Real stun Bayern with late fightback. | © Twitter (@FabrizioRomano)
Real Madrid, once again proving their knack for comebacks, pulled off a thrilling win against Bayern Munich to secure a spot in the Champions League final. Joselu’s two late goals rescued them from a tough situation, securing a 2-1 victory in the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu. With a 4-3 aggregate score, Real Madrid booked their place in their sixth Champions League final in the last 10 years. They’ll face Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1st, aiming for a record-breaking 15th title.
Like in their previous stunning comeback against Manchester City, Real Madrid was trailing when Bayern’s Alphonso Davies scored a fantastic goal on a counterattack in the 68th minute.
Joselu came off the bench and saved the day for Real Madrid. In the 88th minute, he scored the equalizer after Manuel Neuer’s big mistake. Then, just two minutes later, he scored again with some luck, deflecting a cross from Antonio Ruediger into the Bayern goal. At first, the second goal was disallowed for offside, but it was allowed after a review using VAR.
Jude Bellingham, who will face his old team in the final, discussed the team’s never-give-up attitude. He mentioned how they’ve come back from tough situations many times this season and how anyone on the team can step up to score when needed.
Real Madrid controlled most of the game, but they struggled to convert their chances, while Bayern Munich put up a tough fight despite their recent struggles in domestic competitions. Alphonso Davies, who replaced the injured Serge Gnabry early in the first half, scored a stunning goal with a powerful shot on a counterattack.
Real Madrid continued to push forward, especially with Vinicius Jr causing trouble for Bayern down the left side. He smoothly bypassed defenders like Matthijs De Ligt and Joshua Kimmich and created numerous opportunities for himself and his teammates. However, their attempts were repeatedly thwarted by an exceptional performance from Bayern’s goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer.
Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer seemed destined to be the standout player of the match, as he stood strong against Real Madrid’s attacks. However, in the final minutes, he made a crucial mistake, fumbling a shot from Vinicius Jr. at the edge of the box, which allowed Joselu to score the equalizer.
This goal ignited the Santiago Bernabeu crowd, especially under their impressive new roof. And just two minutes later, Real Madrid demonstrated their European prowess again, scoring a deserved winning goal that propelled them into yet another final.
Bayern Munich made a late push to equalize, and they thought they had succeeded when defender De Ligt scored deep into added time. However, the linesman had already flagged for an offside in the buildup, a decision that sparked strong protests from Bayern’s players and coaching staff.
De Ligt expressed frustration with the call, stating that according to the rules, play should continue unless it’s a clear offside. He labeled the decision disgraceful. With Bayer Leverkusen ending Bayern’s 11-year dominance in the Bundesliga by winning the league title last month, Bayern had only one remaining trophy to compete for this season: the Champions League.
“We are almost through, it’s almost there, and there was a very unusual mistake from our best player for the equalizer. Then we conceded the second one in stoppage time,” Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel said. Then we scored one, and there was a disastrous decision from the linesman and the referee. It feels like a betrayal in the end.”
