Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are set to clash in the Champions League semifinal second leg under the Santiago Bernabeu lights on Wednesday, marking the 28th chapter in their storied rivalry.

In their recent match at the Allianz Arena, the two giants played out a 2-2 draw, leaving the encounter wide open.

The outcome of this match will determine who advances to face either Borussia Dortmund or Paris Saint-Germain in the final battle.

Real Madrid, no strangers to dashing Bavarian dreams of Champions League glory, navigated through an initial storm in Munich last week.

They delivered a decisive blow with a Vinicius Junior-inspired first-half strike, only for the Brazilian to turn into their savior in the closing moments of the second half.

Leroy Sane's explosive finish at the near post and Harry Kane's composed penalty completely changed the dynamic of the first leg.

However, when Kim Min-jae's recklessness led to a foul on Rodrygo inside the box, Vinicius's second goal of the evening left the semifinal finely balanced on a knife's edge.

Just four days after their trip to Bavaria, Carlo Ancelotti's second-string squad secured a record-equalling La Liga title.

They breezed past Cadiz with a 3-0 victory and then watched as Girona defeated their closest rivals, Barcelona, solidifying their claim to the trophy for the 36th time.

Only Juventus have won as many titles in the history of Europe's major leagues.

Real Madrid's singular focus is now on adding a 15th Champions League title to their illustrious cabinet.

They are eager to return to the Bernabeu for European nights, where they have scored in 28 consecutive Champions League matches since a surprising 3-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in December 2018.

Los Blancos have impressively navigated their last 20 games without a single defeat since their Copa del Rey exit in January at the hands of local rivals Atletico Madrid.

As Wednesday's game approaches, it will have been exactly 13 months since Real Madrid last suffered a defeat at home in any competition.

With only one of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich able to finish the season with both top-flight and Champions League titles, the visitors from Germany have had a challenging season, losing their grip on the league crown to Bayer Leverkusen and failing to secure even a top-three finish.

Despite a strong finish to the Bundesliga campaign, with three consecutive victories leading up to Saturday's match against Stuttgart, Thomas Tuchel's side faced a setback with a 3-1 defeat, opening up the race for second place.

Kane's 36th goal of the Bundesliga season, scored from the penalty spot, brought little solace to Bayern, whose injury crisis deepened with the losses of defensive stalwarts Eric Dier and Raphael Guerreiro at MHPArena.

This troubling development added to their defensive struggles away from home.

Bayern's woes on the road are evident, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 2024 since their last against Manchester United in December.

They have conceded multiple goals in eight of their last ten away matches, managing just three wins during this dismal period.

The defensive woes extend further for Bayern, who have gone 16 games without keeping a clean sheet against Real Madrid.

Additionally, they have never defeated Carlo Ancelotti in nine previous encounters with the esteemed Real Madrid manager, marking a record winless streak against a specific manager in the Champions League.

Real Madrid had further reason to celebrate over the weekend, with Thibaut Courtois returning from his second knee injury of the season.

The hero of the 2022 Champions League final is set to replace Andriy Lunin in goal on Wednesday as well.

Courtois's return and Dani Carvajal's availability following a European suspension leave former Bayern defender David Alaba as the only absentee for Ancelotti to consider for the second leg.

A significant overhaul is expected after Ancelotti fielded a second-string XI in the Cadiz victory.

The likes of Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde are set to return to the starting lineup.

However, Don Carlo is likely to avoid starting Eder Militao, who is still regaining full match fitness following his ACL injury.

On the Bayern side, the injury list remains lengthy.

Guerreiro is anticipated to miss the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury sustained against Stuttgart.

Meanwhile, Eric Dier, who had been nursing a slight thigh injury, was substituted at halftime in the same match, but his substitution was precautionary.

He is expected to play a role in Wednesday's match.

Additionally, Matthijs de Ligt is nearing a return from a knee problem, potentially bolstering Tuchel's squad.

However, Kingsley Coman will remain sidelined with a groin injury, while Sacha Boey (hip), Bouna Sarr (ACL) and Tarek Buchmann (hamstring) will also be unavailable for the second leg.