Paris, May 9: Real Madrid have been there before, Valencia dared hardly dream of emulating them at the start of the season but both sides stand on the threshold of a place in the Champions League final going into return semi-finals.Both sides turned in confident showings to win their homelegs - in Valencia's case in exhilarating style as they handed Barcelona a 4-1 pasting. Real travel to Bayern Munich after the first game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium where Nicolas Anelka finally found his shooting boots for his first goal in the competition. Having already proved their mettle away from home by dumping holders Manchester United in the quarter-finals as well as scoring in every away leg, Real should start favourites despite a 4-1 thrashing by Bayern in the second group phase.Since then, the `Meringues' have steadied the ship somewhat - though they remain highly inconsistent, losing at home on Saturday to Alaves and putting at risk their chances of bagging a Champions League slot via the league. That doesn't worry Real's England winger Steve McManaman.``Another good performance and we'll be in Paris if we stay calm. I'm convinced we'll score at least once in Munich and then they'll have to get four,'' said the former Liverpool star following the first match.Real have several defensive problems, however, with right-sided Michel Salgado and Aitor Karanka both suspended. Add to that the injury absence of Fernando Hierro and Real may well play veteran Manolo Sanchis alongside Ivan Campo instead of the unimpressive Brazilian Julio Cesar. Salgado's place will go either to Cameroon international Geremi or Frenchman Christian Karembeu. Bayern, who won the German Cup at the weekend in seeing off Werder Bemen 3-0, have a welcome addition to their squad as Steffen Effenberg returns from a calf injury which forced him out of the first leg. But striker Alex Zickler, who scored twice against Real in a group phase encounter two months ago, is still not recovered from a torn leg muscle.Real coach Vicente del Bosque took a gamble on Saturday in resting strikers Fernando Morientes and Raul as well as Argentinian playmaker Fernando Redondo and Ivan Campo. But their replacement Anelka-Savio strike tandem failed to click as Alaves bagged the points to move themselves into the Champions League frame by going third.Real will hope history can repeat itself in that the last time they won 2-0 in a home leg against a German club was when they saw off then title-holders Borussia Dortmund in 1998.A few weeks later, Real defeated Juventus in the final - although Del Bosque will not want to share the fate of winning coach Jupp Heynckes, who was promptly sacked for finishing eighth in the Primera Liga. Del Bosque, at least, is more comfortably placed in his hot seat than Barcelona's Louis van Gaal, who will surely be on his way if the Catalan club fail to overturn their deficit against Valencia.A poll by sports magazine Marca showed that 70 per cent of Spanish fans believed the Dutchman should pack his bags with the club having forfeited the Spanish Cup, suffered a battering in Valencia and then lost 2-0 on Saturday at home to Rayo Vallecano inside a fortnight. Portuguese playmaker Luis Figo, suspended for the first match, remains an injury doubt and medical sources said he was recuperating and could still make the squad. Valencia are on the crest of a wave and Hector Cuper's men are in no mood to allow Barcelona blitz them at the Nou Camp the way Van Gaal's side did Chelsea in the last round.Chelsea were ripped apart 5-1 after a 3-1 win in London but Valencia's extra goal advantage and their current form suggest they will not buckle so easily. On Saturday, they showed the punishment they meted out to Barcelona was no fluke by blitzing Real Sociedad 4-0, mid-field general Gaizka Mendieta weighing in with a superb volley.Miguel Angel Angulo, who scored two against Barca, was also on target as was Claudio `Piojo' Lopez, who hit his 12th goal against the Catalan club last week.Valencia have become something of a bogey side for Barca, who not only lost out in the Spanish Super Cup at the start of the season but also went down in two previous European meetings. Valencia won 7-3 over two legs in the Old Fairs Cup - fore runner of the UEFA Cup - in the 1962 final and then again in the Cup Winners Cup quarter-finals 20 years ago before going on to lift the trophy at Arsenal's expense.Coach Cuper, who guided previous club Real Mallorca to the Cup Winners Cup final last year, said on Sunday ``our fate is in our own hands'' as he prepared for the trip up the east coast.For Wednesday, however, they are likely to be missing the steadying influence of veteran French defender Jocelyn Angloma, who went off with a stiff groin on Saturday.
