WHAT. A. GAME.
Blood flooding into my head, heartbeats reverberating through my body,
End-to-end action. I was watching this game from home, and my neighbours definitely had a rough night. However, I do think Bayern players can somehow hear me scream at them. They tend to play better as soon as I criticize them. But I digress.
Terrible mistakes by the goalkeeper, some shoddy defending, and three inexplicable goals later. Bayern trailed by a goal, with the score at 3-2 in favor of Real Madrid and the tie
at 4-4 on aggregate. A pulse pounder of a first half was followed by a slower, sluggish second half.
All the way to the 86th minute.
That was when it happened. Eduardo Camavinga makes a late challenge on Harry Kane and then, in typical Real Madrid style, grabs the ball and starts walking away with it, like a complete buffoon.
Unlike in the past, the referee was not having it. Already on a yellow card, this was always going to be risky. Another yellow awarded, and deservedly so. Madrid went down to 10 men.
That was all the galvanizing Bayern needed.
Luis Diaz, who was having a stinker of a game till then, suddenly found inspiration to receive the ball and unleash it from long range. A rocket of a curler took a slight deflection off Éder Militão and sailed into the top right corner.
BEDLAM.
It took me a whole minute to process what happened. With just three minutes to spare, Bayern Munich were leading a UCL quarterfinal against Real Madrid. There was hope, after all. There was a feeling of “THIS CLUB MIGHT ACTUALLY DO IT.”
And then came Michael Olise. Saving up a moment of magic for the biggest of moments. When the match needed a match winner, Olise said, “I got this.” The aura farming extraordinaire received the ball in space, squared up the Real Madrid defense, licked his lips after spotting Antonio Rüdiger, and dribbled straight toward goal.
Cutting in, slaloming past the defense, and unleashing his signature curling long-range belter into the top corner.
I screamed. You screamed. Everyone watching the game screamed. Because that was a SCREAMER.
Olise has trademarked the “Arjen Robben special.” He’s replaced the legend and is writing his own story at Bayern.
And that was the last kick of the game.
Bayern beat Real Madrid 6-4 on aggregate and beat Real Madrid BOTH HOME AND AWAY.
Let that sink in.
Tonight is a night of jubilation for all Bayern Munich fans. Quality football has triumphed. Footballing excellence has been awarded. Vincent Kompany’s Bayern has made history.
Ethical football has won.
Bayern has won.
MIA SAN MIA.
