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Agence France-Presse

Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich visit Real Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League quarter-finals high on confidence and looking like Europe’s most complete side, bolstered by the likely return of superstar striker Harry Kane.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has urged his shell-shocked Arsenal to embrace a major test of their character as they seek to recover from a pair of devastating defeats in their quarter-final at Sporting Lisbon.
Record 15-time winners Madrid have endured a difficult season, plagued by inconsistency, but have made a habit of pulling off the unexpected in this competition.
Just as it seemed their well of Champions League magic was running dry, Madrid produced their best performance of the season to crush Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the last 16.
Despite Madrid’s prestige and troupe of attacking stars – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham included, as well as City hat-trick hero Federico Valverde – Bayern are arguably favourites to lift the trophy.
“It would be presumptuous to assume that we’ll definitely advance,” said honorary Bayern president Uli Hoeness. “But we haven’t had such great chances in terms of the playing quality as we have this year in a long time.”

Kane, who has scored 48 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions this season, missed Bayern’s battling 3-2 Bundesliga win at Freiburg on Saturday with an ankle issue, but Kompany said he had “a feeling” that the England striker would be ready.
With Michael Olise and Luis Diaz joining Kane in attack, Kompany’s side play an aggressive, high-pressing style that helped them demolish Atalanta in the last 16, 10-2 on aggregate.
Bayern’s last defeat came on January, 14 matches ago. In that same period, Madrid have lost four times.
Bernabeu factor
Madrid fell to a disappointing defeat at Mallorca in La Liga on Saturday, leaving them seven points behind rivals Barcelona in the Spanish title race.
But coach Alvaro Arbeloa brushed off the loss and said it would have no bearing on his team’s performance against Bayern, in the club’s favoured competition.
“I know what my players are capable of, I know they understand the importance of Tuesday’s game,” Arbeloa told reporters.
“The demand on the team will be maximum and I know the support that Madrid fans will offer us – with them, everything is easier.”
Bayern are well aware of the impact of Madrid’s supporters on big European nights at the Bernabéu, which, along with the weight of history and sublime individual quality, helps Los Blancos pull off remarkable results even when the odds are against them.
Madrid have won the past four knockouts against Bayern. In each of those years, they went on to lift the trophy.
No teams have faced each other more in the competition, with Tuesday’s match the 29th occasion Madrid will meet Bayern.
The German giants last eliminated Los Blancos in 2012 but believe they finally have the quality this year to rewrite the narrative of the last decade.
‘Beautiful period’
English league leaders Arsenal suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, a fortnight after losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the League Cup final.
The Gunners had been chasing an unprecedented quadruple until their domestic cup dreams were demolished in painful fashion.
The chastening loss to Southampton was only Arsenal’s fifth defeat this season and marked the first time they have been beaten in successive games in this campaign.

Arsenal’s slump has plunged the club’s long-suffering fans into a bout of soul-searching.
The North Londoners have not won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup and three consecutive runners-up finishes in the Premier League have raised doubts about their ability to finally land silverware.
Arteta is convinced Arsenal can handle the mounting pressure of bidding to win the Champions League for the first time, while aiming to finally lift the Premier League trophy after a 22-year wait. Arsenal hold a nine-point lead over second-placed City.
“In the season, you always have moments, normally two or three. This is the first moment that we have with a certain level of difficulty,” Arteta said.
“We’re going to say difficulty when we’re going to play the Champions League quarter-finals and the run-up for the league.
“If this is a difficult period, I believe there are many other ones that are much more difficult, so let’s stand up, make yourself comfortable and deliver like we’ve been doing all season.”


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Real Madrid hope Champions League magic halts Bayern machine, Arsenal face character test

Real Madrid stars Kylian Mbappe (left) and Jude Bellingham produced some of their best form  in the previous round to demolish Manchester City at the Bernabeu Stadium. Photo: AP

Bayern Munich warmed up for Real Madrid by beating Freiburg on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will deliver despite the Southampton FA Cup loss. Photo: Reuters

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Gianni Cassaro makes a save during a training session with Eastern. Photo: Eastern SC

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Sport

Football

German side are arguably favourites to lift trophy but history is on La Liga team’s side, while Gunners must recover after straight losses


German side are arguably favourites to lift trophy but history is on La Liga team’s side, while Gunners must recover after straight losses.


Mikel Arteta

Real Madrid hope Champions League magic halts Bayern machine, Arsenal face character test

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}German side are arguably favourites to lift trophy but history is on La Liga team’s side, while Gunners must recover after straight losses

German side are arguably favourites to lift trophy but history is on La Liga team’s side, while Gunners must recover after straight losses