This can’t happen again…can it?
Surely, by now you have seen it. Real Madrid did it…AGAIN!
(Vinicius Jr. moonshot PK be damned)
Against all odds (with help of VAR), Real Madrid advanced past archrival Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. Looking at the list of squads left in the competition, it might be tough to envision just who might be able to defeat Los Blancos.
Some of the top contenders like Liverpool FC (choke job), Manchester City (flame out), and Bayer Leverkusen (got run over) are gone — leaving Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Arsenal FC, Aston Villa (!?), Borussia Dortmund (?!?), Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Milan as the remaining squads tasked with taking down Real Madrid.
Who has the best shot? Let’s break down the top four contenders:
- Bayern Munich: Deep enough, talented enough, and filled with enough starpower, the Bavarians are one of the few teams left who can go step-for-step with Real Madrid. If things keep progressing, Bayern Munich could actually be functioning better as a team than Real Madrid by the time they would conceivably meet.
- FC Barcelona: A natural rival, Barca will have to get through Borussia Dortmund and the winner of Bayern Munich/Inter Milan, but if it can survive that gauntlet, it would be hard to bet against Hansi Flick in a Champions League Finale. Flick is coaching with a purpose and there would be no bigger prize (or way to cement himself as a legend in Catalonia) than eliminating Real Madrid in the UCL Final.
- Arsenal FC: The best England has to offer (from the remaining teams) in this competition, the Gunners get the first shot at taking out Real Madrid, but the odds are not in their favor given some of the injuries they is dealing with. Can Mikel Arteta mix it up enough to make Real Madrid uncomfortable?
- Paris Saint-Germain: PSG will have to get past Aston Villa, but they might be young enough and naive enough to give Real Madrid fits — and might not know any better that they should have no shot of beating Real Madrid this season.
BFW Community…who among the teams left can or will knock off Real Madrid (or is this another year of twisted destiny)?
Looking for thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s upcoming Bundesliga match vs. Union Berlin? Awesome, because we have you covered with the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, which features a breakdown of the last game between the teams, a look at the rosters — including suspensions and injuries, and also a prediction on Vincent Kompany’s lineup and for the match. You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
