Real Madrid say goodbye to everything

Real Madrid showed heart in Munich, but it counted for nothing as they crashed out of the Champions League. They came close to pulling off a miracle, but Camavinga’s red card in the 86th minute, followed by late goals from Luis Díaz and Michael Olise in the 89th and 94th minutes, sealed Bayern Munich’s victory and sent the German side into a semifinal clash with PSG. Madrid nearly completed the comeback, but fell short, and now it remains to be seen whether the fight they showed will do anything to ease the crisis of being eliminated from everything by April 15.

The opening at the Allianz Arena was anything but normal. Neuer, Bayern’s best player at the Bernabéu, made a huge mistake that gifted Madrid the 0-1 lead after just 35 seconds. The Spanish side needed an early goal to level the tie, and they got one thanks to Neuer’s error, which Arda Güler punished with a long-range strike into an empty net. That goal reset the tie, and Bayern immediately went to work trying to regain control. They overwhelmed Real Madrid, who could barely get out of their own half.

Even so, Bayern’s equalizer came from a mistake of Madrid’s own. Lunin badly misjudged a corner at the near post, allowing Pavlovic to score unchallenged in the sixth minute for 1-1. Bayern continued to pile on the pressure, pinning Madrid back as Kompany’s side pushed relentlessly for a second. Madrid looked helpless and could barely get past midfield. It was not until the 20th minute that they finally threatened Neuer’s goal, the first sign they were escaping Bayern’s suffocating grip.

That shift paid off in the 25th minute when Madrid were awarded a highly debatable foul on Brahim just outside the Bayern box. Arda Güler stepped up and made it 1-2 in the 26th minute, his second goal of the night. Neuer could have done much better on the strike.

Bayern quickly realized giving Madrid space could be costly. Once again, they had to come from behind, and once again they responded. Harry Kane made it 2-2 in the 38th minute after a defensive lapse from Madrid. The equalizer gave the home side fresh energy, and they pushed again. First came a Vinícius shot off the crossbar, then Mbappé restored Madrid’s lead at 2-3 in the 42nd minute after being set up by the Brazilian. Bayern appealed for a foul in the buildup, but the referee saw nothing wrong and VAR did not intervene.

That astonishing first half ended 2-3, with the tie level overall and 45 minutes left to decide who would reach the semifinals.

The second half began at a slower pace, but chances kept coming. Luis Díaz had the first for Bayern, then Mbappé missed a clear chance for Madrid. The pattern remained the same: Bayern dominating possession in search of a goal, Madrid waiting to strike on the counterattack. Kompany and Arbeloa then made changes. The Belgian coach introduced Musiala for Gnabry, while Madrid brought on Camavinga for Brahim.

Neuer and Lunin both redeemed themselves with important saves as opportunities continued at both ends. The match entered that stage where the next goal would likely decide everything.

Then Camavinga handed Bayern a huge advantage, receiving a second yellow card in the 86th minute. With an extra man, Bayern pushed hard to avoid extra time, and Luis Díaz made it 3-3 in the 89th minute. Olise delivered the knockout blow in the 94th minute for 4-3.

The game ended with Madrid players furiously confronting the referee over Camavinga’s dismissal, while Arda Güler was also sent off for dissent.