Real Madrid have their sights set on a Liga and Champions League double, but to lift the latter they must find a way past Bayern Munich, their "bestia negra" -- "black beast".

Carlo Ancelotti's side travel to Bavaria for the semi-final first leg clash on Tuesday, in a fixture dubbed the 'European Clasico', the most repeated in the competition's history.

Despite Madrid's forbidding nickname for Bayern, they have shaded the Bundesliga side across their 26 encounters, with 12 wins to Bayern's 11.

In the last decade Madrid clearly have the edge on the German giants.

The record 14-time winners knocked out Bayern in each of their three most recent tangles, in the semi-finals in 2014 and 2018, and the quarter-finals in 2017.

Real went on to win the Champions League every time. Ancelotti was on the receiving end in 2017, when Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick knocked his Bayern side out in extra-time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It was another example of Madrid somehow finding a way to win in Europe from tricky situations.

Bayern, six-time Champions League winners, have only lifted the trophy once since their 2013 triumph over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. By contrast, Los Blancos have won it five times in that period.

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said last week Madrid's success breeds more success, after they showed steel to overcome champions Manchester City on penalties in the quarter-finals.

"When you have won so much, you play with more calm, less desperation, more confidence," said the Barcelona coach.

Aside from the long-standing rivalry between the two European giants, the Munich clash pits two England superstars -- Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane -- against each other, less than two months out from Euro 2024 kicking off in the same venue.

In the pre-match press conference, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel said Bellingham was "a key player in a very offensive position" for the Spanish giants, having stepped into Karim Benzema's shoes as Madrid's top scorer, delivering on the big occasions this season.

"Jude is extraordinary. He was fantastic here in the Bundesliga... Everyone who plays for Madrid plays with the pressure of the shirt. He plays with the pressure to play with this club and all the expectations," Tuchel said yesterday.

Bellingham stands in the way of his compatriot Harry Kane from claiming a first career trophy.

Kane, who has been the only light to consistently shine in a faltering Bayern side this season, hopes for Bellingham to have a night off on Tuesday.

"Of course, he's had an amazing season himself. But from my point of view, I hope he's quiet in the next two games," Kane told reporters after scoring a brace in Saturday's 2-1 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bellingham was injured and did not play on the final day last season as Dortmund lost out to Bayern in the German title race and the England international would love to get one over his former rivals in the 'European Clasico'.