In what was another pulsating Champions League showdown on Tuesday night, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid played out a thrilling 2-2 stalemate at the Allianz.
Watching Brazilian ace Vinicius Junior open the scoring midway through the first-half as the 23-year-old cooly slotted past Manuel Neuer, Los Blancos appeared to be sat in pole position to claim a crucial semi-final advantage on foreign soil.
However, although Carlo Ancelotti’s side might have been firmly in the driving seat, the German giants produced a stunning quickfire turnaround in front of an emotional Allianz support.
With ex-Manchester City star Leroy Sane powering home following a thunderous strike, it was then Harry Kane’s time to steal centre stage as the England skipper converted from the penalty spot just four minutes after Sane’s equaliser.
Although Bayern might have dominated large spells, Thomas Tuchel’s men failed to double their lead and will rue a missed opportunity on Tuesday night.
With South Korean defender Kim Min-jae caught out at the back and dragging down Rodrygo late on, Vinicius pounced at the opportunity to drag Los Blancos over the finish line and bagged his second of the night with just seven minutes left on the clock.
With a spot in this season’s Champions League final firmly hanging in the balance, we have taken a look at the main talking points.
Vinicius drags Madrid over the finishing line
Breezing their way to this season’s La Liga title and continuing to receive a string of plaudits, Real Madrid have their sights firmly set on securing a famous double-winning campaign in 2024.
While the record-breaking Jude Bellingham might have stolen most of Los Blancos’ headlines since completing a blockbuster move from Borussia Dortmund last summer, Ancelotti’s attacking talisman has enjoyed his own free-scoring romp.
Finding the net on either side of the half-time break and dragging Madrid to a crucial first-leg stalemate on Tuesday night, Vinicius Junior put in another Man of the Match performance here.
Causing Bayern’s leaky defence a host of issues at the Allianz, the Brazilian superstar has recorded 21 goals across all competitions and has also continued to shine on the European stage.
Registering five Champions League strikes this season and with only four players in this year’s tournament bagging more goals that the 23-year-old, Vinicius will certainly have a leading role to play if Madrid are to punch their Wembley ticket next week.
Kane deserves a maiden piece of silverware
With Bayern Munich officially relinquishing their Bundesliga crown this season, Kane would have felt that his chances of finally claiming a maiden piece of silverware was over for another year.
Although many might have been surprised last summer as the German giants spent £100million on the England skipper, Kane has embarked on a record-breaking start to life at the Allianz.
Once again cementing his spot as one of Europe’s elite marksmen, the former Tottenham talisman has now registered 43 goals in as many appearances across all competitions this season.
Calmly converting from the penalty spot on Tuesday night, the 30-year-old has also recorded eight Champions League strikes and has moved level with PSG icon Kylian Mbappe in the race for this year’s European Golden Boot.
With Bayern now firmly placing all of their eggs in this season’s Champions League basket, few more than Kane will be desperate to drag themselves over the finishing line and claim a seventh European crown.
A spot at Wembley hangs in the balance
With Real Madrid sending defending champions Manchester City packing on April 17th as they snatched a famous penalties victory on foreign soil, it certainly appears that this season’s title is firmly hanging in the balance.
Watching the two European icons eventually settle for a dramatic first-leg stalemate here, both sides will still be fancying their chances of punching a ticket to Wembley.
With all eyes set to fall on the Bernabeu next week, there is no doubt that both of Tuesday’s semi-finalists will be keeping a firm eye on how things unfold in rural Germany tomorrow night.
Although Bayern might have been left disappointed as they missed out on the chance to claim a first-leg advantage at the Allianz, Borussia Dortmund will be looking to go one step further when they welcome French heavyweights PSG to Signal Iduna Park.
With the last five Champions League showdowns between Bayern and Los Blancos producing 20 goals between them, we could be treated to another thriller in Madrid next Wednesday.
Match Report
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Kimmich, Kim, Dier, Mazraoui, Laimer, Goretzka, Musiala, Muller, Sane, Kane
Subs: Gnabry, Davies, Guerreiro
Real Madrid: Lunin, Vazquez, Ruddier, Nacho, Mendy, Kroos, Tchouameni, Valverde, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior
Subs: Joselu, Diaz, Camavinga, Modric
Goals: Bayern Munich: Sane (53’), Kane (57’ P) – Real Madrid: Vinicius Junior (24’, 83’ P)
Yellow Cards: Bayern Munich: Kim, Mazraoui – Real Madrid: Kroos, Vazquez
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Clement Turpin
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