Where to watch Bayern Munchen vs Real Madrid on TV

Only four teams are left standing in the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League edition. They are Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC. The two rich and powerful spanish clubs, Real Madrid and defending Champions FC Barcelona, are the bookies' favorites to advance to the Champions League final.

This prospect would set the stage for the most famous Champions League Final the planet could dream for, but first they must overcome the other two semi-finalists Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC who should provide a serious challenge to the spanish giants.

The first leg for Real Madrid will be away in Munich at the hostile ground of the Allianz Arena. The match kicks off at 2:45pm EST and will be aired in the US on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Deportes. Pubs should be busy and many offices will have some employees taking late lunches or simply absent this afternoon.

Despite all the talent at Jose Mourinho's disposal, this semi-final will not be easy. It is Real Madrid's first real test in this competition having overcome a fairly innocuous group stage with the likes of Lyon, CSKA Moscow and Dinamo Zagreb. Then, in the quarter-finals, Real Madrid were drawn with the tiny Cypriot club APOEL which they easily brushed aside with an aggregate score of 8-2.

Thus far, Real Madrid have scored 32 and conceded only 6 goals in their 8 Champions League games this season. Remarkably, Madrid have only conceded 1 goal away. It has been their stellar away form which has put them where they are today in both domestic and European competitions. Real Madrid have also won all their Champions League games except for the fixture in Russia against CSKA Moscow which was played in artic-like conditions.

All or Nothing?

The next 8 days will make or break Real Madrid's season. Jose Mourinho has done a rather good job thus far in returning Real Madrid to the status of potential champions, a status which FC Barcelona has dominantly owned over the past 3 years. But all that good work is seriously on the line this week. As luck would have it, Real Madrid will not only face their toughest challenge in Champions League against German powerhouse Bayern Munchen, but they also have to contend with the April 2012 Clasico at the Nou Camp only 4 days after their trip to Germany.

Poor results in both these away fixtures will put a serious dent into Mourinho's plans for silverware this season. It could be an all-or-nothing situation if they do not obtain positive results the Bayern Munich and Barcelona fixtures.

A draw at the Allianz Arena will be considered positive, but Los Blancos will likely aim for a conservative away win. At the Camp Nou, a draw will take them one step closer to dethroning FC Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga. But losses in both these away fixtures will have a devastating impact for the Madrid club, which is known to collapse like a deck of (red) cards when things do not go their way.

Favorites?

FC Bayern Munchen have had a good recent run in the Champions League, having outscored their opponents 11-0 in the last 3 matches. Overall they have scored 22 goals and conceded 7 in the competition. They've won all their home games and have an envious record in this competition against Real Madrid.

Bayern Munchen have never lost to Los Blancos at home in this competition. In fact they have a very favorable record against the Madrid club. In their 18 European matches, Bayern Munchen have 10 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses. None of these losses were suffered on German soil.

So as the odds from a historical perspective favor the German side. One factor impossible to ignore is that if there is any coach likely to beat the odds, that may very well be Jose Mourinho as he proved in the 2009-10 edition with Inter Milan and in in 2003-04 with FC Porto.

Where to Watch FC Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid 2012 - Fußball Arena München - Munich

TV Listings for the first leg of the Semi-Final for the 2011-12 Champions League.