Real Madrid against Bayern Munich is a match that attracts attention.
The upcoming match features players such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Jude Bellingham against Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer, and Joshua Kimmich for a place in the Champions League semi-final.
The Nickname: La Bestia Negra
Bayern Munich are sometimes called La Bestia Negra, meaning ‘the black beast’. While Real Madrid are known as Los Merengues or Los Blancos, Bayern have other nicknames, such as FC Bayern, Die Roten, or Die Bayern – the Reds, the Bavarians.
The La Bestia Negra nickname appears on banners at Allianz Arena during Bundesliga games, becoming more prominent when the club is drawn against Madrid.
The nickname is specific to the rivalry. Bayern Munich are Real Madrid’s Bestia Negra.
A 50-Year History
The upcoming game is close to the 50th anniversary of the first match between the two clubs. In March 1976, Bayern beat Madrid 3-1 over two legs of a European Cup semi-final, eventually winning the competition.
Bayern published an article on their website celebrating “50 years of La Bestia Negra: How Bayern became Real Madrid’s European nemesis”.
Historically, Madrid have 13 wins, four draws, and 11 losses against Bayern. Bayern have not won a two-legged tie against them since 2012.
The First Encounters
The first leg of the 1976 game ended 1-1. The home crowd were angered by the referee’s performance. A Madrid fan ran onto the pitch, punched Gerd Muller, and then punched the official before being stopped by Sepp Maier and Uli Hoeness.
In 1976, Bayern’s starting line-up included Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, as well as Maier in goal and Muller up front.
In the second leg, Bayern won 2-0, but Madrid had a goal ruled out for offside and Maier made saves. Madrid captain Amancio Armaro was sent off in stoppage time after kicking the ball off the pitch after the whistle.