Owen Hargreaves backs Real Madrid to beat Bayern to reach UEFA Champions League final – ‘Harder to win there’

Owen Hargreaves believes Real Madrid will have "too much" for his former club Bayern Munich when the two sides meet in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday night.

The semi-final is finely poised after the first leg ended in an enthralling 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena in Munich last Tuesday.

Hargreaves, who played in Bayern's first team from 2000 to 2007, believes his old club are capable of reaching the final despite a trophyless domestic season, but thinks playing at the Bernabeu against the 14-time European champions will be too difficult a task for the Bundesliga side.

"Bayern have had a really difficult season," he told TNT Sports.

"But they've got a lot of stars in that team between Manuel Neuer, Harry Kane and Leroy Sane we've seen rise to the occasion, as has Jamal Musiala.

"I think they'll be up for it, but I always thought the Bernabeu was the hardest stadium to go to.

"It's a game where it's always harder to win there. They're [Bayern] under pressure but I think they could do it.

"I just think Real Madrid are going to have too much for them."

Although the away goals rule was abolished in all UEFA club competitions from the 2021–22 season, Rio Ferdinand believes there is still a psychological advantage that can be gained from playing the second leg of a semi-final in front of a home crowd.

"When the draw came out and Real Madrid saw they've got the second leg at home I think they'll have been licking their lips," he said.

"We [at Manchester United] always liked the home games to be the last one or the second.

"With your fans and the huge atmosphere it generates, you can control the atmosphere as well by the way you start the game. Especially with a tackle, pass or a shot at goal.

"I feel there is extra confidence before a ball is kicked in that semi-final. If you're playing second at home you are definitely saying 'this is us now'."

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