Real Madrid stun Bayern Munich to reach Champions League final after late Joselu double

Rob Bagchi
Joselu - Real Madrid stun Bayern Munich with dramatic comeback to reach Champions League final
Joselu scored two late goals to send Real Madrid into yet another European Cup final - Reuters/Susana Vera

Some of the great talents of the era in an epic Champions League semi-final second leg that was going down to the wire and then – when it felt that nothing would work for Real Madrid - enter the 34-year-old substitute on loan from Espanyol, who once played for Stoke City.

José Luis Mato Sanmartín – Joselu to his friends and fans – was born not far from Munich, in Stuttgart, and has only ten caps for Spain. He started his career in Real Madrid’s academy and left 12 years ago, with eight clubs since then including stops at Hannover 96, Newcastle United and Alaves – although it is his time at Stoke that feels definitive for the purposes of this story. Within ten minutes of his late arrival, he turned this semi-final with two poacher’s goals.

Real, the great Champions League team of the modern era, now stand on the brink of six Champions League trophies in 11 years. Not bad for the competition they sought to destroy with the Super League only three years ago, a feud with Uefa that continues even now. Their 15th title at Wembley on June 1 would mean they have more than twice the next ranked team, AC Milan on seven. It is extraordinary by any measure and this was an extraordinary night.

Jude Bellingham, the great young Englishman in Real’s team, will face his former club Borussia Dortmund in the final. He has already won the league title in his first year. This was not his best game of a sparkling season but the best may be yet to come. It will take some drama to beat this night, with Real going out of the competition on 88 minutes and then going through by the 91st.

Joselu scored two goals with his first three touches. Even so, that barely described the drama which would ensue. The Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel could barely control his rage after the game that the referee Szymon Marciniak, who took charge of the 2022 World Cup final, would disallow a late Matthijs De Ligt equaliser for a debatable offside. Tuchel said the decision by the assistant to raise his flag early in the move rather than let the phase of play unfold was “against every rule in modern football”.

Real had dominated the game. In Vinicius Junior, they had its best player. Bellingham might ordinarily be the man for these late matchwinners. Alphonso Davies scored for Bayern one of the finest goals ever from a full-back. But this was, as Bellingham said later in a television interview, Joselu’s night. The striker only returned to Real last summer because they could not afford a better option to replace Karim Benzema. This time last year Joselu was playing for Espanyol in a relegation season. They are still the club to whom he is contracted.

Tuchel would warn later that Harry Kane was playing through serious back pain. Jamal Musiala was, figuratively speaking, “dead” when it came to his fitness. Yet that pair had laid the groundwork for an astonishing goal from Davies in the second half, which turned the tie in Bayern’s favour. That Tuchel would later substitute both Kane and Musiala was, he said, a necessity given their fitness. But Bayern could not hold out in their absence.

For Kane, another season ends without trophies although this time it is not with Tottenham Hotspur but the mighty Bayern. Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund are the kings of German football for now and Kane has just a barrow full of goals and a very sore back. His assist for Davies was outstanding and Bayern missed him badly in the last few minutes as their resolve slipped.

First it was a mistake from the great Manuel Neuer, who had been outstanding until then. He dropped the weakest of Vinicius’ many shots at the Bayern goal at the feet of Joselu. Then three minutes later the striker turned in a cross, originally flagged as offside – a decision overturned by VAR. It had not been a good night for the Polish officials. “We want the best referees,” Tuchel said, “and if he is not able to offer 100 per cent then apologies are worthless.”

Carlo Ancelotti would point to Marciniak’s decision to disallow a crucial Real goal after Davies’s strike as proof that his team had viable complaints too. Nacho had appeared to thrust his hands into the face of Joshua Kimmich before a corner struck the Real captain and ricocheted in. Ancelotti began his press conference by saying simply, “It’s happened again”. Real’s run in the competition was, he said, “magical”. A win at Wembley would be the fifth Champions League of his career, two more than the nearest managerial contenders.

The star of the show before Joselu’s arrival was Vinicius, the best player in the competition’s latter stages. He gave Kimmich a frightful night. On many occasions, it was just the miscues of Vinicius’ team-mates and the saves of Neuer that prevented Vinicius from winning it on his own.

Yet for all the occasions when it seemed like the Brazilian had unlocked the right side of Bayern, and left Kimmich spinning behind him, Real did not score the goal that would change the game. That left them vulnerable to the precision of Bayern’s counterattack. They did that with a quick transition. Musiala brought it clear and from there Kane held back in a pocket of space so his team-mate could find him. A right-foot Kane cross-field hit into Davies’ run down the left and the chance was on. It required a finish of exceptional quality and Davies found it. He ran Antonio Rudiger and hit a right foot shot across Lunin.

It set up a spectacular ending and only in the final moments did Real at last find a way twice in the space of three minutes.

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich: As it happened . . .

10:53 PM BST

Tuchel: It feels like a betrayal

We were almost through, almost there. It was a very unusual mistake from our very best player. For the equaliser. We conceded [the second] in a very narrow decision then we scored one. It was  a disastrous decision from the linesman and the referee so it feels almost like a betrayal because of that decision.

The linesman said sorry but that does not help. The referee does not have to whistle. He sees we get a shot away. It is against the rules and it is a very bad decision from both of them, a disaster.

It is tough to swallow. We left everything on the pitch. It is sport and you have to respect the result in the end. We have to say congratulations to Real Madrid.

10:47 PM BST

Here’s Don Fabio

I think we played well. We had opportunities and good control of the game. And the strength to go [again] when they scored. It happened again here. It’s quite usual with the help of our supporters that we can do something that is unexpected.

I am going to enjoy it. We are going to celebrate [winning] the league and [making] the final. You should stay in Madrid with us. It’s going to be fantastic.

The mentality is unbelievable. They work so hard, they are really humble and really generous, so talented. It’s the best squad I’ve had in my career

10:42 PM BST

It transpires that the linesman admitted his error

10:33 PM BST

Rio Ferdinand on the England captain

Harry Kane has done his job, scored the goals and the others have let him down.

Harry Kane covers his face with his hands
Harry Kane after the final whistle - Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

10:27 PM BST

Celebration shirts

Real Madrid players with their '15' shirts
Real Madrid players are gunning for their 15th European Cup - Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

10:19 PM BST

Bayern are still fuming about the linesman’s decsion

I think it was irresponsible of him to put his flag up given how tight it was. It looked offside but it must be better to stick to the new protocols and wait. If they had had to chalk off De Ligt’s equaliser, so be it. Don’t stop the game before the phase was finished.

Why Tuchel took Kane off at 1-0 up is also a mystery.

10:15 PM BST

Jude Bellingham talks to TNT Sports

We’ve seen it a lot of times this season when it looked as though were dead and buried. It doesn’t matter who scores the goals but someone always manages it. We have this mentality of ‘never say die’. I doubt Lu [Joselu] will be sleeping much tonight, he’ll be useless in training tomorrow/ He deserves it all, he’s been an amazing member of the squad all season and it’s his night. There’s a reason we turn so many games, why we always manage to come back in the second leg. It’s because of these lot [the fans]. They give you an energy you can’t get from anything else.

10:13 PM BST

An 18th final

Real Madrid were the better team, ultimately more ruthless and had the best player, Vinicius Junior. And they were carried to Wembley on a wave of emotion in a spine-tingling atmosphere. It’s their 18th European Cup final and sixth from 2014 onwards. Yes, they haven’t been as dominant as the team that won the first five but they have dominated this competition for the last decade in remarkable fashion. They have won their last eight finals, too, giving Borussia Dortmund a formidable challenge at Wembley on June 1.

10:08 PM BST

The man of the moment

Joselu playing for Stoke
From this … - EPA/TIM KEETON
Joselu at Newcastle
… to this … - Stu Forster/Getty Images
Joselu scores his second
… to this! - THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

10:03 PM BST

Full-time: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

They’ve done it again. They’re into their 18th European Cup final. What an extraordinary club. And yet Bayern had almost pulled off a smash and grab until Manuel Neuer, who had kept them in it a couple of times, played dropsie.

Both Kane and Neuer are having words with the referee.

10:01 PM BST

90+15 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

On we go, after a lecture for Tuchel.

10:00 PM BST

90+13 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

The air is pierced by whistles but Bayern are still piling forward. De Ligt buries a right-foot half volley past Luninbut the flag had already gone up, prematurely, because it was very tight. The linesman should have let play continue.

Tuchel is rightly incensed.

09:58 PM BST

90+11 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

Diaz heads for the corner flag after a huge tackle from Camavinga.

09:57 PM BST

90+10 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

Bayern have switched to 3-4-3 but they have a free-kick on halfway that Kimmich floats straight down Lunin’s throat.

09:56 PM BST

90+9 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

Eder Militao ⇢ Bellingham.

09:55 PM BST

90+7 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

Tuchel is booked for complaining about the referee over the award of a foul. Kimmich sells Mazraoui short with a dinked pass as the full-back cut in off the right, forcing him to snatch at a shot that he slices wildly out to the left corner flag.

09:53 PM BST

90+6 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

Laimer chases a ball down the right but fouls Nacho instead of hounding him.

09:52 PM BST

90+4 min: Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 4-3)

The world/game turned upside down. There were initially nine minutes of stoppage time but since Real’s second goal went in, there have been so many players down with cramp it’s bound to be much more. But Bayern have taken Kane and Musiala, Sane and Gnabry off.

09:49 PM BST

GOOOOOOOOOOAL!

Joselu has scored two in two minutes. Amazing scenes at the Bernabeu. The ball broke to Rudiger on the left of the box from a corner and Joselu had managed to go back out before making a second run towards goal to turn in the cross.

Real Madrid 2 Bayern Munich 1 (Joselu; agg: 4-3)

09:47 PM BST

VAR check for an ‘offside Real ‘winner’

Joselu turning in Rudiger’s cross.

09:45 PM BST

GOAL!

Real Madrid 1 Bayern Munich 1 (Joselu; agg: 3-3) Good grief. An assist for Neuer with a howler when he drops Vinicius’s speculative shot at his feet and Joselu pounces to prod it into goal from a couple of yards.

09:44 PM BST

87 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

Bayern defend the corner stoutly and then Muller holds off a challenge at the edge of the box and initiates a 3v2 break but puts the pass behind Davies who loses vital time when doubling back to gather. Eventually he slips Pavlovic down the middle but he runs out of gas and Midric blindsides him.

09:41 PM BST

85 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

Carvajal and Nacho go potty when Musiala goes down to waste some time before a Real Madrid corner.

Choupo-Moting ⇢ Kane

Muller ⇢ Musiala

09:40 PM BST

83 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

Rudiger pushes up and arcs a dipping cross from right to left to Vinicius who takes it on the half-volley with his right foot and scoops it wide. Hard one to finish first-time that but he only had time for one bite at it.

09:38 PM BST

82 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

Pavlovich fouls Lunin at the corner before Kim heads on to the bar.

09:38 PM BST

80 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

Joselu ⇢ Rodrygo

Diaz ⇢ Valverde

Bayern take the free-kick and Rodrygo heads it behind for a corner.

09:36 PM BST

77 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

European refs tend to save all the stoppage time from both halves to add on at the end of the second. So there’s still a long way to go. Kane is barrelled over by Camavinga and after Bayern rightly take their time, Modric bulldozes Laimer when he is given the ball to feet.

09:33 PM BST

75 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (agg: 2-3)

Kane hits the side-netting having been sent down the left of the penalty area by a lovely Musiala pass. Should have done better. Hardly a moment to breathe but here are some changes that have taken place since the goal:

Modric ⇢ Kroos

Camavinga ⇢ Tchouameni

Kim ⇢ Sane

09:29 PM BST

No goal

Nacho, the captain, grabbed his opposite number round the throat and applied pressure. It was a stonebonker of a foul. VAR was right to disallow it.

09:28 PM BST

GOAL!?

VAR check.

Real Madrid 1 Bayern Munich 1 Nacho pushed Kimmich over with two hands on his neck before his flick hit De Ligt and went in.

09:24 PM BST

GOAL!!!

Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 1 (Davies) [agg 2-3] Tuchel goes spare because the corner is hooked straight out for a goal-kick but 30 seconds later they’re in the lead when Kane plays a cross-field pass into Davies’ stride. He darts inside, Rudiger shows him on to his right so he RSVPs the invitation and prove that he’s more than a unidexter, thumping a right-foot shot unstoppably into the top right.

Hey! NostraWallace!

09:24 PM BST

67 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Bayern break down the left with Davies who picks out Musiala to accelerate on to the pass and face up Carvajal who sensibly shows him on to his left. Musiala lets fly with a rising shot that takes a deflection and goes behind for a corner.

Vincius Junior the focal point for Real’s best attacks now. He has been pushed wide on the left wing and so effective coming in on his right foot, or reaching the byline and cutting in. Looks like the most dangerous player on the pitch, but the longer it goes without a goal for Real the more one suspects they could be surprised at the other end.

09:22 PM BST

66 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

From the free-kick, the ball breaks to Carvajal who blazes his shot over the bar. How much more of this can Kimmich take.

09:21 PM BST

64 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Kimmich is taken to the byline again, Vinicius Junior knocks the ball past him and he slips, on to the ball, knocking it away from the Brazil forward with his hand. Free kick.

09:19 PM BST

62 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Brilliance from Neuer again when Vinicius makes another unstoppable run from the left and cuts in on his right to thump a top-right corner-bound right-foot shot. Neuer soars like a man half his age to claw it behind. They can’t live with his pace and close control. A moment earlier Bayern had the chance to trigger a 4v3 counter but flubbed the pass that would have released the forwards. Musiala messed it up.

09:16 PM BST

59 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Real Madrid free-kick 25 yards out after a shimmy and repertoire of Bellingham’s tricks. Rodrygo takes, left of centre and aims for the top left. Neuer gets over to bat it away.

09:14 PM BST

57 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Vinicius is roasting Kimmich for the umpteenth time, races past him, the ball mesmerising defenders as it flicks between his dazzling feet. When he enters the box, he picks up his head and beats De Ligt with a pass to six-yards. Rodrygo tries to flick it under pressure from Dier and just steers it wide of the far post.

09:12 PM BST

55 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Kane cushions a ball down the inside-right channel after a back-header from Tchouameni goes astray. Kane forces Mendy off the ball and unerringly shoots low at the near post. Lunin gets down to parry and Mendy recovers to beat Kane to the rebound. doing to him what the England captain had started. He appeals for a penalty but without much conviction.

09:09 PM BST

53 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Kimmich is beaten again by Vinicius, beating the right-back on his right side time and again. The cross is defended at the near post. Kimmich, never a natural right-back, needs help.

09:08 PM BST

50 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Bayern certainly enjoying more possession this half … until Pavlovic sprays a pas straight into touch, cursed by the commentator’s praise. Darren Fletcher is ragged by his companions, McManaman and Ferdinand.

09:06 PM BST

48 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

The corner is defended easily at the near post, giving Real a chance to counter. Vinicius skins Kimmich again and gets to the byline to pull a pass back to the penalty spot, bypassing the two near post runners and Pavlovic pumps a clearance away.

09:04 PM BST

46 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Rio Ferdinand greets the start of the second half by riffing on the nature of the match, stadium, atmosphere, stakes, players. All are, he concludes, ‘big’.

Fast start as Vini glides down the left, gets to the byline and pulls the ball back for Valverde but De Ligt thumps it away and Bayern counter, Kane sending Davies flying down the inside left to shoot from an angle and the ball cannons into Carvajal’s lunge and loops over the angle of cross bar and right post.

08:49 PM BST

Half-time: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Lots of interesting play and a couple of exciting moments but it hasn’t really sparked yet. Vinicius and Rodrygo have come closest to breaking the deadlock tonight and in the tie but Neuer just keeps rolling along.

Bayern, the punditry consensus agrees, will be the happier. Yes, but Real have been the more menacing and are moving the ball quicker.

08:48 PM BST

45+1 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Nearly for Kane when played onside by Mendy and Laimer clips a pass down the inside right that eludes him as he failed to read it and get off the mark quicker. The ball harmlessly skips through to Lunin.

08:46 PM BST

45 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Just the one minute of stoppage time goes up on the board. Refs in Europe take a contrasting approach to the English contingent.

08:45 PM BST

44 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Alphonso Davies flies down the left and feeds the ball infield. Real hack it away but only as far as Mazraoui who steps in on to his right and rifles a right-foot shot, looking for the top right. Lunin had plenty of time to see it and steps across to gobble it up.

08:43 PM BST

42 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Sane delays a pass that would have put Kimmich in down the right on a buccaneering overlap and then overhits it when he finally deigns to release it.

08:42 PM BST

40 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Good defending from a pair of corners allow Bayern to launch their own attack. Real defend with two banks of four, forcing them all the way back to Neuer as the home fans jeer and whistle.

08:41 PM BST

38 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

De Ligt has had enough of Vinicius’ tricks and legs him up after being beaten. Real free-kick on the left. Bayern see off the initial cross from Kroos but Neuer has to turn Vinicius’ past the left post as it whistled through the six-yard box and threatened to curl in.

08:38 PM BST

36 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

The difference between the two sides is the pace of their counter-attacks. Real go like the clappers with Rodrygo and Vini. Bayern favour more patient probing.

08:37 PM BST

34 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Vinicius diddles Lainer and Kimmich but then tries to put the cherry on the cake by jinking between the again and Lainer makes the interception in the box.

08:35 PM BST

Fluid shape, engrossing game

High quality first 30 minutes, with Real dominating the game. Albeit with Bayern dangerous on the counterattack. Right-back Dani Carvajal occasionally stepping into midfield to create the extra man for Real. The shape is very fluid. Real play a 4-2-2-2 system with Tchouameni and Kroos as the defensive midfielders behind Bellingham and Valverde. That second pair can go wide or come into more narrow positions when the full-backs push high and wide. It means there can be a lot of white shirts in attacking positions.

08:33 PM BST

32 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Another good block from De Ligt when Rodrygo was set up to shoot from the left of the D by another Kroos cute pass. Kroos is doing the bulk of his best work from a far more advanced position than last week.

08:31 PM BST

30 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Gnabry cannot continue. Davies ⇢ Gnabry. The Canadian flying left-back is going to play as an out and out winger.

Good effort from Kane, from 20 yards, the ball dipping and swerving after Kimmich’s cross is deflected, making the technique he used to hit it all but immaculate. Nacho gets down to cover the bottom right corner and blocks it behind for a corner that Real defend well.

Harry Kane shoots
Kane goes close - Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

08:27 PM BST

27 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

De Ligt comes over to help Kimmich deal with Vinicius sprinting down the left and bundles the ball out for a throw.

Off the ball, Gnabry goes down. He has twanged his dodgy hamstring and looks like it’s curtains for him.

08:26 PM BST

25 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Sane goes over while trying to shield a pass up the right from Kimmich, back to goal. But the referee waves play on.

08:25 PM BST

23 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Valverde angles a pass out to Rodrygo striding down the right. Mazraoui dives in foolishly, misses the ball and Rodrygo chips a cross to Vinicius Jr who takes a touch but fails to control it properly and De Ligt hoofs it away on the half-volley.

08:22 PM BST

21 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Valverde runs across Laimer to barge him over in midfield and Bayer have another free-kick and start probing around Real’s press, which is far more intense than last week.

08:20 PM BST

18 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Mendy comes through Sane from behind and is penalised. Laimer has a word with him to which he objects and the referee tells both to back off. Bayern send the free-kick, on halfway, backwards.

08:18 PM BST

16 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Bayern break and Sane strides down the left, taking a difficult chance on with his left in a tight area rather than taking an easier option with his right. Real soak up the ball and counter themselves, feeding Bellingham who toys with De Ligt, stands still, teasing him then accelerates to shoot, straight into a defender’s shins.

08:16 PM BST

14 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Blimey! That was close. There are two balls on the pitch and Bayern were trying to point it out to the referee and lost focus. Carvajal shifts the ball into the box to Vinicius Jr who scuds a right-foot shot on to the foot of the left post and then Rodrygo has another pop from the rebound and Neuer saves the day with a concrete-wristed block that spins up which he then smothers at the second attempt.

Bayern are having to weather a storm here.

Neuer catches the ball
Neuer saves the day - PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images

08:13 PM BST

12 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Lainer has made two crisp tackles, the latest on Vinicius, to stop Real Madrid attacks. The Austrian has been a very good signing.

08:12 PM BST

10 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Now Bayern have a chance when Pavlovic plays a cute pass, inside-out from the inside-left channel to Gnabry stepping in off the wing. He races into the box and then bends a cross through the six-yard box, hoping Kane will slide in at the back post but he was always behind play. Steve McManaman saus Gnabry had to shoot there. I think he had a reasonable expectation that a centre-forward would be there.

Rodrygo and Gnabry
Rodrygo takes on Gnabry - REUTERS/Juan Medina

08:09 PM BST

7 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Kane almost frees Sane after jumping in quick on Tchouameni, catching him a little by surprise. But they win the ball back when Kroos intercepts the pass and Bayern break, shifting the ball to Carvajal rampaging down the right. He fizzes over almost the perfect cross through the six-yard box but Rodrygo and Bellingham are on their toes.

When Real recycle the ball in from the left, Kimmich steps across Bellingham who goes down like a bag of hammers. he barely grazed him and the referee tells him to get up.

08:05 PM BST

5 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Kane is hanging deep, as is his wont, allowing Musiala to do the pressing of the centre-backs and keeper. Dier is closed down in the left-back position quicker than he thought by Rodrygo but he was helped out by Laimer who snapped into a tackle to stop a counter.

08:03 PM BST

3 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

It’s a very attacking line-up from Bayern and Sane cuts in off the right to chest down a long, clipped pass. Mendy has his arms wrapped round him and he demands a free-kick 25 yards out but the referee shakes his head.

08:02 PM BST

1 min: Real Madrid 0 Bayern Munich 0 (agg: 2-2)

Bayern kick off, attacking from right to left and immediately lose the ball to Vinicius who hares down the left, dances round Kimmich’s attempt at a sliding tackle and takes the corner. Kroos whips it in from the left, sending it a touch too deep and Bayern defend solidly to a chorus of disapproval from the home fans who whistle their every touch.

08:00 PM BST

In the stands

Bayern Munich’s fans are waving their scarves above their heads in the top two tiers, an inlet of red in an ocean of white and imperial purple. The Bernabeu, now fully revamped, looks like a marvellous stadium now. Felt a bit echoey last time I was there many tears ago.

07:56 PM BST

Five minutes to go and the teams are leaving the dressing rooms

Cue Handel:

Ils sont les meilleurs 
Sie sind die Besten 
These are the champions

Die Meister
Die Besten 
Les grandes équipes 
The champions

07:49 PM BST

Kane’s habit

07:46 PM BST

Thomas Tuchel on his changes

I think Pavlo gets his confidence from the way he plays. Today we need a lot of courage in finding the pockets. That’s exactly his characteristic. The two central midfielders today will be very important so that we can also use the ball possession phases in midfield, we want to be more secure on the ball.

We want to be more aggressive on the wings and we will do that with Serge. Jamal can also get into the half-space better this way

07:41 PM BST

Bayern will be playing in their black and pink away strip today

Bayern Munich's English forward Harry Kane and team-mates warm up
Bayern warm up for the second leg of their semi-final - OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images

07:22 PM BST

Leroy Sane update

He scored a screamer last week but is still suffering from a pelvic injury that limits his stamina and explosiveness at times. Last week he had to miss the half-time team talk and stay on the pitch, jogging gently for 15 minutes to stop his hips seizing up. Serge Gnabry comes in on the left with Jamal Musiala moving infield to replace Thomas Müller in the middle.

07:12 PM BST

Real fans greet the team bus in the usual fashion

07:03 PM BST

Your teams in black and white

Real Madrid  Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy; Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior.
Substitutes  Courtois, Arrizabalaga, Eder Militao, Modric, Camavinga, Joselu, Lucas, Ceballos, Garcia, Diaz, Guler.

Bayern Munich  Neuer; Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Mazraoui; Laimer, Pavlovic; Sane, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane.
Substitutes  Ulreich, Upamecano, Kim, Goretzka, Choupo-Moting, Zaragoza, Peretz, Davies, Muller, Tel.

Referee  Szymon Marciniak (Poland).

06:56 PM BST

Bayern make three changes

Out go Kim, Goretzka and Muller for De Ligt, Pavlovic and Gnabry.

06:46 PM BST

Above us only… roof

The Bernabeu stadium roof is closed and the big wraparound screens that hang down are in place. They are currently broadcasting the arrival of the team bus which is emerging from a cloud of smoke flares on the streets outside.

The roof closed
Real Madrid have closed the new roof at the Bernabeu - Sam Wallace

06:31 PM BST

Turning the town red

06:23 PM BST

Real Madrid go early again in another case of premature announce-selection

Just the one change as anticipated: Carvajal replaces Lucas Vázquez.

06:05 PM BST

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06:04 PM BST

Preview: The Derby of Europe part II

Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the Champions League semi-final, second leg tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich from the Bernabéu, which starts at 2-2, more all-square than ever in this vacuous, post away goals era. The home side, winners on 14 occasions, two of them under Carlo Ancelotti in 2014 and 2022, take on Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich, champions on six occasions, none of them under the current manager who did, nonetheless, take PSG to their only final in 2020 and won it with Chelsea the season after, neither of them in front of a full house because of the pandemic.

Victory for Bayern tonight would give Tuchel the opportunity of facing a packed Wembley, the scene of triumphs for him in two FA Cup semis but defeat in both finals and a League Cup final as FC Hollywood bid to move above Liverpool and level with AC Milan on seven European Cups. For Ancelotti, an unprecedented fifth European Cup/ Champions League as a manager, taking him two ahead of Bob Paisley, Zinedine Zidane and Pep Guardiola, should end up, as I advocated last week, with him keeping at least a personal replica, much as clubs used to get to keep the current trophy after a fifth win or third in succession.

The odds tonight are with Real Madrid, who have lost only one of 15 knockout ties in this competition when they have drawn the first leg away from home, and lead the head-to-head 12-11 with five draws though Bayern have won through in four of their seven semi-final meetings. More ominous still for the Bavarians, of Real Madrid’s 31 home semi-final legs, they have won 19, drawn nine and lost only three – to Ajax in 1973, Bayern Munich in 2001 (by virtue of Brazilian goal machine Giovane Elber) and Barcelona in 2011. That victory 23 years ago ought to give Bayern hope as should their defeat in 2012 when, the scoreline after 120 minutes tied the match at 3-3 with both clubs recording 2-1 home wins, Jupp Henyckes’ side proceeded to win the shootout, Manuel Neuer saving penalties from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka while Sergio Ramos blazed his over the bar.

Manuel Neuer dives to his right to save
Manuel Neuer saves Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty in the shootout at the Bernabeu during Bayern Munich's semi-final victory in 2012 - JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

As for team news, Real Madrid gave Thibaut Courtois his first start of the season against Cádiz at the weekend after eight months out following his ACL injury but Ancelotti says he will stick with Andriy Lunin in goal tonight. Dani Carvajal has served his suspension and should replace Lucas Vázquez at right-back leaving the only real selection dilemma in central midfield where Aurelién Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are vying to start alongside Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde.

Bayern ought to have Matthijs de Light fit to partner Eric Dier at the back and his coming in for Kim Min-jae, at fault for both Real goals and duly criticised by Tuchel afterwards, should be the only change because Raphaël Guerreiro was injured at the weekend and Kingsley Coman is still out.

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