Leon Goretzka ahead of Bayern Munich’s second leg vs. Real Madrid; ‘We don’t need to be warned’

Munich—Bayern Munich enter Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final return leg against Real Madrid with the tie delicately poised at 2-1 and, according to Leon Goretzka, with no need for any last-minute alarm bells. “We don’t need to be warned. We know exactly who we’re playing against and what kind of game it is,” the Germany midfielder told Bild after Saturday’s 5-0 rout of St. Pauli, a victory that all but sealed a 33rd Bundesliga title.

Goretzka, who scored Bayern’s record-breaking 102nd goal of the campaign at the Millerntor-Stadion, was responding to former club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s plea that the Rekordmeister guard against over-confidence. The 29-year-old insists the squad is already on high alert, citing the speed with which Madrid manufactured chances at the Bernabéu, where Bayern escaped with a 2-1 first-leg advantage only thanks to a string of world-class saves from Manuel Neuer.

Vincent Kompany’s side could have been out of sight in Madrid, spurning further clear opportunities before Vinícius Junior and Kylian Mbappé twice pierced the Bayern back line to keep the tie alive. Those same counter-attacking weapons, plus the likely return of Jude Bellingham to the starting XI—Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended after accumulating yellow cards—mean the visitors remain eminently capable of the sort of remontada that has become a Madrid hallmark.

Yet Bayern’s current form is impossible to ignore. The Bavarians have sat atop the Bundesliga virtually start-to-finish and arrive at the Allianz Arena on the back of eight goals scored in their last two fixtures. The momentum, Goretzka argues, is firmly with the home side. “We saw in the first leg how quickly they can create chances. So nobody needs to warn us. We’re aware of that ourselves.”

Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid will be without Tchouaméni’s ball-winning presence in midfield, and the second-half introduction of Bellingham and Éder Militão in the Spanish capital noticeably tilted the balance toward the visitors. Whether Bellingham starts in the holding role or further forward, Bayern’s game plan will centre on stifling Madrid’s transitions while exploiting the gaps left by a reshaped midfield.

History looms large—Madrid eliminated Bayern en route to lifting the trophy at Wembley last season—but the narrative of Tuesday night is simple: one more composed performance and the semifinals beckon for the German champions for the first time since 2023-24. Goretzka and company insist they will not need a second invitation, or any extra explaining, to understand what is at stake.

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