• Tuchel's Bayern ready for Real Madrid challenge
• Reached semi-final for the first time since 2019-20
• Beat Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in quarter-final

WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayern Munich are all set to face 14-time winners Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Champions League with the first leg set to take place on Tuesday at Allianz Arena. Ahead of the crucial encounter, manager Thomas Tuchel claimed that his players are ready to 'accept the fight' that Los Blancos will put up against them.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Bavarian side reached the last-four stage after edging out Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in the quarter-final. The last time they made it to the semi-final was back in the 2019-20 season when they went on to lift their sixth Champions League title by beating Tuchel's Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

WHAT THOMAS TUCHEL SAID

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the German boss told reporters, "Playing against Carlo is always something special. We will try to give his team a hard time. We need the fans in the stadium. It’s a 50-50 match. We accept the fight."

He added, "When you're playing against Real Madrid, you're also up against the aura, the legend that surrounds them. Our focus will be fully on the game. We're all looking forward to a great match."

WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

After facing the Spanish giants during the midweek, Bayern will be back in action in the Bundesliga on Saturday as they take on VFB Stuttgart.