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2 hours ago
5
A breathless, consistently thrilling game ended with Bayern Munich booking a semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain but that tie will be hard pushed to eclipse what happened here. Real Madrid were ahead three times through Arda Guler, twice, and Kylian Mbappé; they were pegged back by Aleksandar Pavlovic, Harry Kane and, at the death, Luis Díaz and in the end had only themselves to blame. Michael Olise rounded things off in added time and it means Real’s last chance of salvaging a big prize from their campaign was left in tatters.
If Manuel Neuer felt relieved after a ropey personal display that contributed to Real’s first two goals, a penny for the thoughts of Eduardo Camavinga after a red card that gave Díaz and Bayern the platform for their decisive late burst. A knife-edge tie that had been see-sawing towards to extra time was put well beyond his side in an instant.
The only pre-match certainty was that this meeting had a hard act to follow. These sides had contested a thrilling, see-sawing basketball match at the Bernabéu, the spoils ultimately clung onto for bitter life by Kompany’s side. “All or nothing” was how Jude Bellingham, deemed fit to start, described the stakes for Real and it turned out a slow burner was the least of anyone’s worries here.
The absurdity of such an idea was exposed in a staggering first half that caught light within 35 seconds. Neuer, preserver of Bayern’s advantage last week, could only gaze at the floor in puzzlement. Initially there was nothing extraordinary about a sequence in which Joshua Kimmich passed back to the 40-year-old, who shaped to play back out. But Neuer found neither Kimmich nor the right-back Josip Stanisic with what should have been a simple ball. Instead Guler, accepting the gift, took receipt and floated masterfully into the vacant goal from 40 yards.
Parity over the tie having been restored, it was squandered almost as quickly. Bayern’s first significant attack brought a left-sided corner and Kimmich’s inswinger should have been dealt with by Andriy Lunin, whose punch became a collapse towards his own net. From near the goalline Pavlovic headed in and, with the game six minutes old, both keepers had delivered inadvertent theatre.
Now Bayern could attempt to remove the sting. Luis Díaz was deprived of a chance by Éder Militão, who atoned for his own mistake with a perfect tackle. Real’s counterattacking threats were obvious enough. Konrad Laimer intervened when Mbappé, released by Vinícius Júnior, got in behind; the competition’s top scorer had delayed his shot.
Lunin flapped at another Kimmich corner before achieving a measure of redemption by parrying a shot from the same player. But the glare would soon be placed on Neuer once again. Bayern felt the referee, Slavko Vincic, had been generous in deeming Laimer fouled Brahim Díaz but Guler was in little mood to quibble. The position of the free-kick was cut out for his left foot and his execution was admirable once again. Neuer, though, had reached the ball as it arced to his left and could surely have done better than help it in.
How fortunate that he has relentless teammates. Lunin had just saved well from Stanisic when Dayot Upamecano, allowed to stroll through a nonexistent Real midfield, found Kane deep inside the box. Kane’s 12th goal of this European campaign, tucked comfortably beyond Lunin, was inevitable.
As was the fact that another twist arrived minutes later. Vinícius almost provided it himself, striking the top of the bar, but then shuttled up the left wing before playing in Mbappé for a thrilling low finish on the run. Real were ahead for a third time and, by the interval, an entire stadium was fighting for breath.
Surely neither protagonist could keep this up. Díaz tried to within a minute of the restart, his shot deflecting inches wide with Lunin beaten. Bayern had replaced Stanisic, who they felt had been fouled before Mbappé’s goal, with Alphonso Davies for the second half, meaning Laimer switched to right-back.
They were caught when Trent Alexander-Arnold, with a devastating 50-yard diagonal, found Mbappé peeling beyond the far post. His volley was true but Neuer, batting away with one hand, produced a calibre of stop more familiar than those aberrations.
Jamal Musiala, whose stuttering form has been the topic of fierce debate, arrived after the hour and immediately found Díaz alone in the box. The Colombian hesitated; the chance evaporated and he could have been punished when Vinícius sliced wide. The goals had dried up but the spectacle remained addictive, Federico Valverde drawing another save from Neuer before Lunin made a fine fingertip stop from Olise.
Even if the pace sagged slightly, the opportunities kept coming. Upamecano and Olise came close before Camavinga, a substitute, was idiotically booked for a second time after holding up a free-kick and gave Bayern their chance to push the advantage. Díaz seized it thrillingly.
