Vinicius Junior’s Heroics Secure 2-2 Draw for Real Madrid Against Bayern Munich In CL Semifinal
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior showcased his brilliance, scoring twice to salvage a crucial 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal clash.
Before the second leg in Madrid on May 8, which Bayern dominated but Madrid managed to win, the match is still very much up in the air.
Even though his bright green boots were frequently a blur on a night when everyone was focused on England players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham as well as Toni Kroos’ return to his old side, Vinicius emerged as the key player.
After Leroy Sane and Kane had given Bayern the lead, the Brazil striker equalized with a coolly executed penalty in the 83rd, despite the fact that the goal had come against the flow of play in the 24th and 24th minutes.
After leading Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2017, Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Madrid, stated, “I think it’s a good result.” “It boosts our confidence and faith for the second leg. It’s totally accessible.”
The England forward’s goal, which came from a penalty kick, was his 43rd goal for Bayern this season in 43 appearances.
According to Kroos, “it felt like the goals were scored when the other team was better.” “We have a good feeling that we’ll win at home.”
The bulk of the 75,000 spectators in the stadium let out deafening whistles as the visitors arrived, making it seem as though they were playing in a red cauldron. Bayern had encouraged supporters to wear red to the match.
Before the game, “Sudkurve” supporters honored the late Franz Beckenbauer, the legendary player for the team, with a spectacular red-and-white dance. As the players warmed up, a massive banner said, “To honor the Kaiser Franz, give everything to reach the final!”
The two-leg semifinal winners will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Borussia Dortmund in the London final on June 1.
Thomas Tuchel, the coach of Bayern Munich, stated, “We shouldn’t be too disappointed because Real Madrid does this to teams.” “I believe we can generate opportunities at the Bernabeu.” Yes, this is one of the hardest areas to win, but it’s still a struggle. Its beauty lies in that.
On Tuesday, Bayern completely dominated the first half. In the opening minute, Sane’s attempt was stopped by Andriy Lunin, and the hosts missed numerous further opportunities. “We didn’t have enough intensity, especially in the first half,” stated Ancelotti. It took Madrid over twenty minutes to have a spell with the ball.
Then, Kroos saw VinÃcius running and gave the Brazilian the perfect through pass to put the visitors’ first meaningful opportunity past Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal.
As the visitors saw more of the ball, Bayern lost its early zeal. Exasperated, Tuchel flung up his arms and made violently gestures urging his players to advance.
Before the half, Kane came the closest with a free kick that was given after Nacho fouled Jamal Musiala, who was carefully massaging his bandaged left leg. The forward for Germany has just recently recovered from a knee injury.
In the 53rd minute, Sane equalized by breaking through the Madrid defense, cutting past Ferland Mendy, and hitting a hard shot that went just inside the near post.
Four minutes later, Kane made it 2-1 with a penalty kick given after Lucas Vazquez threw Musiala to the ground. However, it wasn’t the final penalty since Rodrygo was taken down by Kim Min-jae, who was also beaten in Vinicius’ opening goal. VinÃcius equalized right away from the spot.
Konrad Laimer, a midfield player for Bayern, described the match as “back-and-forth.” “But sure, it’s Real Madrid; you can’t allow anything to happen to them.”
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Real Madrid Boss Carlo Ancelotti Stated
“A fascinating game. We could have performed better. We weren’t at our very best. We had issues with a low, too-deep block in the first half. When we applied pressure, things significantly improved.
“In the second half, we made an effort to make a shift. We had a great start, but we gave up two goals just when we had the advantage. With a 2-1 deficit, the game was tough.Vinicius is beginning to see that he needs to be moving within the pitch as opposed to just near the line. He picked up movement quite well.
“It will be an interesting second leg. Accessible. You can never predict what might occur.”
Regarding Bellingham’s replacement: “Bellingham was worn out. He was experiencing cramps.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane Stated
“A tad let down. We had two or three solid chances after we took a 2-1 lead. It was going to be a hard game. One or two moves may punish you, and Real is among the strongest teams in Europe.”Everything is on hold until next week. We just need to seize the opportunities we know we will have next week.
“We got off to a strong start. They scored a goal against the flow of the game. We had a hard time playing our game. We played with more vigor in the second half. We should have scored a third goal; we certainly deserved our first two.”
Regarding Bellingham’s statement to him prior to the penalty: “I’m not sure what he was saying. I caught him stuttering. Once I’m there, I attempt to shut everyone out and enter my zone. He must have said something to try to discourage me.”
Regarding his 43 goals in 43 games: “This season has been going well so far. All that matters is the next game. This competition has everything we’re battling for this year. It will be difficult. We must travel there completely believing.
“I have spent a long time here. This year is not an anomaly. The goal going into the season was to take home trophies. The largest is the Champions League. It would be an incredible season if we could somehow obtain that one.
“These are the major contests. Today’s atmosphere was amazing. This is the reason I want to participate in these significant events and games.”
Next Matches
On Wednesday, May 8, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich will play the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu. Start at 8:00 p.m.
Before then, on Saturday, Bayern will play Stuttgart in the Bundesliga; kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. On the same day, Real Madrid hosts Cadiz at home in La Liga; kickoff is at 3:15 p.m.