Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti (65) thanked fans around the world for their support.
Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League 2023-2024 semifinal second leg at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain, at 4:00 a.m. ET on Monday.
Real Madrid advanced to the final with a 4-3 aggregate score after the first leg. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, finished the season without a win.
Real Madrid lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Vinicius Junior-Hodriga was up front, with Jude Bellingham-Tony Cross-Aurelien Chouameni-Federico Valverde in the middle. Per Mendy-Nacho Fernandez-Antonio Rüdiger-Dani Carvajal formed the back four, with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin in goal.
Bayern Munich lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Harry Kane lined up alone up front, with Serge Gnabry-Jamal Musalla-Leroy Sane in the attacking second line. Aleksandar Pavlovic-Konrad Reimer protected the back four, while Nacer Mazrouei, Eric Dier, Matthijs de Ligt and Jozua Kimmich formed a back four. 안전놀이터 Manuel Neuer wore the goalkeeping gloves. Kim Min-Jae waited on the bench.
The first half was dominated by Real Madrid.
They had eight shots on goal in the first half alone. Munich only had two shots on goal. Despite dominating the game with 58% of possession, the first half ended 0-0 (2-2 on aggregate).
At the start of the second half, Real created a chance. Vinicius made a perfect run down the left side of the box before cutting back, but Dyer made the save. Ten minutes into the second half, Vinicius again sent a threatening pass past Kimmich. Hodriguez’s follow-up shot slipped between Dyer’s legs but narrowly missed the side netting.
Neuer kept Munich in the game in the second half. In the 14th minute, Hodriguez had a direct shot on goal with a sharp free kick, but Neuer got his fingertips to it. In the 15th minute, Vinicius’ shot from inside the box was also saved by Neuer.
Bayern Munich would take the lead. In the 23rd minute, Davies made a quick change of direction on the left side of the box, beat Rudiger and fired a mid-range shot with his right foot. The ball found its way into the corner of the net.
With the lead in hand, Bayern Munich made a defensive change in the 31st minute of the second half, bringing on Kim Min-Jae for Zane. Real made a change in the 36th minute, bringing on Joselu and Brahim Dias for Valverde and Hodriguez.
Real Madrid equalized the game.
Munich’s ‘keeper Manuel Neuer made a mistake. In the 43rd minute of the second half, Neuer tried to catch a shot from Vinicius and failed. The ball bounced loose and Joselu pounced on it to score.
Real Madrid turned the game on its head. In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Rudiger sent in a quick cross from the left side of the box after a corner kick. Joselu rushed in, put his foot to it, and once again found the back of the net. The initial offside was called. Shortly afterward, the goal was recognized as a goal after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
The game ended with a 2-1 victory for Real.
The Champions League final of the 2023-2024 season will be between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
After the match,
UEFA Champions League published an interview with Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “It happened again,” Ancelotti said. It happens too often. The fans who support us, the fantastic stadium, the players who always believe in us, it’s all magical,” he said, overcome with emotion.
Ancelotti added: “We had the strength to never lose the lead. “We had the strength not to lose the lead, we kept going when we were behind in difficult games, and the fans helped us, they were always fantastic, they gave us results that no one expected, not even me,” he said, thanking the fans.
Ancelotti also spoke about Joselu: “He is a fantastic representative of what this team is and what we are playing with. He hasn’t been given a lot of playing time this season, but he’s done a lot. He never lost confidence and always thought about the team,” he praised.
“We had a lot of problems, we had a big injury problem.
“We had a lot of problems, we had a big injury problem, not only players who were out for a long time, but also Vinicius and Bellingham, who were out for quite a long time. But nobody talks about that. There is fantastic ability, character in this team,” he emphasized.
He added: “I want to thank all the fans around the world who couldn’t be here, their support helped us win. We love playing in this atmosphere. Madrid is a family. It’s a football team with history and tradition.”
He added: “We struggled after conceding against Munich. After the substitutions, we felt energized. It was less complicated than when we needed two goals, like against Manchester City. Once one goal went in, we thought we could win.”
Ancelotti added: “It’s difficult, maybe impossible, to explain this phenomenon, 온라인카지노사이트 but if you try to explain it, it’s magic. This competition makes every player who wears a Real shirt special. Only a few players can show the kind of performance that Vinicius showed in this game. He’s been fantastic away from home and at home,” he added.