History: FC Bayern vs. Real Madrid – The “mother of all European Cup duels”

history

As of: April 6, 2026 • 12:30 p.m

The great classic of the European Cup between FC Bayern and Real Madrid has a long history. Since 2000, there have been 16 memorable encounters from the quarter-finals onwards.

Bayern Munich against Real Madrid: The great classic of the European Cup. At the Quarterfinal first leg On Tuesday in Madrid (9 p.m.) the two top teams will meet for the 29th time more international stage on each other – record. FC Bayern was no longer the “black beast” from Munich that the Madrilenians once feared. An overview of all direct Champions League duels from the quarterfinals.

Semi-final 2000: Out after Matthew farewell

It was a memorable Champions League season for FC Bayern. Despite a 2-1 win in the second leg, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld’s team was eliminated in the semi-final against Real. Carsten Jancker and Giovane Elber scored for FCB, Nicolas Anelka made it 1-1.

The problem: In the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Munich team fell well short of their performance when they lost 2-0. Nicolas Anelka after an assist from Raúl and an own goal from Jens Jeremies sealed the annoying defeat that FCB could no longer turn around.

The Munich team had triumphed 4-2 in Madrid in the group phase five weeks earlier. But Lothar Matthäus was still there. Likewise in the group phase second leg, where the then 38-year-old ended his great career with a 4-1 home win in Munich. Matthäus was missing from his team at every turn in the semi-finals.

Semi-final 2001: Real fails due to Oliver Kahn

It was Oliver Kahn’s season. In the 1-0 first leg in Madrid, the “Titan” held up outstandingly and drove the stars around Raúl, Figo and Guti to despair. Élber scored the winning goal. In the second leg, Elber and Jeremies sealed the 2-1 home win with their goals before the break, while Figo only managed to equalize. Bayern were too strong for the Royals this season.

But FCB’s successful journey didn’t end there: Bayern won the final 5-4 on penalties against FC Valencia after 120 minutes and won their first premier class title in 25 years. The man of the evening was – of course – Oliver Kahn, who saved three penalties.

Quarter-finals 2002: Defensive tactics are FCB’s downfall

With an energetic final spurt, Bayern were just able to turn the quarter-final first leg in Munich from a 0-1 deficit (Geremi) into a 2-1 victory (Effenberg, Pizarro) in the last minute. But in the end that wasn’t enough.

In the second leg, the Hitzfeld team remained strangely passive – and the defensive tactics against coach Vicente del Bosque’s strong Madrilenians didn’t work. Driven by the outstanding playmaker Zinedine Zidane, Helguera and Guti sealed the Spaniards’ 2-0 win with their goals – and thus the Munich team’s exit. Real later secured the title.

Semi-final 2012: Bayern wins thriller on penalties

Franck Ribery and Mario Gomez ensured the extremely narrow 2-1 win in the first leg in Munich – and Mario Gomez with his last-minute goal. Mesut Özil had meanwhile equalized for the Royals. In the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, an unforgettable thriller developed: Coach Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern were 2-0 behind after just 14 minutes, after a brace from superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Everything seemed to be directed against the people of Munich.

But Arjen Robben scored from a penalty before the break. In the penalty shootout, the extremely strong Manuel Neuer parried Ronaldo and Kaká’s attempts. And: Sergio Ramos chased the ball into the Spanish night sky. Bastian Schweinsteiger shot the Munich team into the “final at home” against Chelsea.

Madrid coach José Mourinho later revealed that this semi-final second leg was the only game after which he cried. But the real drama came three weeks later when the Munich team gave up what they thought was a certain victory against the English.

Semi-final 2014: Guardiola makes a serious mistake

After the 0-1 (Karim Benzema) in Madrid, Bayern still had chances in the second leg in Munich, especially since Mario Götze even had a great chance to equalize and Bayern played on equal terms in the game. But what followed in the second leg was more like a lesson.

And that had its origins in the unfortunate decisions of coach Pep Guardiola. At half-time it was already 0-3 from the defending champion’s perspective, but in the end Real won 4-0 thanks to braces from Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo – and a little later also the final against city rivals Atlético.

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola took the defeat after questionable tactical decisions by fielding the six-man duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos and initially sacrificing defensive specialist Javi Martinez: “The biggest shit I’ve ever done as a coach.”

After the Spaniard was substituted on, Bayern’s game got significantly better, but it was too late to turn this game around. Guardiola had simply “overcoached” himself dramatically.

Quarterfinals 2017: Bayern anger at the referee

In the first leg in Munich (1:2), Arturo Vidal was the formative player for FCB. First the Chilean scored the opening goal, then he missed a hand penalty. The turning point for Tainer Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern, who had previously been superior: Cristiano Ronaldo then shot the Madrilenians to victory with a brace.

In the second leg, emotions ran high on the Munich side: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge raged. “We’ve been screwed over, in the truest sense of the word”rumbled the CEO. What had happened? Referee Viktor Kassai from Hungary had clearly overlooked offside positions for two Real goals in extra time in the second leg at the Bernabeu (2:4 after extra time), and he also sent off Arturo Vidal with a yellow-red card in the 84th minute.

Bayern saved themselves into extra time, but then had to admit defeat to the Royals. Triple Cristiano Ronaldo and Asensio sealed Bayern’s exit with their goals. The people of Munich feel betrayed, Vidal spoke of “theft“.Real won the title five weeks later.

Semi-final 2018: Heynckes says goodbye

After a 1:2 in the first leg, Munich’s chances of reaching the final weren’t exactly good. Joshua Kimmich had put Bayern in the lead, but Marcelo and Asensio’s goals were able to turn the game in Madrid’s favor.

A week later in Madrid, Jupp Heynckes’ team had not yet lost hope. Bayern were the better team, Joshua Kimmich took the lead after just three minutes. But Karim Benzema turns the game around for Real with a brace, also thanks to a serious mistake by new representative Sven Ulreich. James Rodriguez made it 2-2.

It was the last Champions League game for legendary coach Heynckes. “My team played an outstanding game. I’ve never seen FC Bayern play like that in recent years.”he said, not without pride. Real crowned themselves again in the final three weeks later.

Semifinals 2024: Joker Joselu shocks Bayern

Bayer Leverkusen were already undefeated champions, and Bayern’s final destination in the cup was third division team Saarbrücken. And so Bayern’s last hope for salvaging a weak season was: the Champions League.

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, in which Real attacker Vinícius Júnior scored two goals and equalized the interim lead by Leroy Sané and Harry Kane, Real were clearly better in the second leg in Madrid.

Alphonso Davies still gave coach Thomas Tuchel’s team the lead. But then Manuel Neuer made a mistake shortly before the end, and Joker Joselu turned the game around with a brace right before the end to give Real a 2-1 win. Referee Szymon Marciniak blew the whistle for the supposed equalizer by Matthijs de Ligt in the final second.

“That night was really hard to cope with”said Harry Kane. And Real won – again – the European premier class, in the final against Borussia Dortmund.