The Spanish giants visit Bayern Munich tonight looking to defend the 3-2 lead they earned at the Bernabeu in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

On Saturday, they go to the Nou Camp to take on bitter rivals and fellow La Liga title hopefuls Barcelona. Second-placed Barca are currently five points ahead of the fourth-placed capital club.

Real skipper Raul is excited by the challenges that lie ahead.

"These are two very special matches. One is a Champions League elimination and then the 'Clasico' just days later," he told realmadrid.com.

"There's no doubt they will be very hard games, but they are exactly what every footballer looks forward to."

The trip to Germany is uppermost in Raul's thinking at the moment, however.

"Bayern are always dangerous. They haven't had the best of seasons, but they have improved lately," added Raul.

"They are on the up and up, and they proved it here at the Bernabeu.

"If we are able to keep them from scoring, Bayern will take more chances as the minutes tick off the clock.

"That's when we can take advantage, but hopefully we're able to score anyway.

"We have to put everything on the line, and it's crucial that we maintain our cool and stick to our gameplan."

Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld believes his side have a "50-50" chance of advancing to the last eight.

"I think we both have the same chances of going through," he said.

"Even if they won the first leg, it gave us the knowledge that we can play on the same level.

"In Madrid, we were able to keep them under constant pressure and we capitalised on their weaknesses.

"I expect (Fabio) Capello to set them up defensively, but they are still vulnerable and we know how to hurt them."

Since losing at the Bernabeu a fortnight ago, Bayern have won their two league fixtures to move back into the hunt for the title.

A 12-point deficit has been reduced to six and the defending champions are now one of four clubs in with a chance of winning the Bundesliga.

Bayern are in a similar situation to Real in that they, too, face a crunch domestic encounter at the weekend with Werder Bremen visiting the Allianz Arena.

"We have the unshakeable belief that everything is possible, both in the Champions League and the Bundesliga," Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn told Bild.

"Against Real and Bremen we have all-or-nothing games and they are electrifying us."

Hitzfeld was able to breath a sigh of relief this morning when defender Lucio returned to training.

Only Hasan Salihamidzic is now a doubt for the clash against Madrid with Andreas Gorlitz on standby to take his role on the right side of midfield.

Former Barcelona midfielder Mark van Bommel will be in for a tough night following the insulting gesture which followed his goal at the Bernabeu, but the Dutchman, who will be partnered by Owen Hargreaves in the Bayern engine room, will not allow himself to be provoked.

"I am completely unmoved by being labelled a hate figure," he said.

"I have apologised for it and it was something which happens a bit in football.

"I am only interested in Wednesday's game. Everything else doesn't bother me."

Madrid will be without David Beckham and Jose Antonio Reyes, both of whom sustained injuries in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Getafe.