Carlo Ancelotti, the Bayern Munich manager, tells his players they will need to keep a sharp eye out for Cristiano Ronaldo. Bayern are due to play Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in the return leg of their Champions League tie on Tuesday.
Bayern would have had plenty to be upset about after the first leg against Real. Mistakes in defense and a red card decision helped the Madrid side to a 2-1 victory away. Ronaldo scored both goals for his team and Ancelotti wants to ensure the same scenario is not repeated.
“Small details decided the first leg and we have to focus on those,” said Ancelotti. We cannot afford to let Cristiano alone. We have a smaller chance than in the first leg, but we can definitely win this. The first 60 minutes in the first leg were quite good, but we made too many mistakes after that.”
Bayern will once again have some trouble in choosing their best side against the Spanish giants. Team goalscorer Robert Lewandowski is expected to miss the encounter through a shoulder injury. Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng are also doubtful to start.
“Lewandowski is a great player and his return is very helpful,” Ancelotti told reporters. “He has trained with the squad without any problems. It is a big confidence boost for us, but we will not change our strategy. It is important for Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels to train this evening and then we will see how things look on Tuesday.”
The team’s captain Philipp Lahm is convinced that Bayern is a good enough squad to deal with any potential injuries. However, the German champions will have the hard task of overturning a 2-1 loss, on away grounds.
“Of course, Mats is very important, but we have a few other options who could fill in his position,” Lahm said ahead of the game at the Bernabeu. “We all love these games and Mats will do everything within his powers to be there. I am not a doctor, but it would be great if at least one of our centre-backs would be available.”
“Lewandowski scores a lot of goals and is very important for us, but we still have a lot of quality even when some key players are missing. We will put out a team that will do everything to win. We have already shown in the past that we can also win away games, but it is clear that we are the underdogs. It will be very difficult, but I believe in the team and I am confident it will not be my last game in Europe.”
