Real Madrid in pursuit of three-peat
Two-time defending champions advance to final after knocking off Bayern Munich
MADRID — Real Madrid stayed on track for a third straight Champions League title after taking advantage of a major goalkeeping blunder to see off Bayern Munich in the semifinals on Tuesday. Madrid conceded early again but barely held on to draw 2-2 against Bayern and reach its third straight final 4-3 on aggregate.
Joshua Kimmich scored for Bayern in the third minute to set the stage for another comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu, like the one Juventus nearly pulled off in the quarter-finals. But the hosts reacted quickly this time, with Karim Benzema equalizing early in the first half and scoring again just after halftime after an embarrassing mistake by Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich when trying to meet a back pass into the area.
Bayern came within a goal of eliminating the European champions when former Madrid player James Rodriguez scored in the 63rd, and it pressured in search of a winner until the end, but it was not enough to avoid its third straight elimination against the Spanish club.
“We were the best team in both games but we were not able to reach the final,” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. “We dominated. ”
The Germans, who have now been knocked out in the Champions League semifinals in four of the last five seasons, had several good chances in the final minutes but couldn’t keep alive their hopes of a treble. Bayern also squandered a number of chances in the first leg in Germany.
By successfully defending its 2-1 win from last week, Madrid stayed on track for a third consecutive European title, and fourth in five seasons.
Europe’s most successful club with 12 trophies, Madrid will play the final against either Liverpool or Roma, who play Wednesday in Italy. Liverpool won the first leg 5-2 at home.
Bayern started well and easily created scoring chances, while Madrid tried to control possession but only threatened on counterattacks with the speed of Cristiano Ronaldo and Marco Asensio up front.
It didn’t take long for Bayern to strike first.
Kimmich netted from inside the area after Madrid captain Sergio Ramos failed to clear a ball crossed into the area by Corentin Tolisso.
It was an eerily similar start to Madrid’s match against Juventus, when the hosts conceded in the second minute while trying to protect a 3-0 first-leg advantage. Madrid conceded twice more but eventually advanced thanks to Ronaldo’s injury-time penalty.
This time, Madrid reacted a lot more quickly, with Benzema equalizing in the 11th with a firm header from close range after a well-placed cross from the left by Marcelo.
Benzema hasn’t been playing regularly as a starter and was a surprise addition to the lineup by Zinedine Zidane. He had scored only once in his last 12 appearances in all competitions.
The French striker put Madrid ahead again early in the second half after a terrible blunder by Ulreich after a pass into his own area from Tolisso. The goalkeeper appeared to lose his footing while trying to get to the ball and seemed to hesitate to stop it with his hands as it could have been considered a deliberate back pass, and it ended up going underneath his arm as he went to the ground. That allowed Benzema to run onto the ball for an easy finish into an open net.
“It was tough to concede that goal so early in the second half,” Heynckes said. “It was a gift.”
Bayern wasn’t done yet and Rodriguez equalized in the 63rd with a low shot from inside the area. The Colombian playmaker didn’t celebrate, instead raising his hands in an almost apologetic gesture to the home fans.
Bayern unsuccessfully appealed for a handball by Marcelo just before halftime, when the Madrid defender appeared to be just inside the area. Meanwhile Robert Lewandowski continued to struggle up front, as he went a fifth straight Champions League game without a goal for the first time in his career.
“We had the upper hand, we had chance after chance, but we didn’t take them and that cost us,” Bayern defender Mats Hummels said.
Madrid, playing in its 250th Champions League match, is the first team to make it to three European finals in a row since Juventus from 1996-98.