MUNICH, Germany, May 1 – Vinicius Junior scored twice as Real Madrid came away with a draw in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie with Bayern Munich.
The Brazilian took advantage of two errors from Bayern defender Kim Min-jae – beating him for pace and slotting a shot past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for the opener, before the South Korean fouled Rodrygo in the box and Vinicius put away the resulting penalty.
England captain Harry Kane had netted a penalty of his own, beating goalkeeper Andriy Lunin early in the second half after Jamal Musiala was tripped by Lucas Vazquez in the box.
Minutes before, team-mate Leroy Sane had struck a thunderous effort inside the near post, cancelling out Vinicius’ opener.
Control of the game switched hands as Bayern had failed to take advantage of their early dominance before Vinicius was played in behind by a clever Toni Kroos through ball.
Having had six shots and over 60% possession in the first 20 minutes – the best of the chances falling to Sane and Kane – Bayern were behind against the run of play.
But a ruthless four-minute period in the second half turned the game around and the German giants regained their momentum.
They put Real under pressure and were perhaps unfortunate not to have extended their lead.
Kim’s mistake – a needless tug on Rodrygo’s shirt in the 83rd minute – allowed Real back into the game and they return to the Bernabeu Stadium with home advantage in next Wednesday’s second leg.
With defending champions Manchester City knocked out by Real in the quarter-finals, both of these teams will feel they can win the competition.
Pressure has built for Bayern after Bayer Leverkusen halted their run of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles and it has already been announced that manager Tuchel will be leaving this summer.
Amid fresh reports of his potential successor, Tuchel’s side started on top, controlling possession at the Allianz Arena and creating plenty of chances.
Sane was denied by goalkeeper Lunin, while Kane’s lob from the halfway line landed dangerously on the roof of the net.
However, Real showed their quality in one quick and devastating move for the opener – the pass from Kroos weighted to perfection and Vinicius’ composure did not waver as he scored in his third successive Champions League semi-final tie.
Tuchel’s side bounced back in the second half and again it was Kane and Sane who threatened, while Musiala tormented Vazquez with tricks and speed down the left-hand side.
Chances came and went for both teams – Kroos and Vinicius forced strong saves out of Manuel Neuer and England defender Eric Dier missed headed opportunities from set-pieces.
Kane now holds the record of most goal involvements by an English player in a single Champions League season (eight goals, three assists) and had a shot deflected just wide in the second half.
Bayern created enough to add to their tally but it was Vinicius who had the final say from the penalty spot, ensuring this tie remains in the balance.
