MADRID: Real Madrid and Bayern Munich renew their storied European rivalry in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the Bundesliga champions dominating their history.

The first-leg semi-final at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium marks the 20th time the clubs will meet in the continent’s top competition, and marks Bayern coach Pep Guardiola’s first return to Spain since leaving Barcelona.

Nine-time champions Real, coming off their Copa del Rey triumph over Barcelona, are looking to end a run of three straight semi-final exits to reach their first final since 2002.

The clubs have met in five European Cup semi-finals with holders Bayern winning four of those, including when they ousted Real two seasons ago on penalties after the tie ended 3-3 on aggregate but lost to Chelsea in the final.

Real will also need to get the better of a familiar foe who very much appears to have their number.

Guardiola was appointed as coach of the German champions at the end of last season after taking a year out to recover from a trophy-laden but draining four years in charge of Real’s arch-rivals Barca and enjoyed an impeccable record of five wins and a draw in six visits to the Bernabeu.

His all-conquering team dispatched Real in the last four of Europe’s elite club competition in 2010-11 before going on to win the final against Manchester United.

Despite having the statistics firmly on his side, Guardiola is too wily to take Real lightly and he will know how desperate the Spaniards are to win the record-extending 10th European crown they have been chasing since their last continental triumph in 2002.

“Every time I have gone to the Bernabeu, I have never in my head gone there as the favourite,” Guardiola was quoted as saying in Spanish sports daily Marca on Saturday.

“I have too much respect for them,” added the 43-year-old, whose Bayern side have already wrapped up another Bundesliga title and are still in with a chance of repeating last season’s treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup.

“Real deserve a lot of respect for all their history. They are always a strong team whoever is the coach because they have a lot behind them: great players, fans and a great history.”

World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to make his comeback from injury for Real but it will be a game-time decision after he completed a full training session on Monday for the first time since hurting his left leg.

Ronaldo, tied for the Champions League record of 14 goals in one season, was nursing a sore knee before the muscle injury sidelined him for four games.

“If there is any risk of aggravating the injury tomorrow, he won’t play,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday. “The decisive game of this tie is [the return] next Tuesday so we don’t want to risk him.”

Gareth Bale, meanwhile, missed Monday’s training due to flu but should be available. His late winner in the 2-1 Copa del Rey final win over Barca delivered Real their first silverware this season.

“He’s good, confident like the rest of the team,” Ancelotti said. “To score a goal like he did against Barcelona in the final, it’s normal that it improves his confidence.”

Dubbed “la bestia negra” or “the black beast” by fearful Real fans, Bayern have come to represent a thorn in the side of Real.

Five-time winners Bayern have won semi-finals in 1976, 1987, 2001 and 2012, with Real’s sole win coming in 2000 but the Madrid side do have a wild card in Ancelotti, who has never lost in six meetings against Bayern including four victories.

“They aren’t the ‘bestia negra’ for me,” Ancelotti reminded on Tuesday.

Bayern had gone off the boil in the Bundesliga since winning the title last month and Saturday’s 2-0 win over bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig was their first in four league games, a run which included two consecutive defeats after a 53-match unbeaten streak.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes an away goal is the key to his side reaching the final for a third consecutive season.

“We need to score at least one goal,” he said. “We’re known as the ‘la bestia negra’ (bete noire) down there. We need to show them la bestia negra is back.”