Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 thanks to their efficient finishing and Bayern’s failure to capitalize on their chances.
The game had all the hall-marks of the tension-filled, season-defining contest it was, especially in the early stages: a lot of feeling around, neither side willing to risk losing their shape and ensuring enough men were behind the ball to defend at all times. This semifinal had a decidedly different feel to the one played the night before in Liverpool, although Real Madrid at least had the excuse of playing away from home. Bayern’s caution was more surprising, as the game seemed to drift along aimlessly for the first 25 minutes.
The home side’s opening goal came somewhat out of nothing, a wonder of speculative gamesmanship as James Rodriguez and especially Joshua Kimmich took advantage of Marcelo’s absence from his usual position on the left flank after getting caught upfield on the prior play.
Marcelo’s redemption came in grand fashion only 15 minutes later, as he leveled the score with a masterful strike from the edge of the box that left Sven Ulreich no chance. Once again, Madrid were able to score the ever-precious away goal, this time courtesy of a moment of brilliance from the world’s best left-back.
Unfortunately for the hosts, their own left-back, Rafinha, wasn’t as fortunate, and the tale of his match didn’t involve redemption of any kind. Rafinha gifted Lucas Vazquez the ball on the halfway line early in the second half, helping launch a deadly Real Madrid counter-attack at the end of which Marco Asensio gave the visitors a decisive 2-1 lead.
You have to wonder to what extent Arjen Robben and Jerome Boateng’s early exits due to injury compromised Jupp Heynckes’s game plan. Especially after going down a goal, Heynckes must have been in a bind over the timing of his third and final substitution. In the end, the Bayern coach opted for a conservative approach (although his hand may have been forced by yet another injury, this time to Javi Martinez), going for a straight swap in the defensive midfield with less than 15 minutes to go.
Bayern’s lack of familiarity with playing against top class opponents was on full display in this game. With a relatively easy path to the semifinals (with all due respect to Besiktas and Sevilla, they’re much further down the European soccer totem pole than Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain), it seemed the Germans were somewhat shell-shocked and unable to cope with trailing at home against Real.
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Once again, Zinedine Zidane’s game plan came to fruition on the big European stage. Real didn’t panic or force the issue after going down a goal. They looked the more confident — or at the very least the less nervy — team, they played a disciplined, workman-like game, capitalized on their chances and came away with a huge road win despite the fact their megastar, Cristiano Ronaldo, was somewhere between unnoticed and invisible. Real were fortunate Bayern didn’t add to their lead despite several good chances, validating once again the old adage, “luck helps those who help themselves.”
The game raised the specter of last year’s affair between these two same teams, ending with the same scoreline. It’s hard to see Bayern scoring twice at the Bernabeu without allowing any goals, especially without Robben and Boateng, who both appeared seriously injured. The more likely scenario is that Real have learned from their mistakes a fortnight ago, when they allowed Juventus back in the tie, and will be able to manage the game effectively on their way to yet another Champions League final.