Record winners Real Madrid host Bayern München in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
Key facts
Ahead of the blockbuster, no two teams have faced off as often in UEFA club competition, and this 29th encounter between Real Madrid and Bayern offers as much intrigue as any of those previous meetings.
Madrid have had the better of recent head-to-heads, progressing from the last four two-legged ties between the sides, while they are unbeaten in their last nine UEFA competition matches against Bayern (W7 D2). At this stage of the competition, the omens are especially strong for Álvaro Arbeloa’s men, as they have won all three previous European Cup/Champions League quarter-final ties between the clubs. The Merengues’ ruthless dispatching of Manchester City in the last round only serves to boost their confidence further.
Recency offers greater hope to Bayern, though, as few teams can match their achievements in this season’s edition. No team can better their nine wins from ten outings, while only Paris Saint-Germain (who have played two extra games) have plundered more goals than Bayern’s 32 to date. Ten of those came in two prolific outings against Atalanta in the round of 16, proving Vincent Kompany’s men are hard to hold off once they get into their stride.
With 46 quarter-final appearances between them in the Champions League era, the business end of Europe’s premier club competition is no stranger to either club. But only one can reach the last four, who will make the most significant opening move in the Spanish capital?
Match stats
Madrid reached this stage for the sixth season in succession by overcoming Manchester City in the round of 16 (3-0 h, 2-1 a); they had finished ninth in the league phase before beating Benfica (1-0 a, 2-1 h) in the knockout phase play-offs.
Bayern were second in the league phase and made it nine wins in their ten games in this season’s competition at the expense of Atalanta in the last 16 (6-1 a, 4-1 h).
Previous meeting
This is the teams’ 29th meeting, the most in UEFA club competition – all in the European Cup. Madrid have 13 wins to Bayern’s 11, scoring 45 goals, three more than their German rivals.
This is Madrid’s 41st European Cup quarter-final, a record; Bayern are second with 36 appearances, although in the Champions League era Bayern have a record 24 last-eight appearances, two more than Madrid.
Madrid have won the last four two-legged ties between the two teams, most recently 4-3 on aggregate in the 2023/24 semi-finals. Vinícius Júnior struck twice in a 2-2 first-leg draw in Munich, Harry Kane getting Bayern’s second goal; Alphonso Davies scored for the visitors in a 2-1 second-leg loss in Madrid.
That made it nine matches unbeaten against Bayern for Madrid (W7 D2) and was their seventh home win in their last eight matches against the German club (D1).
Madrid have won all three quarter-finals against Bayern, in 1987/88, 2001/02 and 2016/17.
Possible line-ups
Real Madrid: Lunin; Éder Militão, Huijsen, Rüdiger, Fran García; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Pitarch; Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior
Bayern München: Neuer; Stanišić, Upamecano, Tah, Laimer; Kimmich, Pavlović; Luis Díaz, Gnabry, Olise; Kane
Elsewhere, Sporting will be looking to silence Arsenal and pile more misery on Mikel Arteta’s men.
