Related items

• Ancelotti: Real Madrid are never 'undervalued' in the Champions League

  Real Madrid always feel respected by every team in the Champions League, so says coach Carlo Ancelotti.

  Madrid overcame holders Manchester City on penalties in the quarter-finals to tee up a last-four clash with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

  City dominated much of the second leg in Manchester, yet after a 4-4 draw on aggregate, it was Ancelotti's team who got over the line.

  Fourteen-time European champions Madrid, who allowed Karim Benzema to leave for Saudi Arabia at the end of last season, were not fancied to get past City, but Ancelotti does not think his team have been undervalued in this year's competition.

  "Madrid is never undervalued in this competition, because everyone knows what we can do," he said.

  "We feel respect from everyone."

  City's Bernardo Silva called Madrid a "strange" team, a comment that left Ancelotti nonplussed.

  "I don't know. We are not strange," he added.

  "I think the weight of the shirt weighs in this competition, like history, but I have nothing to answer Bernardo Silva with.

  "He is a fantastic player. Last year [City] had a good time and this year we had a good time. That's football."

  When it was put to him that Madrid go into this tie as favourites, Ancelotti replied: "It does not worry me. We have confidence to stand up to a team that has not had a great Bundesliga season, but has knocked out Arsenal.

  "It comes from eliminating a very strong team in Europe. In the Champions League, history counts a lot and that works in our favour."

  Ancelotti has faced Thomas Tuchel nine times in his career, winning three of those games, losing four and drawing twice, and the Italian anticipates another stern test.

  He said: "In terms of quality, they are strong in transition, they can play in different ways and are very dangerous. We are two who do not have a very clear identity. We can both play in different ways."

  Tuesday's first leg also marks a return to Munich for Ancelotti, who coached Bayern between 2016 and 2017.

  "It is very beautiful, a fantastic city, although unfortunately German has never entered my head," Ancelotti said.

  "My son did, he learned very well. Munich is a spectacular city to live in."

• Real Madrid star Valverde reveals penalty shootout regret

  Real Madrid's Federico Valverde conceded he is "bitter" about not taking a penalty in Los Blancos' shootout win over Manchester City in the Champions League.

  Fourteen-time European champions Madrid progressed to the last four of the competition by overcoming holders City on penalties at the end of a thrilling tie in the quarters.

  Luka Modric missed Madrid's first spot-kick, but Andriy Lunin made saves from Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic to help Carlo Ancelotti's team get over the line and into a semi-final meeting with Bayern Munich.

  Valverde, who scored a stunning volley in the 3-3 draw in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, did not take a penalty, and ahead of Tuesday's clash with Bayern, the Uruguayan admitted his regret at not doing so.

  "That night I went to bed with the regret of having been able to leave that mark on Real Madrid, of going to the semi-finals with a goal of mine, especially because I am good at penalties," he told reporters.

  "But if another team-mate did it, that's fine. But I had a bitter taste, yes.

  "Sometimes you have to put aside your ego and pride, recognise that you are very tired and tell the coaching staff that you are not prepared to take a penalty.

  "I hope in the future I feel stronger and it doesn't happen again."

  Madrid are unbeaten in their last 10 games in the Champions League (W7 D3), all of which have been this season. Only once previously have they had a longer unbeaten run within a single campaign in the competition, going 11 without defeat in the 2016-17 edition (which they would go on to win).

  Asked how Madrid's squad are feeling ahead of Tuesday's fixture, Valverde added: "I can talk to you personally: very excited.

  "It will be my first time against Bayern in the Champions League and I am happy, looking forward to it.

  "Appreciating every moment I spend defending this shield and playing this competition with this shirt."

  This is the eighth time Bayern and Madrid have been drawn together in a semi-final in the European Cup/Champions League.

  After progressing from four of the first five between 1976 and 2012, Bayern have been eliminated in each of the last two (2013-14 and 2017-18).

• 'We need tactics, but also luck' – Tuchel says Bayern up against Madrid 'aura'

  Thomas Tuchel has warned his Bayern Munich team they will not only be facing Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, but also going up against Los Blancos' European "aura".

  While Tuchel will leave the Allianz Arena having suffered the ignominy of overseeing Bayern's first failure to win the Bundesliga title since 2012, he could yet bring Europe's top prize to Bavaria.

  Bayern reached the last four with a 3-2 aggregate triumph over Arsenal, but they face a daunting task against the team that eliminated holders Manchester City in the last round.

  Bayern are winless in their last seven games against Madrid, losing six and drawing one, and Los Blancos have won on their last three trips to the Allianz Arena – the longest winning streak ever recorded by a visiting team at Bayern in European Cup/Champions League history.

  Coming up against Madrid in a competition they regard as their own, Tuchel believes, presents an additional challenge. 

  "When you're playing against Real Madrid, you're also up against the aura and the legend that surrounds them," Tuchel said at Monday's pre-match press conference.  

  "Obviously we need tactics, but also some luck. You can achieve a lot with tactics. The approach is the car, and the players drive it.

  "We need to find a good balance and moments where we have solutions. The players also need freedom to bring it to life. 

  "But obviously we also need some luck in the game. We need to coax out that luck a bit as well."

  Bayern versus Madrid is already the most played fixture in European Cup/Champions League history, taking place 26 times with 24 of those coming in the knockout stages.

  Tuchel believes the tie would have been a fitting final, adding: "The semi-final already feels a bit like the final. My approach is to line up like a final. 

  "We won't approach it with the background that there's still a game to play. We want to play the game in isolation. We have the freedom, we'll put everything in tomorrow and then we'll see."