After securing a 2-2 draw away at the Allianz Arena, Real Madrid will play host to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu, looking to make it yet another unforgettable Champions League night at the vaunted venue.
Real Madrid have dominated LaLiga and are coming off a 3-0 drubbing of Cadiz over the weekend, and they are the favorites to win the Champions League as the competition’s most successful team.
But while Bayern Munich have struggled in the Bundesliga this season, their Champions League pedigree is also quite strong, and manager Thomas Tuchel has already frequently had Real Madrid’s number in the UCL.
Here is how Real Madrid are predicted to line up their starting XI on Wednesday night at the Bernabeu as they look to make it two Champions League finals in three years.
Defense
GK Andriy Lunin
LB Ferland Mendy
CB Nacho Fernandez
CB Antonio Rudiger
RB Dani Carvajal
Thibaut Courtois is gearing up for his big injury return, and there are those wondering if Carlo Ancelotti would be so bold as to take the starting job from Andriy Lunin in the Champions League Final.
After all, Courtois is the established best goalkeeper in the world and was the hero of the last Real Madrid Champions League triumph against Liverpool in 2022.
Yet it would be cruel to take the spot away from Lunin, who has been arguably just as good as Courtois in the 2023/24 season and has an even brighter future in world football at the age of 25.
After a dreadful performance that was a clear departure from his heroics in El Clasico, Lucas Vazquez will make way for a true right back at the elite level in Europe, Dani Carvajal.
Bayern Munich remember Carvajal well from both his time on loan at Bayer Leverkusen and all the times he shined against them in the Champions League. He can be the big difference-maker in the tie.
Midfield
CM Toni Kroos
CM Aurelien Tchouameni
RM Fede Valverde
Toni Kroos was the most impressive player on the pitch in the first leg, wowing his former employers with a gorgeous opening assist for Vinicius Junior.
He and Aurelien Tchouameni will have full control of the midfield. Meanwhile, Fede Valverde will stay a little bit back as the wide man in the unbalanced formation, utilizing his rare skill set to cover the pitch and create a ridiculous volume of chances.
Attack
LW Rodrygo Goes
LF Vinicius Junior
RF Jude Bellingham
Rodrygo Goes is at his best on the left side of the formation. The conundrum is that starting him there takes Jude Bellingham out of his favored position, but Real Madrid can flexibly move their front three so that Bellingham can play more “in the hole” and makes those beautiful delayed runs into the box.
Vinicius Jr. scored twice against Bayern Munich and is the best player in the Champions League right now. His status in undisputed. How far Real Madrid will go, though, depends on if the best versions of the arguably equally elite Jude and Rodrygo show up.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.