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Real Madrid logo
Champions League | Semi-Finals | 2nd Leg
May 8, 2024 at 8pm UK
Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Bayern logo

Real Madrid
2 - 1
Bayern

Joselu (88', 90+1')
Camavinga (90+11')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Davies (68')
Tuchel (90+7')

Joselu brace sends Real Madrid to Champions League final

Joselu brace sends Real Madrid to Champions League final
© Reuters
Joselu scores an astonishing late brace as Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final to reach the showpiece match.

Joselu scored an astonishing late brace as Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final to reach the showpiece match via a 4-3 aggregate triumph.

One week on from a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena, Thomas Tuchel's men weathered a Real storm in the first half and stunned the Bernabeu by striking first through Alphonso Davies.

However, Manuel Neuer - who was the visitors' saviour for the most part - quickly went from hero to zero as he spilled a Vinicius Junior strike into Joselu's path for the Spaniard to score the leveller, before the ex-Newcastle United and Stoke City man just about kept himself onside to complete a barnstorming Blancos turnaround.

Borussia Dortmund are now lying in wait for Carlo Ancelotti's men in their 18th Champions League final, as the 14-time winners continue to find new ways to win in Europe's premier tournament.

Meanwhile, Bayern will end the season without a trophy to their name, and departing boss Tuchel had some questions to answer, having withdrawn both Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala before Real's astounding fightback.

While Dani Carvajal for Lucas Vazquez was the only change made by Real boss Ancelotti from the first leg, Thomas Tuchel threw up a surprise by introducing 20-year-old midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic into the visitors' XI, demoting Leon Goretzka to the bench in the process.

Neuer excels in goalless first half

Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer saves from Real Madrid's Rodrygo on May 8, 2024© Reuters

However, it was a man at the other end of the age scale who excelled for the visitors in the opening 45 minutes, where Real had their heads in their hands three times thanks to the efforts of Manuel Neuer.

With 13 minutes on the board, Vinicius Junior attempted to pick out the far corner, but Neuer brilliantly tipped his effort onto the post before also gathering Rodrygo's rather tame rebound.

The hosts were unsurprisingly threatening the most, and their cause was helped when Serge Gnabry had to be withdrawn through injury in the 28th minute, although the equally Davies took his place.

Just one moment after Davies was introduced, Harry Kane had his first sighter of goal from the edge of the box, connecting brilliantly with a swerving volley, but Andriy Lunin covered his angles well and tipped the ball behind.

The goalkeepers were certainly stealing the limelight in the first half, and five minutes before the break, Neuer outdid himself once more; Vinicius's cross missed everyone and would have nestled into the bottom corner had it not been for the German's exceptional reactions.

The Real Madrid tactic at the start of the second half was a simple one - pass to Vinicius and witness the Brazilian leave Joshua Kimmich in his wake, and the South American superstar made the German look a fool on several occasions.

Joselu heroics send Real to Wembley

Real Madrid's Joselu celebrates scoring their second goal on May 8, 2024© Reuters

Kimmich's blushes continued to be spared by Neuer, though, and it took just one foray forward from the visitors to silence the Bernabeu in the 68th minute, where Kane sprayed a fantastic long ball out to Davies.

The Canadian - who is being tipped to join Real Madrid next year - cut inside onto his right foot and found the far corner with an exquisite strike, his first Champions League goal on one of the biggest occasions of them all.

Ancelotti's men thought that they had levelled the tie just four minutes later, but Nacho Fernandez had put his hands in Kimmich's face before seeing his deflected strike trickle in off of Matthijs de Ligt, and Los Blancos' leveller was chalked off.

Five minutes from the end, Tuchel saw reason - whatever one it was - to take off Kane, a move that backfired horribly on the former Chelsea boss, who to be fair could have done nothing about a fatal Neuer clanger in the 88th minute.

The Bayern goalkeeper would ostensibly catch a Vinicius shot going straight down his throat, but he instead spilled the ball into the path of Joselu, who reacted quickly to prod home the hosts' equaliser.

The first of nine added minutes then saw Real celebrations cut short as Joselu converted an Antonio Rudiger cross, but upon a VAR review, the Spaniard was seen to have kept himself behind the ball as the cross came in, and his second of the night stood to the hosts' elation.

Blancos substitutes spilled out onto the field as the crowd erupted into raptures, and even though the clock eventually ticked over to 104 minutes and De Ligt saw a strike of his own cancelled out for offside, Joselu's incredible brace proved telling.

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