Bayern Munich 4-3 Real Madrid (6-4 on aggregate) (Güler x2 & Mbappé). An amazing encounter ends in disappointment… This is my immediate reaction to latest classic. Coming up: Player ratings, interview highlights and a podcast.
With La Liga slipping further away after every point lost, the Champions League dream was all Real Madrid had left. A phased domination from Bayern Munich could only give them a 2-1 advantage going into the second leg in Germany – and we all know that you can never discount
Los Blancos in Europe. Ferland Mendy would be trying to keep the big name Bayern players quiet after failure to do so in the first leg, with Brahim Díaz starting further afield. Fede Valverde, Jude Bellinfham and Arda Güler being deployed deeper would cover for the absent Aurélien Tchouaméni. Thiago Pitarch was benched for the big occasion. Fede Valverde captained Real Madrid.
Any doubts that this game would live up to expectations were shattered after 35 seconds, as Manuel Neuer decided to gift Arda Güler an open goal. It was quick thinking by the Turk, who produced the perfect effort from distance to blow the tie wide open. Madrid had a stellar opening five after this, until Bayern Munich equalised from a corner to dash Spanish hopes. Arda Güler would once again be the man to revive these dreams, with a free-kick so perfect that it caught a goalkeeper like Manuel Neuer in the net like a fish just for trying to get a hand to to it. Bayern again came back quickly through Harry Kane – before Kylian Mbappé capped off the best half of football seen for sometime, with a low finish to send his side into the locker rooms 3-2 ahead, and 4-4 on aggregate.
No 30 second goal to kick the second-half off, but Kylian Mbappé did come close to putting his side ahead after an amazing pass to find him from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Trent would then put in a vital intervention at the other end to deny Luis Díaz right in front of goal. Despite Real Madrid looking dangerous, Bayern came very close through Michael Olise on two occasions. Eduardo Camavinga came on from the bench, but was sent back in the final minutes after receiving a silly second yellow. Luis Díaz then scored the drawing, and ultimately tie-winning goal to send Bayern Munich through to the semi-finals. Olise managed to get the winner late on, with a superb finish. Full time, 4-3 – and 6-4 on aggregate. What did you make of that spectacle?
