Tuchel urges Bayern Munich to be 'brave' in second leg after draw with Real Madrid

Vinicuis Jr scores a double at the Allianz Arena as Champions League semi-final first leg ends 2-2

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Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has urged his players to be brave in the "winner takes all" Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid next Wednesday.

Tuesday's first leg at Bayern's Allianz Arena ended in a 2-2 draw, with Real forward Vinicius Junior scoring a double, including an 83rd-minute equalising penalty, to put the 14-time European champions in the driving seat for the return leg at the Bernabeu.

Vinicius gave Real the lead after 24 minutes but Bayern scored twice in four second-half minutes to wrestle back control, Leroy Sane with a stunning equaliser and Harry Kane converting a penalty.

Kim Min-jae fouled Rodrygo in the box with eight minutes remaining and Vinicius stepped up, drowning out a chorus of boos and whistles to blast home.

The draw makes Madrid favourites to progress in next week's return leg at the Bernabeu but Bayern, who dominated large parts of the match, will still have hope of making it to the final at Wembley in June.

"It feels a bit strange," said Bayern manager Tuchel. "But the situation is very clear: Win in Madrid, then off to Wembley. The winner takes it all.

"We will be ready and we accept the fight. We will go to Madrid with self-confidence. We have to be brave."

Before the match, Bayern fans unveiled a giant banner depicting Franz Beckenbauer, the legendary Bayern and Germany defender and coach who died in January age 78, which spanned from the grass to the rafters. It was a fitting tribute on a night featuring the most-played fixture in European Cup history.

Famed for their composure on the biggest of stages in this competition, Real struggled early on as Bayern dominated possession while spurred on by a ferocious home crowd.

Sane had a chance after just 40 seconds and another minutes later, while Kane chipped a shot from halfway just over the bar as the visitors struggled to cope.

Madrid's success in this competition this season, including in their quarter-final win over Manchester City, has been built on absorbing pressure before striking.

The visitors repeated the trick for the opener, breaking Bayern's dominance in ruthlessly simple fashion while showing the hosts how easy scoring goals can be.

Toni Kroos collected the ball from a corner and drilled a defence-splitting pass along the ground which found Vinicius sprinting in acres of space on the edge of the area.

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Without a Bayern player in range, Vinicius calmly slotted the opener past Manuel Neuer, changing the complexion of the match completely.

Bayern, who have six European Cups of their own, continued to push but could not break through; their best chance of the remainder of the half came from a free kick, with Kane finding a huge gap in the wall but blasting wide.

With Real seemingly in control, Bayern grabbed hold of the match after the break, scoring twice in four minutes.

Eric Dier found Sane down the right flank. The Germany winger dribbled into the box before unleashing an unstoppable shot. It was his first goal for Bayern in any competition since October.

The hosts' next attack came down the left, with the ever-dangerous Jamal Musiala felled by Lucas Vazquez in the box. Referee Clement Turpin pointed straight to the spot and Kane duly sent Andriy Lunin the wrong way to take the lead.

It was Kane's 11th Champions League goal involvement (eight goals, three assists) of the season - more than any English player in a single campaign. The England captain now has 43 goals and 11 assists in his debut Bayern season.

With Bayern in control, Real went on the counter-attack and it was Kim's turn to give away a clumsy penalty, with Vinicius confidently slotting in the equaliser.

"In this competition, it's important not to lose, and we're here because we haven't lost yet," said Vinicius. "I'm very happy that I was able score two goals, and now we need to have a magical night at home.

"We have to continue with cool heads, rest until next week, and we will give everything to leave the Bernabeu qualified for London."

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti agreed with the Brazilian forward, saying: "It's a good result for the second leg. But nothing has been decided yet. Bayern have high quality. They have players like Musiala or Sane who can hurt us."

Updated: May 01, 2024, 4:37 AM