Real Madrid News
Real Madrid locker room confident of mounting a comeback vs Bayern Munich
Real Madrid suffered a second defeat in a row as they lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich last night in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
The result came after the Merengues had fallen to a defeat to RCD Mallorca in La Liga by the same scoreline last weekend, which left their hopes of winning the league title hanging by a thread.
Real Madrid believe in a comeback
Despite there being concerns, Real Madrid did put up a strong fight against Bayern Munich, at least in the latter stages of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And according to journalist Jose Luis Sanchez on El Chiringuito TV, the Real Madrid locker room is confident of mounting a comeback against the Bavarians in the second leg.
The reverse fixture will be played next week on 15 April at the Allianz Arena and defeating the reigning Bundesliga champions in their own backyard will be anything but easy.
Bayern Munich have been brilliant at home this season, winning 18 of their 20 matches in all competitions at the Allianz Arena. Their only loss at the venue came back in January – a 2-1 defeat to Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
Despite that, the belief within the Real Madrid dressing room is that they can pull off a comeback and make it through to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa is understood to have sent a strong message to his players, saying: “It’s only one goal. If you all believe, we can do it.”
It will now be up to the players to step up and deliver and what will be their biggest challenge of the season so far.
Bernardo Silva was one of Real Madrid’s headline signings last summer. The Portuguese midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City and appeared destined to become the creative successor to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the middle of the park.
Indeed, with the club having not signed a new central midfielder, many within Real Madrid saw the veteran star as a solution to the issue.
Manager Jose Mourinho made him a starter from the very beginning in pre-season, but not in his usual role on the right. Instead, he deployed his compatriot as a deep-lying playmaker in the midfield double pivot.
A change in circumstances
Silva failed to have the expected influence when operating in a deeper role in midfield in the chances he got.
Combined with the emergence of Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni’s return to fitness, the Portuguese international has now lost his place in the starting line-up and dropped to the bench.
Bernardo’s situation became particularly striking against Villarreal this past Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu, when he did not play a single minute.
Limited opportunities under Mourinho
Bernardo has played six matches for Real Madrid, starting three and coming on as a substitute in another three.
He did not feature against Villarreal or Elche, while his only appearance in the last three matches was a little over 10 minutes against Atletico Madrid. He was not used regularly by the Portugal national team during the international break either.
Across Real Madrid’s eight La Liga fixtures, Silva has accumulated just 282 minutes of playing time.
The Champions League now presents another opportunity for the former Manchester City captain, who has yet to make his European debut for Real Madrid this season.
He missed the match against Inter Milan because he was still serving a suspension carried over from his time at the Etihad Stadium last season.
It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will give him an opportunity against AS Roma in the coming week.
For now, the midfielder’s reduced playing time suggests that the Portuguese coach has lost some of his faith in a player who arrived with high expectations after leaving Manchester City.
