Home / Football Previews, Line Ups and Stats / Champions League Previews and Team News Real Madrid v Bayern Munich: Line-ups, stats and preview The lowdown on Madrid v Bayern in the Champions League Written by Ben Miller Last Update: April 6, 2026 04:21:55 pm BST 5 min read A surprise defeat at relegation-threatened Mallorca was an inauspicious way for Real Madrid to preface the visit of six-time European champions Bayern Munich, leaving head coach Alvaro Arbeloa to urge his players to switch gears for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Madrid had won their previous five matches in all competitions and could take encouragement from their form against Bayern, beating Die Roten in the last four two-legged ties between the sides.I know what my players are capable of, said Arbeloa, emphasising his sole responsibility for the setback. I know they understand the importance of Tuesdays match the level of demand will be extremely high. Im confident that [our fans] will give us another great Champions League night, as they have been doing without them, everything is harder and with them, everything is much easier.Bayern extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions in dramatic style on Saturday, triumphing from 2-0 behind at Freiburg courtesy of goals by Tom Bischof in the 81st and 92nd minutes and a 99th-minute Lennart Karl winner.Im absolutely convinced that we can win everything this year, even though I know how difficult that is, said midfielder Leon Goretzka, via Bayerns website. Well give it a try.We havent had much success against Real recently. Wed very much like to turn around the statistics from recent years.To a German, Real Madrid always sounds like the Champions League. They are [record 15-time] champions in this competition and have been the dominant team over the past 10 to 15 years.These are two giants of European football going head to head. Theyve had some very, very good but also some bad moments this season.At the moment, you never really know what youll get from them. Experience tells us that they usually manage to pull something off in the Champions League, but well be prepared for that.Table of Contents1 Real Madrid v Bayern Munich team news2 Real Madrid v Bayern Munich predicted line-ups3 Where to watch Madrid v Bayern: TV channel, live online streams4 Real Madrid v Bayern Munich stats5 Prediction for Real Madrid v Bayern Munich6 What To Do If You Have A Gambling ProblemReal Madrid v Bayern Munich team newsGoalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (quad), left-back Ferland Mendy (hamstring), winger Rodrygo (knee) and midfielder Dani Ceballos (calf) are sidelined for Madrid.David Alaba was an unused substitute against Mallorca as the defender continues his return from injury.Midfielder Federico Valverde could return from suspension and Eder Militao equalised against Mallorca on the centre-backs comeback from a long-term injury.Midfielder Jude Bellingham came on as a substitute, having not been risked by England during the international break.Vinicius Junior could start this time, having started on the bench on Saturday because the winger was tired after representing Brazil.Top scorer Kylian Mbappe played throughout on his first start since missing a total of five games through a knee injury.Mbappe has not scored in five club appearances in all competitions, last netting for Madrid almost two months ago.The France captain, Vinicius Junior, Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras must avoid bookings to be eligible for the second leg.Leading marksman Harry Kane missed Bayerns latest win with an ankle issue and is a doubt, but goalkeeper Jonas Urbig returned as an unused substitute.Midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic and widemen Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala also came off the bench following injuries.Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich (knee) is injured. Konrad Laimer and Dayot Upamecano will be banned for the second leg if they are booked.Real Madrid v Bayern Munich predicted line-upsReal Madrid starting XI: Andriy Lunin, Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rudiger, Fran Garcia, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Marc Pitarch, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius JuniorBayern Munchen starting XI: Manuel Neuer, Josip Stanisic, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Konrad Laimer, Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Luis Diaz, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise, Harry KaneWhere to watch Madrid v Bayern: TV channel, live online streamsKick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). Live TV coverage in the UK is on TNT Sports 1.Streaming is on the HBO Max app. TNT Sports costs �30.99 a month and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.Real Madrid v Bayern Munich statsNo teams have met as often in European competition as these clubs (29 matches)Madrid are unbeaten in their last nine European matches against Bayern (W7 D2) and have won all three previous quarter-final ties between the clubs in the competitionThey have won (113) and lost (113) the most tackles of any team in the 2025/26 Champions LeagueMbappe (13) is the top scorer in this seasons Champions League, with no other player still in the competition bettering Kanes total of 10 goalsNo team has received more bookings in the competition this term than Madrid (27), who have earned three more cautions than any other side involvedBayern have the best record in this seasons Champions League (W9 L1) and average the most goals per game (32 in 10 matches)They have scored the most goals inside the area of any team (29), netting twice from distanceOf the teams in the quarter-finals, only Paris Saint-Germain (91.3%) have a higher passing accuracy than Bayern (90.3%)PSGs Vitinha is the only player still in the competition to have attempted (846) and completed (813) more passes than PavlovicVinicius Junior and Bayerns Michael Olise have each provided two more Champions League assists in 2025/26 (7) than any other playerPrediction for Real Madrid v Bayern Munich Real Madrid 2 1 Bayern Munich Each of the last nine first-leg meetings between the teams have been settled by no more than a goal, with four finishing 2-1. Much could depend on Kanes availability, but home advantage could give Madrid the edge. Bet Here What To Do If You Have A Gambling ProblemWe understand that gambling can be fun, but it is always important to gamble responsibly. If you are struggling with a gambling problem, please do not hesitate to ask for help. There are people who can help you get on the road to recovery. Below, we have listed some helpful resources to help aid you on the road to recovery.National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133GamCare: https://www.gamcare.org.ukGambleAware: www.gambleaware.com Topics: Alvaro Arbeloa Champions League FC Bayern Munich Harry Kane Kylian Mbapp Real Madrid CF Vincent Kompany Vinicius Jr Vinicius Junior Follow us: Ben Miller Reporter Ben has more than 10 years' experience in sports journalism, covering two EURO tournaments, European club competitions, the Premier League, EFL and WSL and a variety of other major sporting events. Read more from Ben Miller
