Bayern Munich came crashing out of the Champions League in the semi-final against Real Madrid, and it has now been five years since the German giants won the ultimate tournament. The Spanish side, on the other hand, have won three of the last four competitions. Now, Zinedine Zidane’s men are looking to be the first side in over forty years to win a hat-trick of European tournaments in succession.

The last side to win the paramount European competition three seasons in a row was Bayern Munich in the 1975-76 campaign. Prior to that, the feat had only been achieved by Los Blancos, who won the inaugural European Cup and the four tournaments that followed. Jupp Heynckes and his charges have now given Real the perfect opportunity to atone for a slightly underwhelming campaign and retain their European crown.

Bayern Munich have one of the best squads in the entirety of Europe. In fact, they probably have the best squad in the world. With players such as Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben, Javi Martinez, Arturo Vidal, Thiago and Mats Hummels, Bayern are certainly a match for the strongest teams anywhere on the planet.

However, Bayern still came short against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti’s side lost the first leg of the tie 2-1 at the Allianz Arena and the second leg 4-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu after extra time. This means that for the fourth successive season, the Bavarian giants have failed to progress to the final of the Champions League.