Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid means everything is left to play for in their Champions League semi-final.
The first leg at the Allianz Arena ended in a stalemate and there is nothing to separate these two behemoths of European football ahead of the return fixture back at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.
Vinicius Junior gave Madrid the lead midway through the first half before Leroy Sane cancelled out this strike shortly after the break. Harry Kane then put Bayern in front from the penalty spot, only for a spot-kick of Vinicius’ own to level the tie late on.
Here’s what we learned from Tuesday’s encounter.
Barcelona striker and former Bayern favourite Robert Lewandowski sent a rather ominous warning to the Bavarians ahead of this tie.
“You can never underestimate Real Madrid,” he said. “They win games where you can’t believe it, where there is no explanation. Real Madrid are never dead. They never give up. They act as a team on the entire pitch. Sometimes you think you’re close to winning, but in the end you don’t.”
Over the last decade, this has been Madrid’s Champions League heritage. Even if they aren’t the best team, they just won’t die unless you drive a stake through their heart.
Bayern began the evening on top, only for Los Blancos to score with their first chance and first shot. When the game was slipping away from them in the closing stages, Rodrygo came alive and drew a foul out of Kim Min-jae that allowed Vinicius to convert from 12 yards.
A 2-2 draw with Madrid in isolation is a decent result for Bayern, particularly after their chaotic domestic season to this point. But needing to win at the Bernabeu is a tough ask of any team at any times, let alone in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final.
For a third-successive season, Vinicius scored for Madrid in a Champions League semi-final. That famed number seven shirt is looking natural on him.
It’s been a tough campaign for the Brazilian having to play in a more central striker role due to the club’s long-term plans to recruit Kylian Mbappe instead of a natural number nine, but he’s delivered for them on the big stage again.
It wasn’t too long ago that Karim Benzema claimed Vinicius was ‘playing against’ Madrid, that it seemed his carefree promise might not amount to much on a tangible level. But every time he’s been…
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