Bayern Munich has itself to blame for not advancing to the Champions League final.
Real Madrid cruised to the Champions League Final last Tuesday night by defeating Bayern Munich with an aggregate score of 4-3.
Benzema scored twice against Bayern (photo, Indian Express)
But Bayern made it too easy for Real to advance. With a 2-1 lead going into the second leg, Bayern conceded the first goal of the night when it was caught off-possession. Karim Benzema capitalized on the mistake and equalized the aggregate 2-2. Benzema also scored Madrid’s second goal of the night, which once again came courtesy of mistake–this time by Svec Ulreich.
The irony of this game is that Madrid was outclassed overall. Bayern had numerous ball possessions and chances to score. ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop put it well: “Despite being outplayed in terms of ball possession, Madrid is one team that knows how to get the job done.”
He’s right, too. If there is one thing Madrid managed to do correctly, it was converting its chances.
Even though the loss to Real will go down as a painful memory, let it be noted that Bayern was playing shorthanded. The team lost several veteran players to injury in the first leg, including Robben, Ribery, and Boateng. And with senior players doubtful to play in the second leg, there were doubts about Bayern being able to stop Madrid on offense.
In the end, though, the contest came down to which team capitalized on its chances. Real did and Bayern did not. That imbalance, coupled with Bayern’s silly mistakes, had Munich thinking it had “stabbed itself in the back.”
Madrid, on the other hand, can bask in its ability to take on and beat tough competition. Real survived the group that consisted of Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund. It beat PSG in the last Sixteen, Juventus in the quarterfinals, and Bayern in the semi-final. The result is Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League Final.
For Bayern, it’s the end of the road for coach Josef Heyneckes, who was coaxed out of retirement to take over from Carlo Ancelotti. Now the search begins for the right man for the job.
