By: Osabuohien Imuetinyanosa
Bayern Munich’s Luis Diaz and Michael Olise scored late goals to earn the hosts a dramatic 4-3 comeback win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday and send them into the last four 6-4 on aggregate after a thrilling tie.
Diaz struck in the 89th minute and Olise in stoppage time to seal treble-chasing Bayern’s place in the semis where they will play holders Paris St Germain.
Real had substitute Eduardo Camavinga sent off in the 86th after two bookings in eight minutes before Real’s double scorer Arda Guler got his marching orders for dissent at the end of the game as the frustration of the record 15-times European champions boiled over.
Bayern are only the second team to trail three or more times and still win a Champions League match.
“It was a great night for the club,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. “What remains for me is the total togetherness that we showed. That’s what we take from the game. We showed absolute belief and will to fight our way back into the game.”
It took only 35 seconds of a pulsating five-goal first half for Real to score, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, man of the match in last week’s first leg, making a huge blunder and sending his pass straight to Guler who fired into an empty goal.
The Bavarians, fresh from setting a new Bundesliga record for most goals scored in a single season, made amends five minutes later courtesy of unmarked Aleksandar Pavlovic’s header close to the goalline with keeper Andriy Lunin completely out of position.
The 21-year-old Guler came to the rescue for Real again, whipping a 29th-minute free kick over the wall past Neuer and into the top corner to put them 2-1 up. Guler had not scored a goal in his previous 20 matches in the competition.
Bayern bounced back again when Kane netted his 12th goal in this season’s competition eight minutes later, before Real, battling for their only realistic shot at a trophy this season, responded through top scorer Mbappe who levelled from a Vinicius Jr. assist just before halftime for his 15th Champions League goal.
The pace dropped after the break but Neuer, making a record-equalling 25th appearance in the Champions League quarter-finals, had to come to their rescue, blocking Mbappe’s powerful shot early in the second half.
But there was still more drama left in the game with Camavinga sent off four minutes from time for holding on to the ball after a foul.
“It was all over after the red card,” Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa said. “You can’t send a player off for something like that on such a big stage. It’s a shame to spoil such a beautiful game.”
Bayern took full advantage of the extra man, scoring through Diaz’s deflected strike before man-of-the-match Olise crowned a famous win for the six-times European champions.
“I feel for my players. For the effort they made,” Arbeloa said. “It hurts because Real Madrid won’t win their 16th title this year. I’m very proud. We’re going back to Madrid after giving it our all.”
photo credit –reuters
