Real Madrid vs Bayern post match review as Los Blancos secure another champions league final spot

Real Madrid added another famous chapter to their unrivalled Champions League history tonight, defeating Bayern Munich in a dramatic semi-final second leg at the Bernabeu.

Thomas Tuchel's side were on track to advance to an all-German final at Wembley after Alphonso Davies gave them the lead 22 minutes from time, making it 3-2 on aggregate for the Bavarians.

That advantage lasted until the 88th minute, when Manuel Neuer spilled the ball at Joselu's feet, who punished the veteran goalkeeper to tie the game and seemingly send it to extra time.

However, the Espanyol loanee and former Stoke City and Newcastle United player wreaked havoc on the Bernabeu just three minutes later, tucking home an Antonio Rudiger cross that was initially ruled out for offside but was later overturned to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Champions League history.

Real Madrid had to rely on a whopping 15 minutes of injury time, and there was one more moment of drama when Bayern had the ball in the back of the net again, but only after the linesman raised his flag and the referee blew for offside - despite the fact that replays showed it was a close call and the flag should have remained down.

The hosts then held on for the win, securing a record-extending 18th Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 at Wembley Stadium.
 

MAN OF THE MATCH - JOSELU

This award was firmly in Manuel Neuer's hands until the 88th minute, when he fumbled it along with the ball, giving Madrid a way back into the match.

Instead, it goes to the unlikely figure of Stoke City and Newcastle United flop Joselu, who came on in the 81st minute and made only a few touches on the pitch.

Crucially, two of those touches resulted in goals that propelled Madrid to their record-extending 18th Champions League final, with the Espanyol loanee demonstrating brilliant striker instincts on both occasions.


The first saw him follow Vinicius' shot and capitalize on Neuer's error, before holding the line and tucking in Rudiger's cross moments later to send the Bernabeu into a frenzy.

It's not often that a late substitute wins man of the match, but Joselu's impact tonight couldn't be overlooked.

STANDOUT MOMENT

There could only be one winner.

The Bernabeu has witnessed as many great moments as any stadium in European football, but rarely has it been louder than when Joselu's second goal was confirmed by the referee after being initially ruled out.

The goal came just moments after the same player equalised, and it was reminiscent of Tottenham Hotspur's stunning stoppage-time comeback against Ajax at the same stage of the competition five years ago.

The Champions League never fails to provide incredible moments, and Joselu's victory will undoubtedly go down in the competition's history. Bayern will undoubtedly have flashbacks to the 1999 final, when they suffered a similar late-game collapse.

MATCH STATS

Possession: Real Madrid 57%-43% Bayern Munich
Shots: Real Madrid 19-8 Bayern Munich
Shots on target: Real Madrid 7-5 Bayern Munich
Corners: Real Madrid 8-4 Bayern Munich
Fouls: Real Madrid 12-10 Bayern Munich

Why were Bayern Munich annoyed?

In his post-match interview, Thomas Tuchel didn't waste any time addressing the issue at hand. The Bayern Munich manager was clearly upset that Matthijs de Ligt's last-minute equaliser, which cost his team a Champions League semi-final loss to Real Madrid, was called offside too early.
Matthijs De Light scored a late goal for Bayern Munich, sending the game into extra time.

However, a few seconds before De Ligt's shot, referee Szymon Marciniak blew for offside against Noussair Mazraoui.

However, replays revealed that the Bayern defender was onside, with the assistant - who is instructed to keep his flag down for close calls so VAR can review the call - making a clear error in raising his flag and prompting the referee to whistle.

It's debatable whether Real's players would have stopped De Ligt from scoring if the whistle hadn't blown, but it was a poor decision by the officials at a critical time.
There is no doubt that linesman and referee Szymon Marciniak should have waited to call offside and allowed play to develop so that VAR could review everything. It was an obvious mistake, and both officials apologised to Tuchel and the Bayern players.

However, questions remain about whether the early whistle actually stopped a clear goal. Two Real Madrid defenders came to a halt after the whistle sounded, allowing Thomas Muller to approach De Ligt. Andriy Lunin, the goalkeeper, also made no attempt to save De Ligt's shot after the whistle went.
 

Yes, Bayern was denied a clear shot on goal, but would Real have successfully defended the entire opportunity if the whistle had not blown?In any case, the debate will last far beyond Wednesday night's full-time whistle.

Joselu heroics sum up Real's relationship with the Champions League

Eight years ago this week, Joselu sat unused on the Selhurst Park substitutes' bench, deemed unfit to come on and save a point for Stoke, who lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace.

Nobody would have predicted the Spanish striker to lead Real Madrid to the Champions League final with two goals against Bayern Munich. However, this is how football sometimes works.

In fact, this is how Real Madrid operates. Despite conceding the first goal in the UEFA Champions League this season, the Spanish side has won four matches, the most since Real Madrid in 2016-17.

Joselu joins a long list of Real comeback heroes. Rodrygo defeated Chelsea and Manchester City with multiple late goals on their way to winning the title in 2022. Cristiano Ronaldo used Champions League comebacks at the Santiago Bernabeu to play like he did in his prime.

Real Madrid have regained their Champions League form. And it will take a strong Dortmund team to stop them at Wembley in June.
 

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