Bayern Munich v Atletico Madrid Live Preview – Who Will Reach Champions League Final

Tuesday 3rd May. 7:45PM. BT Sport Europe

Just three matches remain in this year’s Champions League, and the drama has hit fever pitch ahead of the semi-final second legs, starting with an epic battle at the Allianz Arena.

German giants Bayern Munich will still fancy their chances of reaching their fourth final of the decade, but they won’t have easy as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit against the defensively sound Spanish visitors.

It could be an absolute classic.

Bavarians Need Goals

Despite dropping two points at the weekend, Bayern’s record in Munich is phenomenal. It will need to be once more if Pep Guardiola is to end his tenure with a Champions League final appearance, especially as his men failed to register an away goal last week.

Conceding would force the Germans into needing a minimum of three goals. The firepower of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Arturo Vidal wouldn’t be incapable of achieving that, but the hosts will be fully aware of Atletico’s incredible defensive record under Diego Simeone.

Despite a fairly poor defensive record in the knockout phase, the unit of Manuel Neuer and his defenders can keep a shutout. Doing that would hand Bayern a fantastic chance of booking their place at the San Siro on May 28th, but it won’t be easy.

Bayern have already defied the odds with the comeback against Juventus in the round of 16. If they come through this test too, Guardiola might yet provide the perfect ending to his Munich adventure.

Can Atletico Finally Rule Europe?

Since last winning the Europa League in 2012, Madrid’s second side has grown from strength to strength and is now very much in the same bracket as Europe’s elite. Now, they are just 180 minutes away from being crowned kings of Europe, and we would expect nothing less than a fight to the finish from the Rojiblancos.

Simeone’s men were just seconds away from achieving that before losing the final to Real Madrid two years ago, but they could yet have the perfect opportunity to avenge that defeat in Milan. First, though, they must complete the job that was started in superb fashion with that 1-0 win at the Calderon last week.

Atletico’s formidable backline can give them a strong foundation while the force of Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres will provide a threat on the break. The visitors won’t want to give anything away, but know scoring first would put qualification within touching distance.

Both teams can be optimistic. One way or the other ,we should be in for a thrilling encounter.

Bayern Munich v Atletico Madrid Betting

With the first leg score in mind, the bookies have made Atletico favourites to qualify. However, it’s Bayern that are priced 8/13 to win this second leg in Munich while the Spanish visitors are 11/2. The draw can be backed at 3/1.

For Guardiola’s men, scoring first is essential. Scoring three against a team that’s won six games on the spin without conceding will feel almost impossible. Therefore, the Germans will surely be out to attack.

That emphasis could leave them vulnerable in defence, though, and Atletico will be ready to punish any mistakes. Either way, an early goal looks very possible.

There are a number of promotions on this game, and Betfred have included it in their DD/HH promotion. That means a winning first goalscorer bet could potentially pay out at up to treble the odds.

If Bayern are to advance, they’ll be relying heavily on their main man. Lewandowski has rescued his side on a number of occasions in the past, and also has a great record at this stage of the Champions League. With the potential bonus in mind, we’re backing him to open the scoring.