Dominant, Bayern Munich brought home a precious victory from Santiago Bernabeau (2-1) on Tuesday. The advantage could have been total ahead of the quarter-final return against Real Madrid without a late goal from Kylian Mbappé.
Published on: 04/07/2026 - 10:53 p.m. Modified on: 04/07/2026 - 11:45 p.m.
Bayern Munich made a strong impression. The Bavarian club took a step towards the semi-finals of the Champions League by winning on Real Madrid (2-1) on Tuesday April 7.
Luis Diaz, at the end of the first half (41st), and the essential Harry Kane, at the very start of the second (46th) placed the Bavarians on the royal road. By reducing the score in the 74th minute, Kylian Mbappé scored his 14th goal in the competition.
Bayern Munich conquering, Olise dazzling
Great players are made for big matches, and Tuesday evening's had enough for the night to turn into the irrational, like in the previous round against Manchester City (3-0). As often, in fact, in Madrid.
Football this time respected a certain logic, giving a certain advantage to Bayern, who came to definitively - and forcefully - submit their candidacy to win a seventh crown, but not enough to condemn Real, and their 15 trophies, to a second season without a major title.
There will be a return leg next Wednesday in Munich, and Real owes it largely to its French superstar, scorer of his 39th goal of the season. Perhaps the most important yet.
On their lawn, Alvaro Arbeloa's men suffered from the start against the conquering Bavarians, who could have opened the scoring very early, on a free kick from French winger Michael Olise deflected by young Dean Huijsen (6th) then on three successive corners cleared with difficulty (7th, 8th).
French defender Dayot Upamecano, well into his match, then missed the kind of opportunities not to be missed at the Bernabéu, in front of goal, after a perfect delivery from the Englishman Harry Kane (9th), back as starter.
His team, fortunately, did not directly pay the price, thanks to the decisive interventions of the eternal Manuel Neuer, 40 years old and 136 C1 matches on the clock, imperial in front of Mbappé (17th, 29th) and Vinicius Jr (18th) and on a cross deflected by Upamecano (25th).
New proof that this Real maintains a unique striking power in Europe, capable of punishing the slightest error or loss of the ball even when it is inferior in the game.
German international Serge Gnabry failed to take advantage of a gift from young Thiago Pitarch, 18 years old (28th) and left the Spanish giant alive. However, he made up for it remarkably by launching Luis Diaz, with a perfect flat foot at the end of the first half (41st, 1-0, to ice the Bernabéu after a high recovery from Joshua Kimmich and a superb movement with Kane.
More than this one-goal deficit, the worst news on the Spanish side was the logical warning from Aurélien Tchouaméni (37th), suspended from the return match.
Only Mbappé made Neuer bend
Especially since Madrid's mission seemed to get seriously complicated upon returning from the locker room, when Kane, left alone twenty meters away by Pitarch, doubled the lead with a low shot (46th, 2-0), and Lunin had to prevent Olise from widening the gap (47th, 56th).
It will remain possible, thanks to a Madrid reaction equal to the challenge, but what can we say about Manuel Neuer, who pushed Vinicius to stray too far and miss his face to face (61st), then defeated Mbappé again (66th, 83rd)?
The captain of the Blues, eagerly awaited for this shock, had to escape behind the back of his teammate Dayot Upamecano for the German goalkeeper to finally fold (74th, 2-1).
Until the end, the Merengue striker tried to steal the man of the match trophy from Neuer, but his shot flew off target (89th), and he will therefore have to be content, for the moment, with this hopeful goal.
With AFP
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