Bayern’s demolition of Atalanta and Real Madrid’s ruthless dismissal of Manchester City have set up a heavyweight quarter-final that already feels bigger than its billing. One club chasing a new era of dominance, the other guarding a dynasty built on 15 European crowns.
Into that collision steps Lothar Matthäus, never one to hide behind polite neutrality. Germany’s most capped international and a former Bayern captain sees the balance of power tilting clearly in one direction.
“Bayern is the team that is currently performing best in Europe,” he said, pointing not to a brief surge in form but to the body of work across the entire year. “That’s why Bayern is also the favourite against Real Madrid for me.”
Calling anyone a favourite against Real Madrid in the Champions League is usually an invitation for ridicule. Los Blancos have turned this competition into their private stage, and they have made a habit of swatting aside Manchester City in recent seasons, knocking them out in each of the last four campaigns. Federico Valverde’s blistering hat-trick in the first leg of their last-16 tie this year underlined that, under Álvaro Arbeloa, they remain lethal when the lights are brightest, even if La Liga form has flickered.
Yet Matthäus is not merely backing Bayern to edge Madrid. He is talking about something far bigger.
Treble Talk in Munich
At 64, Matthäus has seen enough great Bayern sides to choose his words carefully. This time, he hasn’t. He believes Vincent Kompany’s team has the tools to sweep the board.
“I believe Bayern can not only win the title, but even the treble this year. The chances are definitely there, and the quality in the team is excellent at both ends of the pitch,” he said.
It is a bold projection, but the numbers give it weight. Bayern are nine points clear of Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga after 26 games, their grip on the title looking as firm as ever. In the DFB-Pokal, a tricky semi-final away to Bayer Leverkusen awaits, and the German Supercup is already in the trophy cabinet.
Inside the club, the mood is buoyant but not reckless. Former president Uli Hoeneß, a man who has lived through almost every version of Bayern – from swaggering superclub to wounded giant – sounded both confident and measured.
“I’d say we’ll be German champions,” the 74-year-old stated, without a flicker of doubt about the league. He then echoed Matthäus’s admiration for the current squad, arguing that Bayern “haven’t had such great chances in terms of playing quality for a long time as they have this year.”
That was the praise. The warning followed quickly.
The DFB-Pokal trip to Leverkusen, he stressed, will be “difficult,” a reminder that Xabi Alonso’s former side remains one of the few teams in Germany capable of stretching Bayern to their limits over 90 minutes.
Kane at the Heart of It All
At the centre of this treble dream stands Harry Kane, the striker who arrived in Munich to escape the familiar ceiling at Tottenham and has instead found himself pushing through new ones of his own.
Kane scored twice in the second leg against Atalanta, taking his Champions League tally for Bayern to 19 goals in just 18 home games. Those are not just good numbers; they are era-defining figures for a debut European campaign in new surroundings. Across all competitions, he has 49 goals this season, more than any other striker in Europe’s top leagues.
He has turned Bayern’s attack into a machine with a cutting edge it has not always possessed in recent years. Penalty box instincts, link-up play, leadership – all of it wrapped into one relentless presence. When Bayern last lifted the Champions League in 2019-20 under Hansi Flick, they did so with a collective fury and a spread of scorers. This time, they have a clear reference point.
Back then, they completed the treble in Lisbon by beating Paris Saint-Germain, the kind of flawless campaign that usually belongs in club folklore rather than the planning documents of a new coach. To repeat that feat in 2026 would not only cement this Bayern side’s place in history; it would also carve out a unique line in Kane’s own story.
No English player has ever won the Champions League with a German club. If Bayern go all the way, that barrier falls. In that scenario, the former Tottenham forward would not just be the symbol of Bayern’s resurgence. He would be walking straight into the heart of the Ballon d’Or conversation.
For now, the path runs through Real Madrid, the competition’s most ruthless gatekeepers. Bayern believe they are the best team in Europe. Madrid believe Europe is still theirs.
Only one of them will be right.
