Jorge Valdano has backed Real Madrid’s chances of overturning their deficit against Bayern Munich, while also calling for a significant improvement in intensity following their recent La Liga performance.
Speaking on Movistar Plus+ Deportes, the former Real Madrid player and director downplayed the importance of the team’s 1-1 draw against Girona, insisting it should not be used as a reference point ahead of the Champions League clash.
“We cannot take the match against Girona as a precedent,” Valdano
said. “Madrid played that game with very little at stake and were seven points behind Barcelona.”
Valdano acknowledged that Madrid were the better side on the day, but questioned the level of urgency and emotional engagement shown by the team over the weekend.
“They deserved to win, but not in a very convincing way,” he explained. “They controlled the game and created chances, but it wasn’t a performance full of heart.”
That, according to Valdano, is exactly what will be required in Munich.
“Real Madrid will need all their heart in this match,” he said. “They are facing a great team, away from home. But I still see Madrid alive in the tie.”
Despite the unfavorable circumstances, Valdano pointed to a familiar pattern in the club’s recent history—struggles in La Liga often coinciding with elevated performances in the Champions League.
“When Real Madrid find themselves in difficult situations in La Liga, that’s when they tend to produce their best responses in Europe,” he noted.
For Valdano, the equation is clear: the performance against Girona cannot be repeated, but the stage in Munich may bring out a different version of the team.
“I don’t rule out a comeback,” he concluded.
