Real Madrid, renowned as the reigning champions of Europe, took a significant stride towards claiming their 15th Champions League title by securing their 18th final appearance following a thrilling victory over Bayern Munich. The match was a spectacle of drama, late goals, and contentious moments.
Joselu, entering the fray as a substitute, became the unexpected hero, propelling Real Madrid to their 18th final with a nail-biting 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich. This remarkable turnaround unfolded at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, setting the stage for a showdown against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1.
Recalling a similar dramatic semifinal two years prior, where Real Madrid triumphed over Manchester City with late heroics from Rodrygo, this latest victory echoed the spirit of resilience and determination synonymous with Los Blancos.
In contrast to the first leg at the Allianz Arena, Real Madrid dominated proceedings from the outset, pressing forward relentlessly against a resilient Bayern Munich defense. Vinicius Jr once again dazzled the Bernabeu crowd, posing a constant threat, while goalkeeper Neuer's heroics kept Bayern Munich in the game, including an exceptional double save denying Rodrygo.
Following a tense goalless first half, the Santiago Bernabeu erupted with energy in the second half as Real Madrid intensified their attacking onslaught. However, it was Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies who broke the deadlock in the 68th minute with a stunning strike from the edge of the box.
Real Madrid responded swiftly, seemingly finding the equalizer from a corner in the 72nd minute, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal due to Nacho's foul on Kimmich in the build-up.
In that tense scenario, Joselu was the unlikely hero for Real Madrid. The ex-Stoke City forward was brought on in the 81st minute, and he immediately pounced on a rare mistake by Neuer before finishing off the rebound in the 88th minute. Minutes later, Rudiger added his precise cross before Joselu snatched victory in the 91st minute.
The poignancy of defeat etched on Bayern Munich's faces as they succumbed to an 11th defeat against their Spanish opponents in the Champions League, the most one-sided record between two teams in the history of the competition.
There was further angst for Bayern as a late leveller was wiped out following an offside decision against Thomas Muller, and the Bavarians protested. Manager Thomas Tuchel blasted the officiating, insisting it was a clear violation of the rules, and further demanded consistency in decision-making.
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