With Bayern Munich and Real Madrid sharing the spoils in the first leg, it was clear that this second leg was going to be a banger and the stage was set at the impressive Santiago Bernabeu stadium. As expected, Real Madrid had the better chances with Vinicius Junior making life a living hell for Joshua Kimmich......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
Bayern was kept in the game following a string of amazing saves from Manuel Neuer, and against the run of play, Bayern got the lead, with 12 minutes to go courtesy of an amazing goal from Alphonso Davies. The pacey fullback received the ball from Harry Kane at the edge of the area, cut in to his right, and rifled a piledriver with his ‘weaker’ foot past Andriy Lunin. Thomas Tuchel decided to defend his lead, taking out the likes of Leroy Sane, Kane and Jamal Musiala, that succumbed to injury. We were just minutes away from an all German final in Wembley, then it happened.
Don Carlo Ancelotti summoned Joselu, remember him? That forward that couldn’t cut it at Stoke City and Newcastle, before returning to the trenches in La Liga playing for the likes of Alaves and Espanyol. Joselu is currently on loan at Real Madrid, as he was used to temporarily plug a Karim Benzema sized hole before Kylian Mbappe comes through.
With nine minutes plus stoppage time left, Joselu and Brahim Diaz took to the pitch to impact the game, and boy, impact the game they did. Neuer, that had been stellar all game long, had one lapse in concentration when he failed to get Vicinius fierce shot under control, allowing the ball to ricochet off his chest to Joselu’s path, whose one-timed finish equalized the contest, sending the Bernabeu to delirium.
While the fans were basking in the euphoria of the late leveler and bracing themselves up for extra time, Bayern had another lapse at the back as Antonio Rudiger got in behind the defense and teed up Joselu for a simple tap in. Bayern protested, the VAR chums did their thing and the goal stood. Manchester City semifinals all over again.
There were nine minutes of injury time, and the action went way beyond that and the stage is set for a Real Madrid vs. Dortmund, as real as it gets.
