Champions League: Real Madrid is invincible in its fortress "Santiago Bernabeu".

 Real Madrid, crowned Spanish champions last weekend, are hunkering down at their Santiago Bernabeu stadium, where they have not tasted defeat in more than a year, to reach the final of the Champions League when they host Bayern Munich in the second leg of the semifinals on Wednesday.

The royal club, which holds the record for most continental titles (14), will be relying on their strength at home to overturn a 2-2 draw in the first leg at Munich's Allianz Arena and reach the final.

Real's fans see the Santiago Bernabeu stadium as the scene of the "magical nights" that shaped their legend and the irrational "remontada" of 2022, on their way to the final coronation by facing Paris Saint-Germain of France and Chelsea and Manchester City of England.

Once again, all clubs suffered this season, including defending champions City and arch-rivals Barcelona, who were stripped of their title by the capital club, even after falling behind in the result, joining the long list of victims of the Madrid giants.

These figures summarize the scale of the challenge awaiting the Bavarian giant, which still maintains its role with all chances of reaching the final after the draw in Munich.

The "merengue" club has not been beaten in its stadium since April 2023, as it has managed to turn the tables on its rivals more than once in the fateful moments, securing the qualification ticket at home 23 times in the last 24 matches in the knockout stages of the Champions League (since 1991). ) after a draw in the first leg.

The Spaniard Pep Guardiola, coach of Manchester City, before the first leg in the quarterfinals (Real overcame a 2-3 deficit to emerge tied 3-3), summarized what the teams visiting the Spanish capital go through: "90 minutes at the Bernabeu is a very long time, for many reasons". "In fact, we expect to play several games in one game."

The words of Real's Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior were no different from those of the former Barcelona coach when he said after qualifying for the semifinals on penalties in Manchester: "Every time some people think Real Madrid will be killed, we always find a way to come back.

Always calm, like their coach Ancelotti, even when things are not going their way, the Madrid club has once again become a formidable machine for winning and, above all, for not losing.

The sports daily Marca described the visit to the Madrid stronghold as "a real headache" and that "it is not enough to present your best version".

It added: "Los Blancos are developing a resistance to defeat in all circumstances, which makes it very difficult to confront them.

Indeed, Real's adventure on the continental scene clearly confirms this "brazen solidity": Ancelotti's men are now one game away from Wembley and the chance of a league and Champions League double, having won just once in their last five games in the knockout stages, in the first leg against Germany's Leipzig (1-0).

To reach another final and lift the trophy for the fifteenth time in their history, "Merengue" will have to perform better than they did in Munich, as the Italian technician warned last week, praising the "dangerous and at their best" German team he is counting on... England's attacking trio of Harry Kane, Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala.

The return of Spanish full-back Dani Carvajal from suspension should help to contain the attacks, while the defensive work of England's brilliant midfielder Jude Bellingham will be essential to allow France's Ferlan Mendy to limit Sané's violations.

Bellingham, 20, has become a Real Madrid icon since arriving last summer, with 22 goals and 10 key assists, often at crucial moments, although his level dropped in the first leg against Bayern.

Bayern, for its part, has only the Champions League left to save its season after conceding the league title to Bayer Leverkusen for the first time since 2013.

Thomas Tuchel, who was forced to leave at the end of the season by the Munich board, will be hoping to rely on the return of Dutch defensive captain Matthijs de Ligt and avoid the defensive lapses that led to Real Madrid's two goals at the Allianz Arena.