Rivalry
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: Europe's classic Champions League rivalry
Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich, the Champions League's great classic: the history, the big nights and the 2026 quarter-final replays.
This guide talks about results. Watch the replays first if you want them spoiler-free.
Spoiler warning: this article reveals the results of the 2025/26 quarter-final and of earlier Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich ties. If you would rather watch first, the replays are here: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich and Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid. Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the most-played fixture in UEFA club competition: when the 2026 quarter-final second leg kicked off in Munich it was the 30th meeting between the two clubs, every one of them in the European Cup or Champions League.
Why Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich is the European Clásico
UEFA itself has called this fixture a "European Clásico" and describes it as the Champions League's most repeated. The two clubs have kept meeting in the competition's biggest rounds. Before 2026 Real Madrid had won the last four two-legged ties between the sides, and they had won all three earlier quarter-finals, in 1987/88, 2001/02 and 2016/17.
Bayern's wins at the Bernabéu have been rare. When they won the first leg of the 2025/26 quarter-final there, it was their first win at the Santiago Bernabéu in 25 years and ended a nine-game unbeaten run for Madrid in the fixture.
Memorable Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich meetings
| Season | Round | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2011/12 | Semi-final | 3-3 on aggregate, Bayern won 3-1 on penalties |
| 2013/14 | Semi-final | Real Madrid won 5-0 on aggregate |
| 2016/17 | Quarter-final | Real Madrid won 6-3 on aggregate |
| 2017/18 | Semi-final | Real Madrid won 4-3 on aggregate |
| 2023/24 | Semi-final | Real Madrid won 4-3 on aggregate |
| 2025/26 | Quarter-final | Bayern Munich won 6-4 on aggregate |
2011/12: Bayern win the shoot-out
Bayern took a late 2-1 first-leg win through Mario Gomez. In Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, including a penalty, and Arjen Robben replied from the spot for Bayern, so Real won 2-1 and the tie went to a shoot-out at 3-3. There was no goal in extra time.
Sergio Ramos sent his kick high over the bar, and Manuel Neuer saved from Ronaldo and Kaká. Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the decisive penalty to give Bayern a 3-1 shoot-out win. They reached the final on home soil but lost it to Chelsea on penalties.
2013/14: Madrid's night in Munich
Karim Benzema scored the only goal of the first leg in Madrid. The return in Munich on 29 April 2014 was far more lopsided: Real Madrid won 4-0, with Ramos scoring twice in the first 20 minutes and Ronaldo adding a goal in the 34th minute and another in the 90th. UEFA described it as Bayern's heaviest home defeat in Europe. It took Real Madrid to a record 13th European Cup final.
2016/17 and 2017/18: Madrid keep finding a way
The 2016/17 quarter-final was Ronaldo's tie. He scored both goals in a 2-1 win in Munich, and in the second leg at the Bernabéu he scored a hat-trick as Madrid won 4-2 after extra time, 6-3 on aggregate. UEFA noted that he became the first player to reach 100 Champions League goals along the way.
A year later they met in the semi-final again. Madrid won the first leg 2-1 in Munich and drew 2-2 in Madrid, where Joshua Kimmich and James Rodríguez scored for Bayern and Karim Benzema scored twice for Madrid. It sent Real Madrid through 4-3 and into a third successive final, something no side had done since Juventus in 1996-98.
2023/24: Joselu's late double
Six years later it was another close semi-final. Vinícius Júnior scored twice in a 2-2 first leg in Munich, and Alphonso Davies put Bayern ahead in the second leg at the Bernabéu in the 68th minute. Joselu, a substitute, scored in the 88th minute and again in added time to win it 2-1 and send Madrid through 4-3 on aggregate. They went on to the final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
The 2025/26 quarter-final
The latest chapter went Bayern's way. In the first leg at the Bernabéu on 7 April 2026, Luis Díaz and Harry Kane scored for Bayern and Kylian Mbappé replied in the 74th minute for a 2-1 Bayern win. Watch it again in the Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich full match replay.
The return at the Allianz Arena on 15 April was one of the great nights of the season. Arda Güler scored for Madrid inside the first minute, Aleksandar Pavlović equalised in the sixth, and Güler added a free-kick before Kane levelled again. Mbappé gave Madrid a 3-2 half-time lead. Then Díaz scored in the 89th minute and Michael Olise in added time to win it 4-3 for Bayern and make the aggregate 6-4. Relive it in the Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid full match replay.
The numbers behind the tie
UEFA's match reports picked out several details. Güler's goal after 34 seconds was the fastest in the Champions League era for Madrid, and it was the first time both teams had scored inside the opening six minutes of a Champions League knockout match. Bayern ended a long wait: before the first leg Madrid had been unbeaten in nine meetings, and it was Bayern's first win in ten against them. Camavinga was sent off for Madrid in the 86th minute of the second leg, and Kane has scored or assisted in each of his last five Champions League games against Madrid.
Bayern went on to play Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final. You can read what happened next in our Champions League 2025/26 knockout stage review.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in 2026/27
The clubs are not paired in this season's league phase, so there is no league phase meeting. According to the draw, Real Madrid host Inter, PSV, Leipzig and LASK, and travel to Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens. Bayern host Arsenal, Real Betis, Bodø/Glimt and Slavia Prague, and visit Atlético Madrid, Manchester United, Lille and Viking.
Several of those games are already in the archive: Real Madrid vs Inter Milan, AS Roma vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Bodø/Glimt and Viking vs Bayern Munich.
Watch every Real Madrid and Bayern replay
Both legs of the 2026 quarter-final are in the Champions League replays archive. For the rest of each club's games, open the Real Madrid team page or the Bayern Munich team page. The clubs also appear in this season's league phase, and the Footballzzz Champions League 2026/27 league phase replays page lists every game so far with no scores shown.
Frequently asked questions
How many times have Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played each other in the Champions League?
UEFA counted the 2026 quarter-final second leg in Munich as the 30th meeting between the clubs, the most of any pairing in UEFA club competition. All 30 have come in the European Cup and Champions League. The clubs have also met in semi-finals in 2011/12, 2013/14, 2017/18 and 2023/24, and in the 2025/26 quarter-final.
Who won the 2025/26 Champions League quarter-final between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich?
Bayern Munich won 6-4 on aggregate. They took the first leg 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on 7 April 2026 and the second leg 4-3 at the Allianz Arena on 15 April, with Luis Díaz scoring in the 89th minute and Michael Olise in added time.
Why is Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich called the European Clásico?
UEFA has used the term European Clásico for the fixture because the two clubs keep meeting in the biggest games. UEFA also calls it the Champions League's most repeated fixture. Like the Spanish Clásico, it is a recurring clash between two of Europe's biggest clubs.
Did Real Madrid or Bayern win their most recent semi-final meeting?
Real Madrid won the 2023/24 semi-final 4-3 on aggregate. They drew the first leg 2-2 in Munich, then beat Bayern 2-1 at the Bernabéu after Joselu scored twice in the closing minutes. Madrid then reached the final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Where can I watch Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich replays?
Footballzzz has full match replays of both legs of the 2025/26 quarter-final: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich from 7 April 2026 and Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid from 15 April 2026. You can also find every other Real Madrid and Bayern Munich game in the archive on their team pages.
