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Well yes. Real Madrid again. Once again the dead man who rises from the other world in the midst of the collective delirium of the Bernabéu. The Champions League comeback nights of 2022 were not only impossible then, they were also impossible to replicate. Except, it seems, for Madrid, which after a dominant game found itself behind on the scoreboard and with Bayern, the old European leader, a legendary competitive beast, sleeping the night. It didn’t matter that they had Tüchel on the bench, who had already been in one like that two years ago with Chelsea. This magical destination in Madrid is unavoidable, even if you see it coming, even if you know it. It doesn’t matter if it’s with Rodrygo, with Benzema, or with Joselu. This time it was the night of the one on loan from Espanyol after being relegated, who arrived in place of the desired Kane. And Joselu, when Kane had just retired to the bench, believing that everything was done, caught two and sent Madrid to the 18th European Cup final in their history, the sixth in the last 11 years, where Borussia Dortmund awaits them. June 1.
2
Andriy Lunin, Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni (Camavinga, min. 69), Federico Valverde (Joselu, min. 80), Kroos (Modric, min. 69), Jude Bellingham (Eder Militao, min. 99), Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo (Brahim Diaz, min. 80)
1
Neuer, Eric Dier, Joshua Kimmich, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Laimer, Gnabry (Alphonso Davies, min. 27), Sane (Kim Min-Jae, min. 76), Jamal Musiala (Müller, min. 84), Aleksandar Pavlovic y Kane (Choupo-Moting, min. 84)
Goals 0-1 min. 67: Alphonso Davies. 1-1 min. 87: Joselu. 2-1 min. 90: Joselu.
Árbitro Szymon Marciniak
Yellow cards Tuchel (min. 97) and Camavinga (min. 100)
Madrid won in the end, as if only at the limit did it finally tune in, as if only there did it see its rival sufficiently disconcerted. But he appeared from the beginning. At 16 seconds, Vinicius, a total agitator, had already stolen a ball, had made a run to the baseline, had forced a corner and had ignited the stands by raising his arms. Real exhibited the intensity that Ancelotti had demanded of them. He took control of the duel from the beginning, determining where it was going to be played, and where Bayern could set up. Vinicius, Rodrygo and Bellingham went high up to steal, with their backs covered by Valverde and Tchouameni, who patrolled the middle earth without a crumb escaping.
Ancelotti’s team stole and played. He played and found Vinicius, who seemed to want to devour every moment. He asked for all the balls, squeezed out all the runs. Although the most incisive weapon was Carvajal. The first ball he crossed was almost touched by Rodrygo as he crossed the area from side to side. He then found Vinicius inside the area with a pipe. The Brazilian turned and shot at the post. The rebound fell to Rodrygo, who tried again, but Neuer prevented the goal from the ground.
The Real Madrid players celebrate their place in the Champions League final, after beating Bayern Munich. Associated Press/LaPresse (APS)Bayern Munich players after finishing the match against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Joselu celebrates Real Madrid’s second goal.David Ramos (Getty Images)Joselu of Real Madrid makes the score 1-1.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Alphonso Davies of Bayern, celebrates his goal against Real Madrid.Manu Fernandez (AP)Alphonso Davies of Bayern, makes it 0 with this shot -1 on the scoreboard.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Lunin of Real Madrid, clears a ball against Harry Kane of Bayern.AFP7 via Europa Press (AFP7 via Europa Press)Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius tries to beat Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. JuanJo Martín (EFE)Harry Kane is grabbed by Antonio Rudiger at one point in the match. Associated Press/LaPresse (APS)Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid, attempts a bicycle kick.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Harry Kane, is fouled by Dani Carvajal.Jose Breton (AP)Antonio Ruediger of Real Madrid clears the ball before Jamal Musiala of Bayern.David Ramos (Getty Images)Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, during the match.Manu Fernandez (AP)Vinicius Junior regrets after a failed chance.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Manuel Neuer of Bayern, stops a shot by Rodrygo, of Real Madrid.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Serge Gnabry of Bayern, shoots against the opposition of Daniel Carvajal, of Real Madrid.David Ramos (Getty Images)Bayern coach, Thomas Tuchel, gives instructions to his players during the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals. JJ Guillén (EFE)Rodrygo in a play with Matthijs.Alexander Hassenstein (Getty Images)Toni Kroos of Real Madrid, drives the ball in the presence of Harry Kane, of Bayern.Clive Brunskill (Getty Images)Hundreds of people receive the bus from Real Madrid in the vicinity of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE)Arrival of the Real Madrid bus in the vicinity of the stadium.Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE)General view of the interior of the stadium before the match. Mariscal (EFE)Hundreds of people receive the Real Madrid bus near the stadium.Rodrigo Jimenez (EFE)Hundreds of people wait for the arrival of the players with the stadium in the background.Diego Radamés (Europa Press)An operator places the Champions League trophy at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. David Ramos (Getty Images)
Madrid had reduced Bayern with a dose of defensive intensity and another from Toni Kroos. The German directed the operations from his platform tilted to the left, and the party swayed towards where he dictated. A little to the left where Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham and Mendy met. And when that area got stuck, with the Englishman very harassed when he received from his back, Kroos raised his chin to the other side, aimed and hit the chest of Carvajal, or Valverde.
Tüchel’s team had few breaks with the ball. When I tried to rest with him. He was more damaging when he did not chew the game and Sané and Gnabry appeared flying on the wings, launched by Harry Kane, who dropped away from Nacho’s good mark. After half an hour Gnabry retired injured and his place on the left wing, ahead of Mazraoui, was taken by Alphonso Davies, a racing car.
All this happened supported by a delicate balance in which nothing decisive happened. But the calm did not satisfy Vinicius, who made a counterintuitive move: he retreated to the wing and unleashed the avalanche. He moved away from Dier, who had read his footwork well in the first half, and faced Kimmich. Bayern retreated and the Brazilian crossed lines as if they were ghosts. He floated. But he didn’t finish biting. Valverde narrowly missed a back pass, and Neuer cleared a shot from the Brazilian who had just beaten three opponents. Vinicius played with Kimmich, with his teammates and with the stands. The show was his.
Bayern barely found respite, but suddenly it was Madrid in the first leg. Kane went back to assist on an exit, gained a puff, enough for Davies to appear, and then threw the Canadian into space. He cut Rüdiger inside and landed a right foot out of Lunin’s reach. Ancelotti brought in Modric, Camavinga, Brahim and Joselu. Tüchel removed Sané, an attacker, and introduced Kim, a defender.
Antonio Rüdiger, Carlo Ancelotti and Vinicius Junior celebrate reaching the Champions League final this Wednesday. Susana Vera (REUTERS)
The stadium, with the memory of the incredible nights of 2022, turned on the emotional mixer, but the Germans hindered the rhythm with falls, cramps, and slow withdrawals.
But Vinicius had not come to see how the possibility of another final was receding on the horizon. A desperate shot was taken, as if to scare the ball away, to the center of the goal, into Neuer’s hands, something simple. It slipped away and Joselu pushed for the tie. And after three minutes he pushed a pass from Rüdiger. It had happened again. Yeah.
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2024-05-09 09:06:43
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