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A late penalty from Vinicius Junior saw Real Madrid snatch a 2-2 draw away to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

The Brazilian opened the scoring with the only goal of the first half but was needed against late on after strikes from Leroy Sane and Harry Kane turned the game around shortly after the restart.

The draw means both sides head to the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday for a winner-takes-all fight for a spot in the Champions League final.

How the game unfolded

Sane found himself through on goal inside the first few seconds, with his effort drawing a quick save out of Andriy Lunin, who also needed to keep out a snap shot from Harry Kane as Bayern made a strong start to proceedings.

Sane and Jamal Musiala both struck over the bar, but Madrid snatched the lead against the run of play 24 minutes in in typical fashion. A through-ball from Toni Kroos sent Vinicius in behind Bayern’s defence and the Brazilian made no mistake when one-on-one with Manuel Neuer.

That was Madrid’s only shot before a late free-kick from Rodrygo was deflected wide. Bayern continued to pose the biggest threat on goal, but they didn’t ask many more questions of Lunin’s backline, who looked increasingly comfortable sitting back and frustrating their hosts.

Kroos curled an effort in on Neuer’s goal early in the second half, requiring a strong hand from the Bayern stopper, and it proved to be a pivotal moment as Bayern went down the other end and equalised.

Sane, who had endured a tricky first half, fizzed a ferocious strike into Lunin’s bottom corner which flew off his foot like a rocket.

Two minutes later and Bayern were handed the chance to take the lead when Jamal Musiala was tripped by Lucas Vazquez, and up stepped Kane to roll the ball into the back of the net.

Eric Dier had the chance to add a third from a corner shortly after the hour mark, before Neuer had to push back a strike from Vinicius as Madrid desperately sought a way back into the tie.

With nine minutes remaining, Madrid were awarded a penalty of their own when Rodrygo was dragged down by Kim, and Vinicius made no mistake to tie things up in the late stages and set up a fascinating second leg.

GK: Manuel Neuer – 6/10 – The Neuer of old would have probably come out to stop Vinicius’ run through on goal, but not many goalkeepers would be able to beat the Brazilian for speed.

RB: Joshua Kimmich – 6/10 – Didn’t get a whole lot wrong but definitely doesn’t impact the game as much in this position.

CB: Kim Min-jae – 4/10 – Drawn out of position for Vinicius’ opener and found himself struggling to keep up with the Brazil international at times. Dragged Rodrygo to the ground for the penalty.

CB: Eric Dier – 6/10 – Likewise, perhaps could have made a better decision for the opener but was largely solid aside from that.

LB: Noussair Mazraoui – 6/10 – Didn’t offer enough going forwards but came into his own in the second half when Bayern were happier to focus on defending.

DM: Konrad Laimer – 8/10 – Really impressive at the base of Bayern’s midfield. Pressed with immense energy and usually came out on top.

DM: Leon Goretzka – 5/10 – Not strong enough in possession. Bayern needed more creativity from him.

RM: Jamal Musiala – 7/10 – Struggled for space in the first half but pulled out some impressive footwork to win the penalty.

AM: Thomas Muller – 6/10 – Tried to find space but Madrid’s deep defence left him struggling to get involved.

LM: Leroy Sane – 7/10 – A sloppy first half but an absolute monster of a finish to tie things up after the break.

ST: Harry Kane – 7/10 – Dropped deep to get involved and was a real problem for Madrid’s backline. Took his penalty well.

Substitutes

SUB: Raphael Guerreiro (46′ for Goretzka) – 7/10

SUB: Serge Gnabry (80′ for Muller) – N/A

SUB: Alphonso Davies (87′ for Sane) – N/A

Subs not used: Daniel Peretz (GK), Sven Ulreich (GK), Dayot Upamecano, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Bryan Zaragoza, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Mathys Tel.

Manager

Thomas Tuchel – 8/10 – Bayern were the better side in the first half and then finally got their rewards after the break following a smart decision to change his wingers. Let down by a handful of sloppy decisions from his players.

GK: Andriy Lunin – 5/10 – Will be frustrated to have been beaten at his near post for Sane’s equaliser.

RB: Lucas Vazquez – 4/10 – Sane slipped in behind him a little too often early on and Vazquez’s night got even worse when he felled Musiala for the penalty.

CB: Antonio Rudiger – 5/10 – Had a pretty solid game when it came to his individual battle with Kane but couldn’t calm the Bayern barrage early in the second half.

CB: Nacho Fernandez – 5/10 – Tried something new as he stepped forward into midfield at times, but usually ended up getting caught out of position.

LB: Ferland Mendy – 5/10 – Defended well in the first half against Musiala but was faced up against Sane after the break and couldn’t cope with his speed.

DM: Aurelien Tchouameni – 6/10 – Dropped back into defence after the second Bayern goal to try bring some calm to the team.

DM: Toni Kroos – 7/10 – A sensational pass to pick Bayern apart for the opener. Struggled with the pace of the second half but still had some nice moments on the ball.

RM: Federico Valverde – 5/10 – Happily defended in the first half but found it hard to adjust to the attacking side of the game when Madrid fell behind.

AM: Jude Bellingham – 5/10 – Bayern suffocated Bellingham whenever he got towards the box. Hooked with 15 minutes to go as Ancelotti clearly felt Madrid had a better chance of winning without him.

LM: Rodrygo – 5/10 – Buzzed around without ever really looking like causing any significant problems for Bayern’s full-backs before winning the penalty.

ST: Vinicius Junior – 8/10 – Took both his goals well in a performance which was largely full of battles to try and actually find space on the field. Needed to be patient and got his rewards.

Substitutes

SUB: Eduardo Camavinga (65′ for Nacho) – 6/10

SUB: Luka Modric (76′ for Bellingham) – 7/10

SUB: Brahim Diaz (76′ for Kroos) – 6/10

SUB: Joselu (87′ for Rodrygo) – N/A

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Thibaut Courtois (GK), Fran Garcia, Eder Militao, Arda Guler, Dani Ceballos.

Manager

Carlo Ancelotti – 5/10 – Tried to rely on Madrid’s aura in the first half but looked totally flustered when Bayern took their game to the next level.

Player of the match – Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)

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Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich has addressed transfer rumours linking him to both Real Madrid and Barcelona this summer, labelling the two as ‘amazing clubs’.

The 29-year-old has seen heaps of success since joining Bayern in 2015 and has seen his fair share of trophies over his years at the Allianz Arena, including nine Bundesliga titles and one Champions League.

The playmaker remains a reliable asset to Thomas Tuchel’s side, making 38 appearances across all competitions this season.

But with just one year remaining on his Bayern contract, it looks as if a summer move may be on the cards, with huge clubs eyeing up Kimmich. The player has chosen to represent himself, rather than use an agent, to ensure that all communication goes directly through him.

In an interview with Spanish outlet Diario AS ahead of Bayern’s Champions League semi-final with Madrid, Kimmich addressed this transfer speculation and was asked whether Tuchel’s departure this summer will affect his plans.

Kimmich said: “This is a really interesting question for me, but it’s not the most important thing right now. I know that when you sign a contract you don’t sign it with the coach. You sign it with the club.

“But of course it’s also important to know what the coach thinks about you and the team. Other people in the club are concerned with choosing the coach.

“I want to talk to Bayern. And when I do that, I won’t go out and talk to the press about it. I’m only focused on the two games against Real Madrid. At the moment I’m not thinking about this. As I already said, I will speak to Bayern first. But of course Barcelona and Madrid are amazing clubs with an amazing history.”

Kimmich also addressed his interesting choice to avoid the use of an agent, explaining that it was the best decision for his family.

“The advantage is that you can speak for yourself, but this can also be a disadvantage. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about yourself. You are responsible for your decision,” he added.

“This is the most important thing for me, being at the table, listening directly to what those in charge say and being able to speak directly with the club and the coach. This helps me make a very good decision for my family and me.”

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Real Madrid passed up on the chance to sign Harry Kane last summer prior to his move to Bayern Munich as it interfered with future plans to recruit Kylian Mbappe, reports in Spain claim.

Kane’s Bayern welcome Madrid to the Allianz Arena for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday night.

The England captain joined the Bavarians from boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur last summer, ending nearly two decades of association with Spurs in search of a new challenge.

Before signing on the dotted line at Bayern, Kane was linked with various other clubs, including Manchester United and Madrid.

Spanish outlet Relevo report that Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti wanted to bring in a new star striker after Karim Benzema’s surprise departure to Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad, and Kane was his preferred option.

However, Madrid club president Florentino Perez denied this request as he did not want to bring in another forward ahead of the expected arrival of Mbappe in the summer of 2024. Perez was willing for Madrid to play the 2023/24 season without a recognised striker, with their only natural option at centre forward being Espanyol loanee Joselu.

Mbappe is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season and is widely expected to agree terms over a long-awaited move to the Santiago Bernabeu, though a deal has not been finalised just yet.

While Kane’s pursuit of winning a first trophy of his career this season will come down to the Champions League, he has at least proven a successful signing for Bayern in his own right, tallying 42 goals and 13 assists in 42 matches thus far.

Meanwhile, Madrid remain interested in Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies, whose deal in Germany is up in 2025 and he is not expected to renew terms. However, Lille teenager Leny Yoro has emerged as Madrid’s top defensive target this summer.

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Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has backed Serge Gnabry to score on his return from injury in their Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid.

Madrid travel to the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night for the first leg of their semi-final, with the hosts looking to salvage their season after losing out on the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern have had to contend with an injury list that has plagued many of their star players, with Gnabry recently dealing with a muscle problem.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Tuchel gave an update on Bayern’s walking wounded and revealed his confidence that the returning Gnabry will be on the scoresheet against Madrid.

“With [Dayot] Upamecano, [Matthijs] de Ligt, [Konrad] Laimer, we are analysing their follow-up. We have to wait. We will see after training,” Tuchel began.

“Serge Gnabry will score tomorrow. It will happen. I don’t know how I know, but it will happen.”

Gnabry’s stop-start season has seen him register five goals and one assist in 17 games for Bayern, with much of his 2023/24 campaign hindered by muscle injuries and a fracture to his forearm. He has hit double figures of goals in all of his previous five seasons at Bayern but is running out of time to reach that landmark again.

Tuchel’s comments regarding Gnabry were put to Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti in his own pre-match press conference, and the Italian was asked who he thinks is likely to score out from his own squad.

“Well, I can say that Vinicius [Junior] has more chances to score than [Ferland] Mendy!” Ancelotti replied.

After facing off on Tuesday, Bayern and Madrid will reconvene at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday May 8 for the second leg. The winner of the tie will face Paris Saint-Germain or Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley on June 1.

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As two continental behemoths, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have a long and fascinating history of high-stakes matches in European competition.

Madrid and Bayern are two of the three most successful clubs in European Cup and Champions League history – the other being AC Milan – and, while strangely they’ve never duked it out in a showpiece final, there have been some incredibly entertaining fixtures between the two.

With the two sides set to square off in the 2023/24 Champions League semi-finals, here’s Bayern and Madrid’s full head-to-head history and some memorable encounters.

Bayern and Madrid met in official competition for the first time ever in 1976 in the European Cup semi-finals.

After the first leg ended 1-1 at the Bernabeu in late March, the two sides battled in Bavaria with a spot in the final and it was Bayern and Germany legend Gerd Muller who sent them on their way to Hampden Park with a brace.

Bayern would seal their third European Cup success by beating Saint-Etienne, with Franz Roth bagging the only goal of the game.

Five goals were scored in this 1987 meeting, though it’s more famous for Juanito’s infamous boot to Lothar Matthaus.

Madrid felt harshly treated by referee Bob Valentine as they went 3-0 down in the first leg of this 1986/87 European Cup semi-final, with Klaus Augenthaler, Matthaus and Roland Wohlfarth.

Juanito’s actions, however, were inexcusable.

With Matthaus lying on the floor after crudely taking out full-back Chendo, the former midfielder planted his boot on Matthaus’ back and then raked the same one over his face.

Juanito, who died in a car crash in 1992 aged just 37, received a four-year ban having previously been suspended for assaulting a referee and spitting on a former teammate.

Madrid were the holders when they visited Bayern for the second leg of their 2000/01 Champions League semi-final, having lost the first game 1-0.

Giovane Elber netted early on and though Luis Figo equalised only ten minutes later, Jens Jeremies was on hand to restore Bayern’s two goal lead which they would protect until the full-time whistle.

Bayern would go on to clinch their fourth title by beating Valencia on penalties at San Siro in Milan.

Led by Jose Mourinho, Madrid had close to a peak team ready to eliminate Bayern in this semi-final second leg. After a 2-1 first-leg defeat, Madrid replicated the same scoreline in their favour to force extra time. No winner was found and a penalty shootout ensued.

Madrid had Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos step up for their spot-kicks. Four from four, right? Wrong.

Only Alonso netted for Los Blancos as their wait for another Champions League continued while David Alaba, Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger converted for the visitors.

Pep Guardiola hasn’t lost 4-0 too often in his managerial career, but he got all of his tactics wrong in this semi-final second leg.

With a 1-0 lead already in the bank, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were well and truly cruising as Sergio Ramos bagged two headers before Ronaldo finished off a rapid counter-attack. The Portuguese forward got his second shortly before full-time to send Madrid into their first Champions League final since 2002.

They would win that game against local rivals Atletico Madrid, ushering in a new period of modern dominance for the club in Europe.

The two starting XIs from this April 2017 encounter are ridiculously stacked with star names. There was Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric among many others for Madrid, while Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery lined up for Bayern.

It was Ronaldo who shone brightest under the Bernabeu lights, though not before some controversial decisions swung the tie in Madrid’s favour.

Bayern forced extra time with a 2-1 win inside 90 minutes, but Arturo Vidal’s harsh red card proved too great a deficit for the German visitors to overcome.

Having netted in the 76th minute, Ronaldo struck twice more in extra time to bring up 100 UCL goals – one when clearly stood in an offside position – before Marco Asensio rounded off the scoring.

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