With Robben injured and Lewandowski misfiring, could Sandro Wagner be Bayern Munich’s secret weapon in Madrid? The 30-year-old embodies all the qualities the Bavarians need to keep their treble dreams alive.
Image: Reuters/M. Dalder
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Falling to a 2-1 defeat against the Champions League's reigning titleholders on home soil left a sour taste in the mouths of Bayern's players, hierarchy and fans alike. The final trappings of the encounter were crying out for a player capable of providing a spark and punishing Real Madrid for their inability to defend crosses: Wagner was that player.
Having already made three enforced changes with Robben, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez going off injured, Jupp Heynckes' hands were tied and the striker had to make do with warming the bench. Now, with the second leg upcoming, Wagner is determined not to be frustrated again: "As a super sub or from the start: I absolutely want to play in Madrid.”
Lewandowski under pressure?
Rewind to the turn of the year and the thought of Wagner starting a must-win Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid would have verged on being farcical. The tides appear to have turned in his favor though.
Following Saturday's 4-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, Jupp Heynckes singled Wagner out for praise following "an outstanding performance”, in which he notched his eighth Bundesliga goal in 12 games for Bayern, seven of which have come in his last seven league starts.
Since then, reports have emerged that Heynckes held "crisis talks” with Lewandowski after a string of sub-par performances leading several German news outlets to back the Munich-native to start on Tuesday.
'A courageous option'
While similar in physical stature, Bayern have profited from having two strikers at their disposal, who can bring contrasting qualities to a match. With no natural replacement for Robben available, why not deploy both in Madrid on Tuesday?
"It would certainly be a courageous option,” admitted Wagner, when asked by BILD about the possibility of partnering Lewandowski up front. "I've discussed it with the head coach. I haven't gotten an answer yet, but it's been suggested.
Hannover were the only side to prevent Sandro Wagner scoring in his last seven league starts.Image: Getty Images/O. Andersen
Bayern have to score twice on the night for a chance to book their ticket to Kiev in May and will certainly be looking to exploit Real's vulnerability defending crosses into the box. The question remains how much is Heynckes willing to risk for a chance at a second treble.
If the 72-year-old opts to break the norm with a two-man frontline, he can still call upon Thomas Müller and Franck Ribery to provide natural width, or narrow the playing field by shifting Müller behind the two strikers with Javi Martinez, Thiago and James Rodriguez in tow.
An even more outside-of-the-box approach could be to drop Martinez back into a three-man backline, let Joshua Kimmich and David Alaba – if he's fit – provide the width and give Thiago, James and Müller free roam in midfield. Even with a lengthy injury list the options are still enviable.
Sixth time lucky?
There is no doubt that switching to a two-man frontline would be a big change for Heynckes. However, while, club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, was right to refer to criticism of Lewandowski as "laughable”, he also commented that the second leg was "all about work, passion, courage and lots of fight.”
Wagner not only ticks all those boxes, but would force Real to rethink their approach and potentially free up Lewandowski to provide more of a threat than he did at the Allianz Arena. "We all want revenge and we've vowed to give it absolutely everything in Madrid,” Wagner said.
With Bayern's treble dreams on the line against a side that has had their number in the last five meetings, the one-man walking "Bestia Negra” could be the secret weapon needed to banish the curse.
The Champions League's greatest rivalry: Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid
Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid has proven one of the great Champions League rivalries. From scoring heroics to memorable comebacks, the tie has had its fair share of classic clashes.
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1975-76: Müller mauls Madrid
Bayern Munich got the better of Real Madrid the first time these two sides met. Gerd Müller (left) scored three goals in the two legs as Bayern topped Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the 1976 semifinals. The Bavarias went on to defeat Saint Etienne in the final to lift their third straight European Cup.
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1986-87: Juanito stamps Matthäus' face
After Lothar Matthäus and Chendo got involved in a scrap in the 1987 semifinal, Juanito (far left) stormed through the ruckus to plant his foot into the German midfielder's torso. He then connected with Matthäus' face and was duly sent off. Bayern won the match 4-1 to progress, but they lost to Porto. Juanito's Madrid career ended in disgrace as he was banned for five years from UEFA competitions.
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1987-88: Real's revenge
Bayern were cruising to yet another victory over Real Madrid after storming to a 3-0 lead in the first leg of the quarterfinals. But the match ended 3-2 after Madrid scored two goals in six minutes, and Real finished the job with a 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu.
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1999-2000: A rivalry is born
The Bayern-Real rivalry intensified in the 1999-2000 Champions League as the two sides squared off four times in the rebranded competition. Bayern earned the nickname "La Bestia Negra" — or "The Black Beast" — after twice demolishing Madrid 4-2 in the second group stage. But Madrid had the last laugh, downing Bayern 3-2 on aggregate in the semifinals before eventually win the title.
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2000-01: Bayern back with a bang
Giovane Elber scored in both legs as Bayern defeated Real 3-1 on aggregate in their semifinal rematch in 2001. The German club then defeated Valencia 5-4 on penalties in the final, ending a 25-year drought in Europe's premier competition.
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2001-02: Madrid prevail despite late heroics
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Bayern salvaged the first leg of the semifinals with two late goals from Steffen Effenberg and Claudio Pizarro. But the Bavarians couldn't build on their late heroics in Madrid, dropping the second leg 2-0 and losing 3-1 on aggregate. Real Madrid topped another German opponent in the final, defeating Leverkusen 2-1 to lift their sixth title.
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2003-04: Zizou strikes
The Round of 16 tie was in the balance after a 1-1 draw in Munich, but Zinedine Zidane stole the show with the decisive strike in a 1-0 victory. The consolation for Bayern? A fresh-faced 19-year-old named Bastian Schweinsteiger got his first taste of European football.
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2006-07: Lightning Makaay
After Madrid won the first leg 3-2, Bayern's Dutch maestro Roy Makaay scored the Champions League's fastest ever goal — 10.2 seconds after kickoff — to help Bayern to a dramatic victory over Madrid in the Round of 16 second leg. Bayern went through on away goals after winning the return leg in Munich 2-1.
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2011-12: Neuer the wall
Manuel Neuer celebrated his first season at Bayern Munich with a monstrous display in the Champions League semifinals. The tie went to penalties after both legs ending 2-1, and Neuer saved spot kicks from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka before Bastian Schweinsteiger converted the winning strike. But Bayern would lose the final, which was in their home stadium, to Chelsea, also on penalties.
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2013-14: Embarrassed Bayern hit for five
Pep Guardiola's Bayern were totally outclassed in the Champions League semifinals as Ronaldo and co. hammered the Bavarians 5-0 on aggregate. The rout included a 4-0 second-leg defeat in Munich — Bayern's worst home loss in the competition. Real, under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, went on to defeat Atletico Madrid in the final to clinch the coveted "La Decima" — their 10th title.
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2016-17: Ronaldo's extra-time controversy
After losing 2-1 the first leg of the quarterfinals at home, Bayern fought back to force the second leg into extra-time. But the comeback was short-lived as Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice. Both goals, however, appeared to be offside, while Arturo Vidal was shown a controversial red card. Ronaldo scored five in the 6-3 aggregate win and Madrid won their second consecutive title.
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2017-2018: Kimmich goals not enough
The last time the two met was the semifinals of the 2017-18 season. Bayern took the lead at home in the first leg, but ended up losing 2-1 after a Real Madrid fightback. In the second leg, Joshua Kimmich scored the opener again but again Bayern couldn't hold on as Karim Benzema's brace helped Madrid turn the tide. The Spanish side would go on to win it all, sealing their third straight title.
