Sports
German giants run riot as Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski grab doubles
Bayern Munich look assured of a Champions League quarter-final spot for a seventh straight season after thrashing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 in Germany.
The Turkish club had a one-man disadvantage from the 16th minute when last man Domagoj Vida brought down Robert Lewandowski and Bayern made their visitors pay with an emphatic round of 16 first-leg victory.
Thomas Muller and Lewandowski both netted braces while Kingsley Coman also scored for the five-time European Cup winners.
Besiktas’ team was packed full of experience but it was 35-year-old Atiba Hutchinson who played the loose pass that got Vida into trouble early on.
Lewandowski latched onto it and headed towards goal only for Vida to slide in before the Pole reached the box with a challenge that got nowhere near the ball and upended the striker.
Referee Ovidiu Hategan dismissed Vida for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and Besiktas were fortunate their misery was not compounded by James Rodriguez’s subsequent free-kick, which was curled just wide.
And the visitors had a great chance to go ahead through Vagner Love, who beat Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng only to poke harmlessly over when through.
It looked like it might not be Muller’s night when he miscued an attempt into the side of Rodriguez’s face, while Hummels’ header was brilliantly saved by Fabri at close range.
Lewandowski teed himself up for an overhead kick that he fired over and in catching midfielder Gary Medel, the Bayern forward also earned himself a caution.
Besiktas had deployed an attacking line-up and were threatening as Ricardo Quaresma left Hummels for dead before firing at Sven Ulreich and Pepe blasted over.
Yet two minutes before the interval the hosts struck through Muller.
Coman fashioned space down the left by turning Adriano inside-out and though intended target David Alaba was unable to bring the ball under his spell, an onside Muller was typically in the right place to swivel and finish.
Rodriguez came off for Arjen Robben shortly afterwards, possibly due to the blow he received from Muller’s earlier shot, but Bayern turned the screw at the start of the second half.
A free-kick Lewandowski appeared fortunate to win off Adriano was fired onto the post by Bayern’s number nine, who nevertheless provided his team’s second in the 52nd minute.
It was an unmarked Coman who stepped onto Lewandowski’s pull back and swept past Fabri to make it 2-0.
That was the cue for Besiktas to take off striker Love and replace him with defender Dusko Tosic, though the Germans did not ease off.
Coman and Joshua Kimmich were regularly threatening down either flank and the latter’s 66th-minute near-post delivery was turned home via a Muller volley.
Besiktas looked increasingly tired and when Hummels fired in an attempt that Fabri pushed out 11 minutes from time, it was Lewandowski who reacted quickest to add a fourth.
Bayern showed no mercy as Hummels and Javi Martinez both came close and they would add their fifth in the 88th minute when Muller unselfishly squared for Lewandowski to apply the finish.
Real Madrid produced a spectacular comeback against Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League final with Joselu striking twice late on, earning them a 2-1 win on Wednesday to progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Alphonso Davies smashed the visiting German giants ahead in the second half but record 14-time winners Madrid produced a sensational comeback with Joselu netting in the 88th and 91st minutes.
Bayern Munich’s Canadian midfielder #19 Alphonso Davies scores his team’s first goal in spite of Real Madrid’s Ukrainian goalkeeper #13 Andriy Lunin during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 8, 2024. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)
Spanish champions Real Madrid face another German side, Borussia Dortmund, in the Wembley final on June 1, after they stunned the team they call their “black beast”.
Squad player Joselu, on as a late substitute, wrote his name in Madrid’s history books with his last-gasp brace.
Bayern Munich’s English forward #09 Harry Kane reacts to their defeat after the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 8, 2024. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)
“There have been a lot of times we have looked dead and buried, but we have that mentality of never say die,” said Real midfielder Jude Bellingham.
“Joselu deserves it all, he has been an amazing squad member this season.”
Madrid had enjoyed the better of the match but it seemed Davies’ superb strike had set up a repeat of the 2013 all-German final in London.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel made three changes from the first leg, benching veteran Thomas Mueller and Leon Goretzka.
Dani Carvajal started for Madrid after missing the first leg suspended and was heavily involved as the hosts dominated the opening stages.
Real Madrid players celebrate their second goal scored by Real Madrid’s Spanish forward #14 Joselu during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 8, 2024. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)
Rodrygo Goes was inches away from converting Carvajal’s low cross and the Spain defender then cleverly set up Vinicius Junior with a pass nutmegging a defender, and Manuel Neuer tipped the Brazilian’s shot against the post.
The rebound fell to Rodrygo but his effort was weak and with a desperate arm Neuer was able to claw it out to complete a fine double save.
Bayern’s Serge Gnabry limped off injured with Davies replacing him before Harry Kane’s first flash of danger.
Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was alert to push the England captain’s vicious long-range volley around the post.
Neuer palmed away a Vinicius free-kick as the teams ended a high-intensity, relentlessly frantic first half level.
The second period was just as fraught, with Davies’ cross deflecting onto the roof of Lunin’s goal.
Vinicius was unplayable down Madrid’s left and Rodrygo prodded his low cross agonisingly wide of the far post.
The 38-year-old Neuer made superb saves to deny both Brazilian forwards again before the hour mark as Madrid controlled the game and ratcheted up the pressure.
However just as in Munich, when Los Blancos were at their strongest, Bayern pounced.
Kane fed Davies and the Canada international cut inside from the left and smashed a shot beyond Lunin into the far top corner after 68 minutes.
Madrid thought they had levelled moments later through Nacho but after a VAR review the strike was ruled out as the defender had grabbed Joshua Kimmich’s face before shooting.
Tuchel took off Kane in the final stages to try and hold on to victory but it slipped through his fingers as Madrid produced more indelible European memories.
Neuer, who had been sublime to this point, fumbled what appeared a simple Vinicius strike and Joselu gratefully bundled home from close range.
With Bayern reeling Madrid struck again, decisively. It was Joselu once more, the striker on loan from second division side Espanyol, turning home after Antonio Rudiger cut the ball back to him.
The goal was ruled offside but officials overturned the decision after review, and after nearly 15 minutes of stoppage time, Madrid earned the chance to go for their 15th Champions League trophy.
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