Overview
- The tie opens Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid in the first of two legs between the European heavyweights.
- Real Madrid list several absences for the first leg, including Thibaut Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo and Dani Ceballos, according to team news reports.
- Bayern Munich face uncertainty over leading scorer Harry Kane after he missed their last match with an ankle issue, with his status described as in doubt.
- Recent form sets the tone as Alvaro Arbeloa called for a reaction to Madrid’s upset loss at Mallorca, while Bayern stretched an unbeaten run to 13 games with a late comeback at Freiburg and Leon Goretzka voiced confidence.
- Data-driven previews report a slight first-leg edge for Madrid at home, though broader projections still make Bayern the more likely side to progress over two games.