A game that had almost everything was never going to leave Real Madrid with nothing. That’s just not how they do things in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti’s side probably deserved to lose. They were definitely the inferior side. Their English star had a much more challenging night than Bayern Munich’s English star.
And yet it is the 14-time champions that of course leave a big European night that bit more satisfied. Real Madrid have a 2-2 draw and now have the chance to win this semi-final in their own stadium.
It didn’t quite go the way everyone expected after Vinicius Junior’s opening goal, given how impressively Bayern Munich rallied. And yet the Germans – and even Harry Kane – will feel they could have scored far more.
That subtle psychology might be crucial for the second leg as Bayern try to save their season and Madrid only seek to embellish theirs, and their record. While Kane did score a penalty, it wasn’t a night to enhance Jude Bellingham’s reputation. He was substituted and had one of his most anonymous games for the club, ensuring Ancelotti found him quite dispensable. That might only rile Bellingham further for the second leg. There is still a job to be done, and a massive game to come.
It is well poised, even if not quite in the way imagined. That is of a theme, however.
For all the evidence we have of 14 European Cups and so many world-class players, like Vinicius Junior, there is still sometimes a mystery over how the modern Real Madrid have actually managed this. They seem to leave so much to pure chance, in a way they shouldn’t even need to.
There is obviously intent and design here, given their recent record of success, but does that really involve the opposition getting into the box so often?
There was one spell in the first half when Madrid had nine players back in their box, all waiting to pounce on any open space. It was like a super-deluxe Sean Dyche Burnley.
Bayern had been doing an impressive job of forcing them back but, the longer they went without scoring, the more you sensed what was coming. Dyche’s Burnley never had anyone like Toni Kroos and Vinicius doing that.
Bayern could have done with a bit more defensive robustness themselves. As good as Kroos and Vinicius are, the German was allowed to amble into the middle and just pick a pass through the centre. The casual nature of it was only emphasised by Vinicius’s speed, which was matched by Kim Min-jae inexplicably thundering out in defence. Vinicius was left to just simply roll the ball past Manuel Neuer.
It seemed a vintage Real Madrid performance. They’d done the usual number on their opponents, while showing Thomas Tuchel hasn’t got many games left.
There was even the fact that Kroos and Vinicius exposed an area that has been a problem for Bayern all season. They’ve never properly covered that space in front of the defence, unless it is with massed ranks as against Arsenal.
Then, however, Bayern did something that most don’t do against Madrid. They went direct.
Some of that was itself directly influenced by a key Tuchel change. He introduced Raphael Guerreiro for Leon Goretzka, and Real Madrid didn’t really know how to respond to his movement.
Suddenly there was that bit more space for Bayern’s attackers, with Leroy Sane sprinting into it and then thumping the ball past Andriy Lunin to score. It was as brilliant as it was blunt.
Maybe there’s been an element of Real Madrid’s backline almost gaslighting teams all this time, defending off that aura. You don’t have to go around them repeatedly in the way Manchester City did – just go at them. That almost seemed to be proven a mere four minutes later when Jamal Musiala similarly went through.
Lucas Vazquez was apparently so confused by this that he made an unnecessary foul, with Kane then rolling in the penalty.
This was in the middle of two spells when Bayern could maybe have put the game out of sight. They had enough chances. Kane almost finished a big one, flashing just wide. Before that, he had just been a touch too slow when put through on goal.
He was still having a better night than Bellingham who had little effect on the game other than two inaccurate Hollywood balls he moaned at teammates for not reaching, and then a little word with Kane before the penalty.
Whatever it was that he said didn’t work. Ancelotti hauled Bellingham off.
Madrid still persevered. They still came away with something. They always do. With Kim enduring a poor game at the other end, Rodrygo sought to expose him again. The defender was this time clumsy in a different way.
Madrid had a penalty. Vinicius had another goal. Madrid had yet another Champions League result that was better than their general play indicated.
We’ve seen that so many times. Bayern and Kane now have to seize the next game.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
