Bayern Munich kept a potential treble on track with a wild 4-3 comeback win over Real Madrid that sent Bayern into another Champions League semi-final. Harry Kane urged Bayern to treat the victory as a springboard, with Paris Saint-Germain now waiting in a high-profile last-four tie.
Bayern arrived at the Allianz Arena holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Spain, yet still needed late goals to advance 6-4 on aggregate. Luis Diaz and Michael Olise struck in the closing stages against 10-player Madrid, turning a tense contest into Bayern’s 22nd European Cup or Champions League semi-final.
The second leg opened badly for Bayern as Arda Guler scored twice and Kylian Mbappe added a composed finish, putting Real Madrid 3-2 up by half-time. That
left the tie level at 4-4 overall before Eduardo Camavinga was dismissed for two yellow cards, the second for timewasting, shifting the momentum towards Bayern.
Madrid protested strongly against Camavinga’s dismissal, but Kane felt the referee applied the law correctly after the midfielder delayed a restart by holding the ball. "There were decisions that went against us the whole game and the rules are the rules," he said. "It was a clear yellow card, I’ve had a couple of those in my career that have affected me. The referee has to make a decision there, and it went our way today. "
Kane scored Bayern’s second goal on the night, reaching 50 goals in all competitions this season. Kane is the first player to hit 50 goals in a single campaign for a club from Europe’s top five leagues since Erling Haaland finished with 52 for Manchester City in 2022-23, underlining Kane’s influence.
The England captain also extended a striking personal run against Madrid. Kane has either scored or assisted in each of his last five Champions League matches against Real Madrid, with three goals and three assists in that sequence. No other player has produced a scoring or assist streak as long against Madrid in the competition.
Bayern’s 4-3 victory placed them in rare company. They became only the second side to win a Champions League match after falling behind three separate times, matching a feat previously achieved by Manchester United. United also beat Real Madrid 4-3 in the 2002-03 quarter-finals, though United exited that tie 6-5 on aggregate.
Only Real Madrid have contested more European Cup or Champions League semi-finals than Bayern. Madrid have reached the last four 33 times, with Bayern now on 22 appearances. The latest run offers another chance at a treble, with domestic and cup targets still alive alongside the European campaign.
Kane stressed that Bayern must use the Madrid win as fuel rather than a final destination. "When you beat a team like Madrid, especially in the later stages of the Champions League, it will give you confidence," Kane told TNT Sports. "But we have spoken about this all year, being at this stage andbeing in all the competitions. this is the time to push on. We feel we can beat anyone when at our highest level and we’ll need that in the next round because PSG are one of the best teams in Europe. We have a chance to win the league this weekend, so hopefully we can get that done and we have a big semi-final in the cup. There are plenty of big games plenty to play for. "
Olise, who cut in from the right before guiding a precise shot into the top-left corner, backed Kane’s view that Bayern already held control before the dismissal. "It was a good match, back and forth," Olise said. "We knew they would try to come back. At first, it was a bit like goal, goal, goal, but eventually when it calmed down, we played a bit better in the second half and we took our chances. The red card was late on. We had built momentum before that, the game was going our way. Maybe it helped a bit, but the game was still going how it was going. "
The schedule now intensifies for Bayern on domestic fronts. Bayern visit Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Sunday and could secure the title, depending on other results, before turning attention to the DFB-Pokal. Bayer Leverkusen await in the semi-finals of that competition, adding further pressure to maintain form.
With Real Madrid eliminated, Bayern Munich move forward carrying strong Champions League belief, sustained by Kane’s prolific season and a resilient second-leg display. The numbers underline both historic company and current ambition, as Bayern juggle league duties, a domestic cup semi-final and a demanding two-legged meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
