The clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich is one of the biggest rivalries in European football. Their continuous meetings in the UEFA Champions League have cemented a heated rivalry between these European heavyweights, and if that game needed more controversy, the clash between Zinedine Zidane and one of his mentors will also be something worth watching,
Los Blancos remember Ancelotti's stint as boss with gratitude, as he led the team to its 10th UEFA Champions League title, adding a Copa del Rey win against Barcelona and even the Club World Cup trophy in 2014. However, his lack of silverware in the second semester of the 2014-15 season forced Florentino Pérez to sack the Italian, despite pleas by Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos to reconsider.
CR7 had a close relationship with Ancelotti. After his sacking was confirmed, reports claimed that the Portuguese ace considered leaving the club for their lack of interest in what the players wanted.
Perhaps the closest link Real Madrid have with their former boss is Zinedine Zidane. Although the Frenchman began his work as an assistant under José Mourinho, working with Ancelotti was life-changing for the 1998 World Cup winner, as he stated during a press conference after the draw was announced.
"It will be master against pupil for sure. I was his assistant, I learned a lot from him, he is a great person and we all know what we did here. The tie is 50-50 as always, especially with these two teams," Zidane stated.
On the other hand, Ancelotti had kind words for his former club and the city.
"I really like Madrid and I'm really looking forward to going back. I had two wonderful years there," Ancelotti added.
Ancelotti stares at Zidane, passionately handing out instructions during the 2014 UEFA Champions League final.
Bayern vs Spanish teams
It will be Ancelotti's duty to end Bayern's hoodoo against Spanish teams. Knowing La Liga -and Real Madrid- very well, the Italian coach has a tough task ahead, as Bayern has fallen against Spanish sides in three of the last four UEFA Champions League editions.
Real Madrid (2014), Barcelona (2015) and Atlético(2016) eliminated Die Roten under Pep Guardiola, with two of those losses being quite painful. Real Madrid handed Bayern their worst European defeat of all time at home, when Los Blancos thrashed Bayern with a 4-0 score thanks to braces by Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2015, the Bavarian side wasn't able to keep up with Barcelona's emerging MSN attack and ended up eliminated with a 5-3 aggregate. The tie will be remembered by Messi's performance at Camp Nou, "destroying" Jerome Boateng's waist and leading Los Blaugranas to a 3-0 win in the first leg.
Last season, Die Roten were eliminated by Atlético Madrid thanks to the away goal rule. Antoine Griezmann's counter attack sealed the deal for Simeone's crew, who had won the first leg 1-0 at Vicente Calderón Stadium.
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich
If there's a team that Real Madrid wanted to avoid, it had to be the Bavarian outfit. The German side is one of the few in Europe that can brag about having a positive record against Los Blancos, as they have defeated them 11 times in 22 previous matches. This will be the 11th two-legged tie between these teams, with each club winning five of those.
Nevertheless, this matchup has to bring fond memories back for Real Madrid, as Los Blancos won their 8th, 9th and 10th UEFA Champions League trophies after beating Bayern Munich prior to the Final clash. Will this be a good omen for Zidane's crew, or is Ancelotti's style the antidote that will end Bayern's recent struggles against La Liga outfits? We'll find out on April 12 and 18, when the games between these giants take place.
Zidane was part of the 2001-2002 team that won the UEFA Champions League, which included eliminating Bayern in the Quarter finals. Will history repeat itself, but with Zidane pulling the strings from the bench?
