The Champions League’s reply to el clásico resumes in Madrid on Tuesday. Real Madrid v Bayern Munich is probably the most performed fixture in European competitors: 28 matches and counting, together with 13 knockout ties. Here are six of one of the best.
1975-76
Semi-final Bayern received 3-1 on combination
Bayern and Real have by no means met in a European closing – however that’s provided that you’re taking these items actually. In eight of their 13 knockout clashes the successful workforce turned champions of Europe that season. A precedent was set of their first assembly 50 years in the past, when Bayern beat Real en path to their third consecutive European Cup.
Bayern did the heavy lifting with a superb 1-1 draw on the Bernabéu. Some laissez-faire defending from Franz Beckenbauer and Udo Horsmann was punished expertly by Roberto Martínez, however Bayern’s prolific purpose machine Gerd Müller equalised earlier than half-time. There was a lot pleasure that the sport can be watched by “200 million televiewers in 15 countries”. However, a manufacturing error meant none of them noticed Müller’s purpose, solely his trademark leaping celebration.
There is footage of a notorious incident at the final whistle, when an affronted Madrid fan hared on to the pitch, chinned Müller as he ran previous and then floored the referee, Erich Linemayr, with one punch. A dazed Müller was carried from the sector. Real had been banned from European competitors for a 12 months; the newspaper Marca stated: “Uefa has assassinated its own father.” Uefa introduced him again to life once they lifted the ban a couple of weeks later. But Madrid had been so irked that they employed a workforce of personal detectives to trace down the assailant. A 26-year-old waiter from Madrid was ultimately recognized.
By then, Bayern had been European champions once more. Before the second leg of the semi-final, Müller had introduced: “We will win 2-0 and I will score my 50th European Cup goal.” His predictions, like his ending, had an eerie precision. Müller scored his 50th and 51st European Cup goals to settle the tie within the first half. Both objectives, one with every foot, had been typical Müller: inelegant, majestic, emphatic. The soccer world concurred that he was value each penny of his £1,400-a-week wages.
1987-88
Quarter-final Real received 4-3 on combination
We ought to in all probability point out the notorious semi-final of 1987, when Juanito plunged his studs into Lothar Matthäus’s face. But Scott Murray lined that in a typically brilliant piece in 2014, and we should always function at the very least one quarter-final, provided that’s the place the groups are assembly this 12 months. So let’s transfer ahead 12 months to 1988, and a dramatic twist in the Munich snow.
Yep, snow in March. Bayern set about Real from the off – Roland Wohlfarth hit the bar after 35 seconds – and scored three objectives in 9 minutes both aspect of half-time. It was nonetheless 3-0 after 84 minutes when Norbert Eder, who scored the second from a superb Mark Hughes go, got here head to head with Kipling’s different impostor. His blind back-pass was learn and punished by the predatory Emilio Butragueño.
Real celebrated their away purpose wildly and might barely consider their luck when a wildly optimistic and ostensibly innocent free-kick from Hugo Sánchez slithered underneath the Bayern keeper, Jean-Marie Pfaff.
“We’ll win the second leg 8-0,” introduced Madrid’s left-winger Rafael Gordillo. He was 25% right, however a 2-0 win was sufficient. Milan Jankovic’s deflected shot and an aesthetic volley from Míchel – made beautifully by Gordillo – completed off Bayern earlier than half-time.
1999-2000
Semi-final Real received 3-2 on combination
At the 1954 World Cup, West Germany misplaced 8-3 to Hungary within the group stage earlier than turning the tables with a shocking 3-2 victory within the closing. The twist went the opposite manner in 1999-2000. Bayern hammered a woebegone Real Madrid twice within the second group stage, 4-2 and 4-1, solely to lose 3-2 on combination to rejuvenated opponents two months later.
Real’s hero was their drawback youngster, Nicolas Anelka. In his first season at Real, he scored solely two objectives in La Liga and was suspended by the membership president after refusing to coach. But he returned in time to attain a purpose in every leg of a heavyweight semi-final. Anelka gave Madrid an early lead within the first leg on the Bernabéu, which was doubled when Jens Jeremies by accident ran the ball into his personal web.
Bayern began ferociously in Munich, bombarding Real’s teenage keeper, Iker Casillas, and took an early lead by a spectacular volley from Carsten Jancker. But the groups knew an away purpose would kill the tie at a stroke, and Anelka scored it with a shocking Thirty first-minute header. He was 10 yards out, transferring away from purpose to fulfill a flat, paceless cross from Sávio, whereas getting used as an arm-rest by Samuel Kuffour. Yet someway Anelka managed to twist his neck and slam a back-header into the far corner.
Giovane Élber gave Bayern hope early within the second half, however they wanted two extra objectives and Real, for whom Fernando Redondo was once more excellent in midfield, noticed the job by. It was the primary of three successive seasons through which the winner of Bayern v Real went on to win the Champions League.
2011-12
Semi-final Bayern received 3-1 on penalties (combination rating: 3-3)
With a weakened Chelsea ready for the winners, the second leg of this tie felt, wrongly because it turned out, like a de facto closing. It was soccer for grownups between two star-studded sides. Mario Gómez’s last-minute purpose had given Bayern a 2-1 win within the first leg in Munich. The second leg escalated shortly; the tie was degree at 3-3 after half an hour. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice within the first 14 minutes, a penalty and a nonchalant one-on-one end, earlier than Real reject Arjen Robben introduced Bayern degree due to a softish penalty.
A high-class, impossibly tense contest was settled by a barely shambolic penalty shootout. Manuel Neuer made two good saves from Ronaldo, who had scored his earlier 25 penalties for Real, and Kaká. Bayern additionally missed twice however then Sergio Ramos launched his penalty into orbit and Bastian Schweinsteiger pinged the successful kick.
Nobody knew it on the time, however this was a fork within the highway of José Mourinho’s profession. His Madrid aspect had been about to dethrone presumably the best membership aspect of all and would end a triumphant La Liga marketing campaign with a report 121 objectives in 38 games. At the age of 49, Mourinho was tantalisingly near successful the Champions League with three golf equipment from three international locations. The actuality – that he had reached (certainly) his last Champions League final two years earlier – was unthinkable.
2013-14
Semi-final Real received 5-0 on combination
The symbolic begin of Real’s second golden age of their favorite competitors. They humiliated the reigning champions, a victory made even sweeter as a result of Pep Guardiola was Bayern’s head coach, and would quickly finish their 12-year quest for La Décima. It was the primary of 4 Champions League trophies in 5 years.
Karim Benzema was the face of a beautiful workforce purpose within the first leg in Madrid, after which no one might resolve who had been favourites. That quickly modified when Ramos, who missed a vital penalty two years earlier, scored two cathartic headers within the area of 4 minutes.
The tie was realistically over at that time, with Bayern needing 4, however Real added probably the most emphatic full cease courtesy of a devastating counterattack: Ángel Di María, Benzema, Gareth Bale and lastly, inevitably, Ronaldo. He scored once more on the loss of life, intentionally driving a free-kick underneath the wall, and Real noticed off Atlético Madrid within the closing. The semi-final was a landmark sport for them – and for Guardiola, who received the Champions League twice in his first three seasons as a supervisor with Barcelona however was coming into the wilderness years.
2023-24
Semi-final Real received 4-3 on combination
Real have lengthy celebrated the remontada: the second-leg comeback on the Bernabéu. In latest years they’ve launched the micro-remontada. Never thoughts 90 minutes; in opposition to Manchester City in 2022, it took Rodrygo precisely 90 seconds to attain twice in damage time to take an apparently lifeless tie into additional time. Two years later, Joselu, who we’re contractually obliged to consult with as a Stoke and Newcastle reject, made an much more dramatic intervention.
It took a bit longer – 144 seconds between the 2 finishes – however Joselu’s objectives took Real to the ultimate with out recourse to additional time. After a 2-2 attract Munich, Alphonso Davies’s thrilling purpose in Madrid appeared to have put Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern within the closing. Then, within the 88th minute, Joselu punished a mistake from Neuer to equalise.
Real smelled blood and their predatory instincts had been glad within the second second of damage time when Joselu volleyed in Antonio Rüdiger’s cross. The purpose was made much more dramatic as a result of of the primary main video assistant intervention within the Bayern-Real wars. It was flagged offside however every replay appeared extra ominous for Bayern. After an interminable 80 seconds, the purpose was given and Real had been by to play Borussia Dortmund within the closing. And for the eighth time, the winner of Bayern v Real turned champions of Europe.
