The quickest strike in this season’s Champions League, seven goals, two red cards and the competition’s 15-time winners exiting in anger – once again, the knockout stages of European club football’s elite contest have delivered drama in spades.
“If the start of this game is anything to go by, then we are in for a hell of a night,” said former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on TNT Sports after Real Madrid struck 35 seconds into Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich to level the tie at 2-2.
The German champions held a 2-1 lead from the first leg in Madrid, but Arda Guler’s lightning-fast 25-yard strike following a mistake by home keeper Manuel Neuer set the tone for a breathless return at the Allianz Arena.
It was the fastest goal in this season’s competition and was followed by four more in a frenetic, fabulous first-half.
A chaotic finale settled the outcome in Bayern’s favour as Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for Real with four minutes left and Vincent Kompany’s men scored twice late to progress to the semi-finals with a 4-3 win on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.
Unsavoury events came after the final whistle too as Real vented their anger over Camavinga’s controversial dismissal – the second yellow card for time-wasting – as the substituted Guler was shown a straight red card on the sidelines for confronting referee Slavko Vincic.
“The story of the night is the last five minutes,” said former Real Madrid winger Steve McManaman. “What a game and what an evening.”
Neuer’s gift gives Real hope
Real went into the game facing a tough task against a Bayern side that had won 18 of their 20 games at home before Wednesday night’s encounter.
But with 15 titles and blessed with world-class talent, the Spanish giants are the competition’s most successful team and always retained a belief they could turn things around in Munich.
What they didn’t perhaps anticipate was a gift for the opening goal by Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer in the opening seconds.
Under no pressure, the 40-year-old hit a clearance straight to Guler and, instantly, the Turkey international brilliantly sent a curling left-footed finish into the empty net.
According to former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Neuer was “faultless” in the first leg, with his superb performance at the Bernabeu leading to a clamour in the German media for the veteran’s return to the national team.
“Even a 40-year-old Neuer is one of the best keepers in the world and certainly the best in Germany,” European football expert Raphael Honigstein told BBC Radio 5 Live. “How can it be that he will not go to the World Cup? There is a lot of talk in Germany at the moment.
“He is good, but he is not quite at his best anymore, which is natural.”
That was perhaps reflected in the return tie.
Since the 2003-04 season, Neuer has made 14 errors leading to a goal in the Champions League – at least four more than any other player in that period.
Big players step up in thrilling first half
But a mistake so early was never going to be decisive. Indeed, it may have contributed to what followed in an opening period to savour.
Real’s lead – which had levelled the tie on aggregate – lasted just five minutes as Aleksandar Pavlovic headed Joshua Kimmich’s corner in from practically on the goalline as visiting keeper Andriy Lunin was left stranded.
This was the earliest two teams had scored against each other in any Champions League knockout stage match.
A third goal came in the 29th minute as Guler and Neuer took centre stage once again – the former whipping in a sublime free-kick that the Bayern keeper could only push into his own net after getting there too late.
Then Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, arguably the world’s two best strikers, decided to get in on the act.
First, the England captain curled in a fine finish for his 50th goal in a stunning season to make it 2-2 on the night and 4-3 to Bayern on aggregate, before Mbappe slotted past Neuer just before half-time to level the tie once more.
When the whistle blew for the break, it was finally time to catch our breath.
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