• UEFA Champions League – Bayern Munich 1 (25 Vidal’), Real Madrid 2 (Ronaldo 47’, 77’)
GAME RECAP IN A SENTENCE
Down a goal after being outplayed in the opening half, Real Madrid stormed back after the restart thanks in large part to Cristiano Ronaldo – who else? – to record the comeback win over 10-men Bayern on a magical night in Bavaria.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
Buoyed by the boisterous Munich crowd, Bayern was off to the races right from the opening kickoff, and ran all over the visitors in midfield. Their hard work and persistence paid off when Thiago Alcántara delivered a sweet out-swinging corner kick to the far post. Arturo Vidal gave his marker the slip, and found open space at the edge of the six-yard box to powerfully head home past Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Vidal should have made it 2-0 just before halftime after Bayern was awarded a dubious penalty decision. But the Chilean went for power over placement, and his shot sailed into the stands. Let off the hook, Real took full advantage, as Ronaldo levelled early in the second half, scoring on a lovely volley off a cross played into him by Dani Carvajal. Bayern was reeling, and things turned worse when Javi Martinez was sent off on the hour mark after earning a pair of yellow cards within three minutes for fouls on Ronaldo.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer did his best to keep Bayern in the game, making an outstanding save to deny Ronaldo on a close-range attempt in the 75th minute. It proved only a short reprieve, though, as the Portuguese bested the German shot stopper moments later on a setup from Marco Asensio.
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KEY MOMENT
45’ + 1 PENALTY MISS! Bayern Munich 1-0 Real Madrid: Up 1-0 and having dominated Real for most of the opening half, Bayern was awarded a somewhat controversial penalty just before the break when Dani Carvajal was ruled to have handled the ball. Arturo Vidal stepped up to the spot and ballooned his shot over the crossbar. A 2-0 lead going into halftime might have been too much for Real to overcome. Instead, Vidal’s comical miss allowed them to stay in the game, and the Spaniards took full advantage in the second half.
TALKING POINT
Can Bayern come back in the second leg? It’d be foolish to write off the German champions, even after conceding a pair of road goals. They have the quality to overturn the deficit and earn a result at the Santiago Bernabeu next week. One wonders, though, how much of a psychological blow they suffered with this loss. The Bavarians came into this game as the favourite, and had racked up a record 16 consecutive wins at home in the Champions League. They last time they lost at the Allianz Arena in this competition was in the second leg of the semifinals in 2014 when Real thumped them 4-0. Bayern was favoured in that series, too, but were humiliated in their own ground. Now they suffered another humbling at the hands of Real, and need to get a result at the Bernabeu. It won’t be easy for them.
QUICK TAKE
How much did Bayern miss Robert Lewandowski? Suffice to say the Bavarians could have used the Polish international striker on this night. Ruled out due to a shoulder injury, Lewandowski had to watch from the stands as Bayern’s limp attack struggled to put Real’s somewhat bare bones defence – Nacho Fernandez partnered Sergio Ramos due to Pepe and Raphael Varane suffering injury setbacks – under sustained pressure, and managed just two shots on target. Thomas Müller offered very little as Bayern’s lone striker, and was eventually replaced by youngster Kingsley Coman.
STANDOUT STAT
MAN OF THE MATCH
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid: This was one of the most impressive Champions League performances by Cristiano Ronaldo in several seasons. Yes, he scored the two vital goals that lead Real to victory and gave them a big advantage going home. But he also distinguished himself with his hold-up play, hanging on to the ball in key areas of the pitch and at pivotal times to allow his midfielders and defenders to reset. As he’s aged, Ronaldo has become more of a box-to-box player, and not just a speed merchant with a penchant for the spectacular. Real didn’t have many chances on this night, but Ronaldo was at the heart of most of them.
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