Three of Ancelotti’s four Champions League wins have come after victories over Bayern in earlier rounds of the tournament.
There can be no doubting that Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti will go down as history as one of the most successful coaches of all time. The Italian is the only man to have won the Champions League four times as a manager, and the only one to have one league title in all of Europe top five leagues (Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1). And if there’s one opponent that is sick of the sight of the former AC Milan tactician, it’s Madrid’s upcoming UCL semi-final opponents Bayern Munich.
Why did Bayern Munich fire Ancelotti?
That statement just about remains true even when we consider Ancelotti managed the Bavarian giants in 2016 and 2017. After replacing the departed Pep Guardiola, the ex-Italy midfielder won the Bundesliga in his only full season in charge, as well as back-to-back DFL-Supercups.
However, his time in Munich was cut short just a few weeks into his second season following a 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage. Reports in Germany claims Ancelotti had lost the support of his players, who had allegedly been unhappy with the manager’s training sessions, deemed not intense enough.
While having Ancelotti at the helm didn’t work out the way Bayern wanted, neither have matches against his teams over the years, which should give Real Madrid plenty of confidence - as if they need it - going into the 2023/24 Champions League semi-finals.
Ancelotti unbeaten against Bayern with Milan and Real Madrid
The Italian has faced the Bundesliga giants on eight occasions as a coach and has yet to be beaten, winning six times and drawing twice.
During his eight-year spell as manager of Milan, Ancelotti took on Bayern in the Champions League six times. On the way to winning the competition in 2002/03, the Rossoneri were drawn against the Germans in the first group stage, winning 2-1 home and away.
Three seasons later, the teams faced either other in the round of 16, with Filippo Inzaghi, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaká the scorers in a 4-1 win for the Italians at San Siro, which followed a 1-1 draw in Bavaria.
They met again in the quarter-finals the following season, with a similar outcome, albeit in reverse. Bayern scored deep in injury time to salvage a 2-2 draw in Italy but goals from Clarence Seedorf and Inzaghi secured an impressive win in Germany for Milan, who went on to lift the trophy.
Ronaldo and Ramos inspire Ancelotti’s Madrid to huge win in Munich
Ancelotti’s most recent match-up against the Bavarians came with Real Madrid in 2013/14.
Having won the Champions League the previous year, Bayern were favourites to retain their trophy in Guardiola’s first season in charge. However, they were completely undone by the Spaniards in the semi-finals, with Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo both scoring twice in a 4-0 win at the Allianz Arena after Karim Benzema had netted the only goal in the first leg at the Bernabéu.
Madrid also triumphed in the final that season, which means Ancelotti has won the Champions League on three separate occasions after facing - and getting the better of - Bayern Munich earlier in the competition. Could that be an omen for Los Blancos in 2024?