Bayern Munich are eyeing a spot in this season's UEFA Champions League final and while this would be a fantastic achievement on a club-wide level, a win over Real Madrid would see departing head coach Thomas Tuchel make history.
The German giants, who missed out on the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen after winning the German top-flight crown for 11 straight years, need a victory at Santiago Bernabeu to make it to Wembley. Harry Kane and Co. drew 2-2 in the first leg at the Allianz Arena, with Vinicius Jr. scoring twice for Los Blancos to deny die Roten the win.
Regardless, progression to the final, scheduled for June 1, is still within reach. If Thomas Tuchel achieves this, then he will set a fantastic UEFA Champions League record by becoming the first manager in history to make the final with three different teams.
The German tactician has reached the final on two previous occasions, first in 2020 with PSG, which they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich. The 50-year-old repeated this feat the following year, this time taking Chelsea to the ultimate game and getting his hands on the title, overseeing a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
Interestingly, while Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti holds the record for most appearances in a UEFA Champions League final at five, the Italian has done this with only two clubs – Los Blancos and Serie A powerhouse AC Milan. Tuchel is thus 90 minutes – or possibly 120 – away from achieving something neither Ancelotti nor Guardiola managed throughout their illustrious careers.
However, this all hinges on one thing: winning at Santiago Bernabeu. While beating Los Blancos is not impossible, it is still a tough ask. Not only have Bayern Munich never beaten a team managed by Ancelotti, failing in nine previous attempts (D3, L6), but the German giants have also failed to beat Real Madrid in their last seven visits to the Spanish capital (D1, L6).