Real Madrid showed once again that they should never be written off in the UEFA Champions League. Despite being on the verge of elimination in their semifinal clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, La Liga giants completed a later comeback to grab a 2-1 win and secure a spot in the UCL Finals.
After the first leg of their semifinal matchup finished with a 2-2 draw, Bayern and Real adopted a more cautious approach in the rematch. While both teams had decent chances, neither showed willingness to take much risk.
Real was a more aggressive side to start the second half, but it was Bayern who scored the first goal in the 68th minute. A quick counterattack presented wingback Alphonso Davis with plenty of room left flak, which the Canadian used to his advantage, darting in the penalty box and delivering a strong kick that ended behind Real’s goalie Andriy Lunin.
Being one goal behind prompted Real to play with even more urgency, but it seemed like Bayern’s stiff defense would manage to hold on. However, Manuel Neuer’s huge mistake in the 88th minute allowed the Spanish club to get back into the game. Neur failed to secure the ball after a shot, allowing Real’s striker Joselu to pick it up and score.
Just three minutes later, Joselu was at it again. Center-back Antonio Rudiger made a shallow cross, finding Joselu alone in front of the goal, with the Spaniard guiding the ball into the net. The goal was initially ruled offside, but the decision was overturned after VR.
Bayern attempted to score an equalizer, but the shock from scoring two quick goals proved too much for them to shake off.
Real Madrid will now face another German club, Borussia Dortmund, in the Champions League final on June 1 at London’s Wembley Stadium. Real is looking to win its 15th UCL trophy, while Borussia aims to win the competition for the second time and first since 1996–97.
