Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel said Monday his side were ready for the threat posed by extraordinary Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham in their Champions League semi-final first leg.
Tuesdays clash at the Allianz Arena between 14-time winners Real and Bayern, with six Champions League titles, is the most played semi-final in the competitions history.
England midfielder Bellingham, still just 20, joined Real Madrid before the start of the season from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham has since become one of Reals most important players and is already considered among the worlds best.
He is their top goalscorer in La Liga this season with 17 goals and has also netted four times in the Champions League.
Tuchel said Bellingham was a key player in a very offensive position for the Spanish giants.
Jude is extraordinary He was fantastic here in the Bundesliga, how he progressed shows the level of personality he has, its only possible with a huge personality, he said.
Everyone who plays for Madrid plays with the pressure of the shirt. He plays with the pressure to play with this club and all the expectations.
He handles it like hes never done anything else. But we are well aware of it and will try and find solutions tomorrow (Tuesday).
Tuchel said Bayern would host not only the Spanish champions elect, but an aura, a legend that surrounds them.
The coach, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 having taken Paris Saint-Germain to the final the previous season, said Real were not the only team with experience in the competition.
Not only me but the team has experience. Right now we have a good mix between anticipation and tension.
Eight members of Bayerns squad were on the opposite side to Tuchels PSG when Bayern won the 2020 Champions League final.
Captain Manuel Neuer and veteran forward Thomas Mueller also won the title at Wembley in 2013.
You need luck, momentum, freedom, the whole package to overcome Real Madrid in the semi-finals, Tuchel added.
If it only came down to experience, then I wouldnt have a chance, Tuchel said in reference to opposite number Carlo Ancelotti, who has won a record four Champions League titles as a coach.
Ancelotti, who coached Bayern to the 2016-17 Bundesliga title, responded at his press conference by praising his former club and compared them to Real, while calling Tuchel a tactical genius.
Bayern played spectacular (quarter-final) matches against Arsenal, one of Europes strongest teams.
This shows the quality and the history of the club, which is very comparable to the history we have in this competition.
Ancelotti said Bayern and Real were two teams with no rigid identity, which meant we can play in different ways.
- We dont need to hide -Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said Reals self-confidence and belief allowed them to win games even when theyre not at all the best team.
They believe in their strengths and they believe in their quality thats what makes them dangerous. Its definitely not just luck.
Kimmich, who set up the only goal in Bayerns 2020 final victory, said his side dont need to hide on Tuesday.
Against Real Madrid, its a little bit more special. Theyre a giant club. A Champions League semi, Bayern vs Real, everyone interested in football will be watching.
Tuchel said he would make a last-minute decision on whether injured quintet Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Matthijs de Ligt, Konrad Laimer and Dayot Upamecano were ready for Tuesdays match.
On Monday afternoon, all except de Ligt took part in training.
Serge Gnabry will return from a muscle injury, as will Alphonso Davies, who was suspended for the quarter-final second leg against Arsenal.
