After 90 minutes of pure nerves, emotion and nearly throwing up, Bayern Munich managed a 2-2 draw at home against Real Madrid in a game that certainly lived up to all the hype. The first of two goals from Vinicius Jr. left the score at half-time 1-0 to Madrid, but two goals in quick succession, the first one thanks to a rocket from Leroy Sané, and another perfect penalty from Harry Kane gave Bayern the lead before Vinicius scored a penalty of his own to make the score level. Here are some takeaways from one hell of a football match.
Thomas Tuchel coached a win
Thomas Tuchel’s tactics never miss when everything is at stake in the Champions League. The first 20 minutes saw Bayern absolutely dominate possession and create quite a few goal-worthy chances and that was all down to a brilliant set-up in transition and build-up, as Bayern sliced the Spanish giants open. The 4-4-2 out-of-possession structure nullified Madrid’s triangles in the build-up, and the team played arguably some of the best football this season in those minutes.
But that alone isn’t what got Bayern the draw — the brilliant change made at half-time was. After a very disappointing first half from Leroy Sané, the biggest problem was that he was not able to play into the right spaces on the left (pun intended). Jamal Musiala too had a very unimpressive first half on the right flank.
No problem for Tuchel, who switched Sané and Musiala’s flanks — Sané went on the right and Musiala on the left. And it worked wonders. Sané’s goal came after a moment of sheer brilliance on that right flank and Musiala won a crucial penalty coming in from the left.
Even the Raphaël Guerriero substitution was class, allowing Musiala more support on the left and even giving him more freedom to dribble.
There you go — a solid result and brilliant football. What more can Juppel do? It would’ve been a win if not for some individual errors…which we’ll come to later.
Konrad Laimer ran the game (literally)
Laimer wasn’t the best against Arsenal FC in the home leg, but he completely redeemed himself today, He was a monster, a machine. Everywhere he needed to be, he was there. As Leon Goretzka went off (Tuchel again knew what he was doing), Laimer started getting into his game and doing what he does best — run all over the pitch winning back the ball, closing down spaces, and creating chances.
It was exactly the type of performance you would expect from an ex-Red Bull midfielder. And he deserved that assist. Engine on the pitch.
You know, today he was somewhat reminiscent of a certain N’Golo Kante who put in a similar performance against Real Madrid in Chelsea FC’s UCL winning season in 2021…coached by none other than Thomas Tuchel.
You are never getting that opportunity again, Kim
Now onto the more devastating part of this article — Kim Min-jae’s atrocious performance. Both Real Madrid goals came due to a clear error and total lapse in judgment by Kim. The first one in particular was so bad that he completely fell into Vinicius’ trap and looked like a fool. It ruined the tempo Bayern had and even messed up the game plan.
But the second one where Kim gave away his penalty was worse yet. There were many, many better ways to manage that situation and he chose the worst one, getting booked in the process.
It is unfortunate, because he had a clear chance to prove his worth and make a return to the starting XI in the biggest game of the season, but he failed miserably. If you look past the errors, Kim did have a good game. But you cannot look past it. It was a typical Dayot Upamecano game — flawless until the big moments.
Hate to say it, but Kim completely cost Bayern the win and should not be starting over Eric Dier (who was far more composed) and Matthijs de Ligt (whose injury last game affected the course of this game).
Thomas Müller was crucial — and here’s why
Starting Thomas Müller clearly raised eyebrows, but as the game went on it became clear why it was the right choice. Müller put in an instrumental shift off the ball, as he usually does. Starting him not only bought experience on this stage but evidently threw Real Madrid off who were expecting a Guerriero and Noussair Mazraoui partnership on the left, and consequently set up to defend heavier on that side.
The first 20 minutes tell the full story — all of Bayern’s chances came from the right, and it was exactly those right half-spaces where Müller works his best. If only Sané had put on his finishing boots earlier.
Even in Sané’s goal, the Raumdeuter was occupying an additional Madrid defender in the box, allowing Sané the exact space he needed to shoot.
That’s all for the first leg. Madrid await in Spain to finish the tie.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s insane 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League? Then join Chuck for the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show, where he breaks it all down! Check it on Spotify or below:
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
