Bayern Munich snatched a dramatic 4-3 victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday to secure a 6-4 aggregate win and book a Champions League semi-final clash with holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The tie was level at the interval after a breathless first half in which Real took the lead three times on the night. Arda Güler capitalised on a loose pass from Manuel Neuer to put the visitors ahead after just 34 seconds, and later doubled his tally from a free-kick after Aleksandar Pavlović had equalised.
Harry Kane then put Bayern ahead in the tie, only for Kylian Mbappé to restore Real’s aggregate parity, making it 3-2 on the night before half-time.
The turning point arrived four minutes from time when Eduardo Camavinga received a second yellow card, reducing Real to ten men. Bayern pushed forward immediately, and Luis Díaz blasted into the corner from outside the box via a crucial deflection.
As Real pressed for an equaliser, Bayern broke and Michael Olise curled in a magnificent finish to seal their place in the last four, where Luis Enrique’s reigning European champions await.
Tempers flared after the final whistle, with Güler shown a straight red card for confronting the referee.
In a historic first for Real Madrid, their starting XI contained no Spanish players. Jude Bellingham, impressive off the bench in the first leg, was among four changes made by manager Álvaro Arbeloa.
Neuer, lauded for a vintage display in the first leg, gifted Real the opener. The Bayern goalkeeper miscued a pass directly to Güler, who floated a first‑touch shot into the unguarded net inside the opening minute.
Bayern responded almost instantly when Pavlović headed in from Joshua Kimmich’s corner after Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin misjudged the flight of the ball. The game barely had time to settle before Güler struck again, whipping a free‑kick into the top corner that Neuer could only palm in.
The seesaw continued before half‑time. Kane slotted clinically into the bottom corner in the 38th minute to level the night and edge Bayern ahead on aggregate, only for Mbappé to run onto Vinícius Júnior’s pass and slot home just before the break, making it 4-4 on aggregate.
With Real repeatedly exploiting Bayern’s high line, manager Vincent Kompany introduced the pace of Alphonso Davies at the interval. Both sides traded chances in the second half, with Olise particularly dangerous, forcing a fingertip save from Lunin with 20 minutes remaining.
Camavinga, introduced midway through the second half, picked up two yellow cards in quick succession to leave Real a man down in the closing stages. That proved decisive: three minutes later, Díaz’s effort from distance took a touch off Éder Militão and flashed beyond Lunin. Olise then made certain of Bayern’s progress deep into stoppage time, as the German giants knocked out Real in a knockout tie for the first time since 2012.
