Real await in the quarter-finals! Coach Arbeloa has great respect for Bayern | OneFootball

After their 6-1 first-leg win over Atalanta Bergamo, FC Bayern are on the brink of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they could face Real Madrid – and the royals are already showing a lot of respect

Real Madrid beat Manchester City in impressive style to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and now that they have progressed, the focus in Spain is already on their next potential opponents – FC Bayern

After the clear first-leg victory in Bergamo, the Munich side have the best chance of also making it through to the last eight, bringing a clash between the two European heavyweights ever closer

Real coach Álvaro Arbeloa was correspondingly respectful towards the German record champions after the win against City: „We’ll wait and see what happens tomorrow, but it’s clear that Bayern will qualify,“ explained Arbeloa

Arbeloa warns against in-form Bayern

The Whites‘ coach believes FC Bayern are currently one of the strongest opponents in Europe and expects a top-level clash: „FC Bayern are one of the most in-form teams in Europe in terms of their style of play and level. It will be just as difficult as this match, especially as the second leg takes place in Munich.“

Arbeloa is also alluding to Munich’s particular strength at the Allianz Arena, where Vincent Kompany’s side have been extremely dominant in the Champions League of late

FC Bayern underlined its ambitions in the round of 16 against Atalanta with a clear 6:1 away win

Historic duel with great explosiveness

A potential clash between FC Bayern and Real Madrid would be one of the most traditional duels in European soccer

photo: IMAGO

The two clubs have faced each other over 30 times in total, and while Real have often come out on top in recent years, there have also been periods in the past when Munich were considered the „Bestia Negra“ – the Spaniards‘ opponents to fear

The last time the two teams met in the semi-finals of the Champions League was in 2024, when Real narrowly prevailed and went on to win the title

Arbeloa made it clear that his team is ready for the next challenge – regardless of the opponent: „As we always say: if you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat the best.“