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In Allianz Arena, on a night of missed chances, it was Real Madrid who came out as the winner of the first leg semifinal tie. All it took was a simple but poor, simple but miscalculated, pass from Rafinha to gift Real Madrid a precious away win.
Expectations were high prior to the clash of the two elites of Europe, both famous for their high paced and aggressive football. However, the tie will go down in history for its abundance of missed opportunities.
Even though rivals on the field, in the transfer market there seems to have some kind of synergy between these two. Over the past decade, a number of players have been transferred between the two with most of them proving to be a huge success at their new club.
Here is a list of top 5 players who were transferred from either Real to Bayern or vice versa.
#5 Hamit Altintop
The former Turkish International was signed by Bayern for free in 2007 after his contract with Schalke ran out.
Altintop was a decent performer for Bayern. He was more of a utility man. This versatile and strong midfielder spent three seasons with the club and made 109 appearances while scoring 13 goals. He was an integral part of the Bayern side who reached the final of the 2010 Champions League.
In 2011, as his contract negotiations with Bayern bore no fruit, he left for Real Madrid. His stint at Real was largely forgettable, making just 12 appearances for them. A year after his arrival, he was sold to Galatasaray for €3.5m.
#4 Xabi Alonso
Following his glittering display for Liverpool in the 2008-09 season, Real Madrid came calling for Xabi Alonso's signature. They bought him for a hefty €34.5m. In the wake of his performance for Los Blancos, it is safe to say that he justified his price tag over the 5 seasons he played for them.
A defensive midfielder by trade, the Spaniard ensured the defensive solidity of Real. He was aggressive when not with the ball and composed when with it. His nonchalance even when succumbed to high pressure made him one of the best footballers ever to play in his position.
He amassed 236 appearances for Real in all competitions and scored 6 goals. He was at the heart of Madrid midfield when they won the 2013-14 Champions League defeating the arch-rivals Atletico Madrid.
Following the arrivals of Kroos and Modric, he decided to join Bayern for a meagre €9m. Less quick but more matured, he replicated his wonderous performance at Bayern and won 3 Bundesliga titles back to back.
Last summer, along with the former Bayern skipper Lahm, he retired from football.
#3 James Rodriguez
In the first Leg semi-final defeat against Real, James Rodriguez was one of a few decent performers for Bayern. It was his pass that resulted in the opening goal for Bayern. Unlike many, he had a sense of calmness around him throughout the match. He seldom erred and he was the only creative spark in the centre of the midfield for Bayern.
Four years ago, Rodriguez's performance in the World Cup 2014 caught the eye of the World. He single-handedly led Colombia to the quarterfinals of the World Cup and scored 5 including one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup.
Without much delay, Real Madrid snatched him for a massive €75m. His first season at Bernabeu was sensational, second less so. By the third season, he had a huge dip in form and often left out on the bench and a move away from Real seemed inevitable.
The Colombian was loaned to Bayern for €13m loan fee at the beginning of this season.
His initial performances for Bayern suggested that he will be a flop. However, under Jupp Heynckes he sprang to life. He has been indispensable for Bayern since then, his pace and agility causing the opponents all sorts of problems.
With the second leg of the semifinal only a week away, all eyes are on the Colombian and his performance will be crucial in deciding the tie.
#2 Toni Kroos
Just like Rodriguez, this German International also had a breakthrough World Cup in 2014 and he went all the way to win it.
As expected, Real started working on signing him from Bayern. Bayern was reluctant to sell him, but who can resist the charms of the Madrid side? All it cost Real was €25m to secure his signature, a bargain considering the talents of the former Bayern man.
He has been elemental for Real since his arrival. This strong and aggressive holding midfielder has struck up a formidable partnership with Casemiro in ensuring midfield dominance, his long rangers often causing headaches for the opponents.
Against Bayern, at Allianz Arena, he was a dominating figure as Real went on to score two away goals.
He has won two Champions League titles with Real and one with Bayern. Stockpiling a total of 184 appearances for Real, he is still an indispensable member of Los Blancos.
#1 Arjen Robben
He played well for Chelsea. He played well for Real too, but he has been magnificent for Bayern. In fact, the Dutch International enjoyed his best years at the Bavarian club. He has been so influential for them that it is difficult to imagine a Bayern side without him.
A marauding run through the right flank, a sudden change in direction, a quick cut into the left and curler from inside of the left foot to the top right corner of the far post. That is his signature move and how often have we seen it!
The moment he starts this move, everybody- the player, the spectators and the opposition- know what is going to happen. Even in his predictability lies a hue of deception that always prevents the opposition from stopping the goal.
Playing as an inverted winger for Bayern, this former Chelsea man has all the elements to wow the spectators and he has wowed them too often. With Ribery taking up a similar role in the left of the midfield, Bayern has been a scary opponent even for the elites of Europe.
He has played 290 matches for Bayern and scored 138 goals. It was unfortunate to see him limp out of the field against Real in the semi-final. His absence proved costly as Bayern missed a lot of opportunities and looked toothless in attack. Hopefully, he will return to face Real at Bernabeu next week to fight and gain Bayern a birth in the final of the UCL.
