Heartbroken Bayern Munich were left counting the cost of yet another defensive error as their goalkeeper; Manuel Neuer dropped a crucial clanger in a dramatic 2-1 semi-final second-leg loss to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
It was all so cruel and devastating on Thomas Tuchel’s team, and particularly Neuer, who had made a string of sensational saves in the first half before Alphonso Davies opened the scoring with a stunning right-footed shot into the top corner of the net to put the visitors 3-2 up on aggregate.
However, with just two minutes of normal time remaining, the veteran goalkeeper fumbled a weak effort from Vinicius Junior and Joselu, a substitute striker stuck away the rebound. With Bayern still in a state of shock, Madrid’s super-sub struck again in injury time, this time converting a cutback from Antonio Rudiger, to send his side to the final in Wembley.
Madrid winger, Vinicius Jr, single-handedly turned Bayern Munich’s backline in knots, but it was Joselu who proved the hero for Real Madrid, as the substituted scored a late brace to overturn a 1-0 deficit and send Los Blancos into the Champions League final with a 4-3 aggregate win.
Both sides showed their attacking intent early on as crosses at either end from Dani Carvajal and Serge Gnabry went begging in the first five minutes.Real then nearly took the best chance of the half as Bayern fell asleep at a quick throw, albeit with two balls on the pitch.
Madrid had their chances, but appeared to be going out after an Alphonso Davies wonder-strike midway through the second. Joselu changed things, though, scoring twice in three minutes – including a stoppage-time winner – to etch himself into Madrid folklore.
With the Los Blancos coming close early on as Vinicius cracked an effort off the inside of the post, before Manuel Neuer denied Rodrygo’s follow up. Bayern had their chances, too, though, as Harry Kane drew a neat save out of Andriy Lunin as the first half ended goalless.
Real Madrid pushed further after the break, as Vinicius stung Neuer’s palms, and Rodrygo skewed a shot inches wide of the post. But Bayern Munich took the lead as Alphonso Davies cut onto his weaker right foot before firing an effort into the top corner.
Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern thought they were heading into the Wembley final as they led until 88 minutes through Alphonso Davies’ second-half stunner. Carlo Ancelotti’s side poked and prodded for the remainder of proceedings, and were eventually rewarded when Manuel Neuer, who had produced four amazing stops earlier in the game, shockingly spilled Vinicius Junior’s shot into substitute Joselu’s path to equalise.
Joselu grabbed the first from close-range after a Neuer blunder handed him an easy tap-in. His second came from a well-worked second-phase passage, as Antonio Rudiger found him with on the edge of the six-yard.
As the Santiago Bernabeu pressure rose – and after Harry Kane had been taken off by Tuchel with the score at 1-0 to Bayern – Joselu then turned in Antonio Rudiger’s cross from close range in the 91st minute, a winner eventually given after a VAR review of a tight offside call on the forward.
However, there was late controversy as Bayern were denied what looked like a clear equaliser deep into stoppage time when Matthijs De Ligt scored on the half-volley, but referee Szymon Marciniak had already blown for offside before replays appeared to show Bayern’s attackers in the move may have been onside.
FACT:
Despite Joselu scoring two goals for Real Madrid to qualify them for a final with Borussia Dortmund in Wembley, it was Vinicius Jr that was awarded man of the match.