Champions League: Bayern Munich left to rue moment of madness as plucky Real Madrid reach final at Germans' expense

This wasn’t a case of Real Madrid overwhelming their opponents with their offensive firepower or a lesson in control from their midfield of wizards. This was a case of the Spanish giants defending for their lives, sacrificing their bodies to make crucial blocks and ensuring they endure as much pain as is needed to secure passage to the next challenge.

Zinedine Zidane had warned his side that this wasn’t an easy task, that they would have to ride their luck, that Bayern would be dominant in search of the away goals that could take them to the final. And indeed, the tie turned out to be that and much more as the German side peppered Keylor Navas in the Real goal all night long, not giving him one moment of rest.

They tried everything, passes in behind the defence, crosses from either flank, long balls from defence, and yet the Costa Rican was at his best, diving around, thwarting them again and again as he showed yet again why he deserves to be the Real Madrid goalkeeper.

And yet, for all of their brilliance going forward and domination of the midfield, the whole tie can be broken down to two mistakes – the first when Rafinha gave the ball away in the first leg that led to Marco Asensio’s goal and the second when Sven Ulreich misjudged Corentin Tolisso’s blind back-pass that led to Karim Benzema putting the ball in an empty net, giving his team a 2-1 lead seconds into the second half.

That clanger from someone who has deputised ably all season long in the absence of Manuel Neuer proved to the turning point on the night as it gave the home side a cushion to rest against, as they focused on defending their advantage.

From that moment onwards, the game was dominated by the away side as they threw the kitchen sink at Los Blancos in their pursuit of the game. They were given a lifeline by on-loan attacking midfielder, James Rodriguez, who had another good game and capped it off by scoring the equaliser, giving Bayern 20 minutes to find that third away goal which would take them through. Ironic that it was Rodriguez, still a Real Madrid player, who was their best offensive weapon on the night.

Despite all their efforts, the Bavarian giants were not able to get that third goal that would have sealed their passage as they were kept at bay by some incredible rearguard action from Real. Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos used their physical abilities and defensive instincts to prevent many clear-cut chances from being created, limiting the away side to half-chances that were saved smartly by Navas.

The match began with Bayern attacking Real Madrid’s weakness, Lucas Vasquez playing as a makeshift right-back. Franck Ribery and David Alaba ran the ball up that side at every opportunity they got, and the first goal came from the right side, as Joshua Kimmich, who always attacks the goal despite being the right-back, pounced on a half-cleared cross to give his side an early lead.

The two-time defending champions shot back through much-maligned striker, Karim Benzema, who headed in a lovely cross from Marcelo that ended a perfect team move. The Frenchman scored both goals on the night for his side, his first from open play since February and something that hopefully gives him confidence ahead of the Champions League final.

A tie that was end-to-end from beginning to end also had its dodgy moments with Bayern Munich having a valid penalty claim rejected by the referee, when Kimmich’s cross hit Marcelo’s hand. The Brazilian later admitted that the ball had indeed hit his hand. Another such moment came when Robert Lewandowski was tackled inside the penalty box, with the referee deeming it a fair challenge. Replays indicated that it was a foul and the German sides should have been awarded a penalty.

A pulsating encounter between two continental giants gave us 180 minutes of incredible attacking football and yet, it was ironic that defensive mistakes determined the outcome of the tie. Bayern Munich’s talisman could not rise to the occasion as Lewandowski was controlled well by Sergio Ramos and Varane while on the other end, Real Madrid’s grit and grind approach paid off as they secured themselves another Champions League final appearance, their third in succession.

For the Germans, it was a case of so near and yet so far, as despite getting 20 shots on target, they could score only twice and could not breach the Real defence one final time. For the Spaniards, it was a case of exhibiting single-minded determination as they had only one goal and that was sealing their place in the final. If they do win the Champions League for a third consecutive season, they would be the first team since, ironically, Bayern Munich in the 1970s, to win it three years in a row.

This match was one of the most memorable Champions League fixtures in recent years but for one man, it could be a life-changing one. A season full of promise for Sven Ulreich will now be judged only by that one moment of indecision, that one moment of madness that determined Bayern Munich’s destiny in this season’s tournament, as that was the difference between contrasting emotions, elation and misery.

For all that transpired in this semi-final, Real Madrid will be the favourites in the final as no other team comes close to them in terms of their expertise in the Champions League, with their blend of attacking quality, defensive resilience and efficiency in midfield hard to replicate.