Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben has admitted he was somewhat taken aback by Real Madrid’s tactics in their Champions League semi-final first leg clash on Wednesday.
In a game dominated in the possession statistics by the Bundesliga champions, it was the Spanish giants who came out on top thanks to a first-half strike from France international Karim Benzema.
With 72% of the ball, Bayern continued to play the ‘keep ball’ style that managed to see them through against Manchester United in the quarter-finals.
However it was the tactics adopted by Real which surprised Robben and he anticipated much more from his former club.
He said: “I expected more from Real.
“I expected them to come storming out of the gates, but instead they waited and allowed us to run the game. That surprised me.”
Robben will be hoping for an even more cautious approach when Real have to travel to the Allianz Arena aiming to finish the job against the Bavarian outfit in the second leg.
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Despite the scoreline after the first leg going against Bayern, they will take heart from the chances created for both Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller, who both should have done better with the opportunities presented to them.
Madrid spurred other chances themselves through Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di Maria but Los Blancos should be boosted by the return of Gareth Bale for the second leg.
Real can be backed at 2.70 to win the Champions League this season, with Bayern at 3.30 to retain the prestigious title.
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