroos – Kovacic – Asensio, Ronaldo
Absentees: Nacho (muscle strain), Carvajal (hamstring), Isco (shoulder)
Coach: Zinedine Zidane
Bayern: Ulreich – Kimmich, Süle, Hummels, Alaba – Martinez, James – Müller (c), Thiago, Ribery – Lewandowski
Absentees: Neuer (foot), Vidal (knee), Coman (ankle), Boateng (groin)
Coach: Jupp Heynckes
Match stats
- James won the Champions League with Real in each of the past two seasons. Victory with Bayern would make him just the fifth player to win the competition with two different clubs in consecutive years, after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa, Gerard Pique and Samuel Eto’o.
- Heynckes has reached the final in all three of his Champions League campaigns, winning the competition twice: with Real in 1998 and Bayern in 2013.
- As well as James and Heynckes, Robben and Toni Kroos are up against their former clubs.
- Müller is one game away from his 100th Champions League appearance with Bayern. Only Philipp Lahm (105) and Oliver Kahn (103) have passed their century to date.
- In 24 previous head-to-head meetings, Bayern have won 12, Real 10, with the teams drawing twice. The German champions have won four of their last six semi-finals against their Spanish counterparts.
- Ronaldo is the top scorer in the season’s competition with 15 goals, 10 more than Lewandowski. Both men are tied on 38 goals in all competitions in 2017/18, though.
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