It was a match for the ages as the Allianz Arena in Munich, draped in red, played host to a formidable Real Madrid team in the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final last night.
Bayern Munich had downed Real last week in Madrid and held a 2-1 advantage going into the match. The atmosphere was nothing short of electric as some of the best football players on the planet took to the field in what was going to be an epic slugfest.
The start was unprecedented with Manuel Neuer, the legend of Bayern, casually kicking the ball straight to Adar Güler, the promising midfielder of Real, who made no mistake and curled a long ranger straight into the Bayern net, with Neuer in no man’s land. In the first minute itself Real Madrid had levelled the aggregate at 2-2.
Stunned by the Güler goal, Bayern had to respond quickly, and so they did. The Germans earned a corner, Kimmich took it brilliantly, and Pavlovic made no mistake with a simple header to make it 1-1 and 3-2 in favour of Bayern in the 6th minute.
Both teams continued to attack each other in full measure, and the pace was simply breathtaking. In the 29th minute, Real earned a free-kick just outside the Bayern box, and the 21-year-old Güler struck another left-foot curler to beat Neuer. The German’s long reach could not stop the ball as once again Real levelled the aggregate at 3-3.
But Bayern, yet again, equalised just 2 minutes later. Dayot Upamecano played a brilliant pass to Harry Kane, who drilled in Bayern’s response in a superb, composed finish. It was 4-3 again on aggregate in favour of the Germans.
But the Los Blancos were not done yet. Vinicius Jr played a lovely ball from the left, passed it on to a rushing Kylian Mbappe in the centre, who guided it nonchalantly into the Bayern box. His run from the centre was incredible as he left his marker behind ever so swiftly. The contest again was levelled up at 4-4, just before half-time.
In the second half, Neuer, who till then had a poor match, came to life with a couple of fine saves to deny Real any headway in the contest. As tension began to rise, Camavinga was red-carded for a second yellow of the night as he fouled Harry Kane. The strict action from the referee further compounded the problem for Real.
With just a minute left in regulation time, Luis Diaz found space and ripped one from his right foot. The ball took a slight deflection and entered the Real Madrid goal, virtually settling the contest for the Bavarians. The aggregate read 5-4 in favour of Bayern.
The icing on the cake, however, was still to come, as Michael Olise hit a brilliant screamer just before the final whistle in an incredible strike to score Bayern’s fourth goal of the night. Bayern had punched hard and led 6-4 on aggregate. The final whistle blew, and the fans erupted in a crazy frenzy.
Real Madrid players, undone by a superior side in both legs, vented out their disappointment on the referee. Adar Güler, who had such a brilliant game, earned a red card for his outburst.
It was a game to remember. Real Madrid gave it everything to get past Bayern, but the Bavarians know how to score goals, which makes them that much more difficult to beat and contain.
Real Madrid had their moments and surely gave a great account of themselves, but Bayern deserved to go ahead and make the UEFA Champions League Semi-finals.
Kudos to Vincent Kompany and Arbeloa for managing such brilliant teams.
What a contest indeed.
What a thriller indeed.
Read Quick, Read Better @ rizkhan.in
Visit Sports FACTory YouTube Channel