Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Saturday, April 11, 2026, 3:11 p.m. / Updated Saturday, April 11, 2026, 3:11 p.m.
Bayern won the first leg of the “quarter” with Real Madrid, score 2-1, but the legend of the two clubs, Toni Kroosthinks that Vinicius jr and Kylian Mbappe they have a good chance to turn things around in the second leg in Munich on Wednesday.
For years the club's executive director, now on the Supervisory Board, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge noticed a certain euphoria in the Bayern camp after the victory in Madrid.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “We mustn't let too much euphoria build up”
And in an interview given to the DAZN station, the former great German international wanted to sound an alarm signal to Vicent Kompany's players in view of the return from Munich: “We must not make the mistake of letting too much euphoria accumulate. I saw, like this, a certain enthusiasm and I don't like it, to be honest.”
Rummenigge gave the example of the return semi-final of the League in 2014, when Bayern, from the position of the trophy holder, were coming from a 0-1 in Madrid and were very confident of eliminating Real in the return leg.
“We lost the second leg then. Sergio Ramos gave us two goals from set pieces, then two more goals came,” recalled the former Bayern striker from the 1970s and 1980s: “We need to deliver another top performance on Wednesday. A very focused, very intelligent game, let's try to repeat the evolution from the tour”.
Toni Kroos: “At 2-0, I expected Bayern to seal the match. But the opposite happened”
Toni Kroos, who wore the shirt of both teams and in the semi-final mentioned by Rummenigge was at Bayern, goes even further and gives Real hope. “I wasn't surprised by what happened in Madrid. Although Bayern had an excellent performance, what happened after they went 2-0 up was the most striking aspect mentally.
At 2-0, it should have mentally sealed the match and removed any doubt about the result. But what surprised me was that Bayern started to withdraw and defend with less intensity. Just when we thought he would consolidate his advantage, the opposite happened. Between the 60th and 75th minutes, Real created more chances and conceded Mbappe's goal,” analyzed Kroos.
The former 2014 world champion's conclusion: “Bayern have had good performances against Real Madrid in recent years, but in the second leg they often fail to maintain their level or secure qualification, being affected by small details.”
