Bayern Munich are playing on their `underdogs' tag ahead of tonight's Champions League semi-final, first leg against reigning champions Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

Real, champions-elect in Spain, are oozing confidence with striker Raul having already stated: "I'm looking forward to the final against Valencia".

However, Bayern would not have it any other way: "The best possible motivation for my players is to be told they do not have a chance of winning the game," Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said yesterday. "They are really looking forward to showing that all the experts have spoken too soon."

Real have won all seven Champions League matches at the Bernabeu this season, but Bayern's inspirational captain Stefan Effenberg echoed the words of his coach: "The experts have had the chance to give their opinion, but now we have our chance to answer them on the pitch," the midfielder said. "Few people believed we would beat Manchester United but now we are here and I am sure that people are going to see two very entertaining and very tough matches between two quality teams."

Last season, Bayern defeated Real on three of the four occasions they met in the tournament. But the Spanish side got the better of their rivals when it mattered and eliminated them in semi-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

French international Bixente Lizarazu said that it was too late to talk of gaining revenge against Real. "All I hope is that after coming so close in the last three years that this time it will be Bayern's year," said Lizarazu.

The key man-to-man battle looks to be that between Lizarazu - Europe's best left-back - and European Player of the Year Luis Figo. And Lizarazu knows that if he can keep the Portuguese playmaker quiet early on, and his team-mates can do a similar job on their opposite numbers, the Bernabeu roar will quieten to a hush. "We have to sow the seeds of doubts in the mind of their supporters," he said.

"This game is the most important of the two. With their home crowd behind them Real can play some great football, so we need to be disciplined, close them down and play on the counter-attack. The return game in Munich will be a different matter, so I think a draw will be a good result for us."

Another Frenchman, Claude Makelele, is likely to partner Ivan Helguera in midfield for Real, with Makelele having been assigned the unenviable task of marking Effenberg.

The former German international is over six inches taller than the diminutive Makelele, who joked: "I'm going to have to take a ladder with me!"

Real will be without Fernando Morientes, meaning either Guti or Savio will partner Raul, but Fernando Hierro and Helguera - who both missed Saturday's home draw with Osasuna - are expected to return.

For Bayern, Giovane Elber and Jens Jeremies have made remarkable recoveries and are fit to start after undergoing knee operations a day after defeating United.

PROBABLE TEAMS

BAYERN MUNICH: Kahn; Kuffour, And ersson, Linke; Sagnol, Jeremies, Effenberg (capt), Tarnat; Jancker, Elber, Scholl.

REAL MADRID: Casillas; Salgado, K aranka, Hierro (capt), Carlos; Helguera, Makelele, Figo, McManaman; Raul, Guti.

Referee: H Dallas (Scotland)

On Television: TV3 7.30 p.m.