Champions League review: a brilliant Georgian, Bayern’s regret and Arsenal refind their faith
This week’s quarter-finals provided some classic action as this season’s competition hurtles towards its conclusion
Kai Havertz, Manuel Neuer and Julián Alvarez all played their parts in this week’s drama. Composite: AP, Shutterstock The big winners Bayern Munich had not won at the Santiago Bernabéu since May 2001, when they beat Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final on their way to becoming European champions. .
Tuesday night’s match changed all that . The 29th Champions League meeting between the teams lived up to its heavyweight billing, though Bayern, superior on the night, may rue their failure to add to their 2-1 lead. Real Madrid meanwhile could point to Manuel Neuer making nine saves – not bad for a 40-year-old.
“We won’t win the competition without more of these kinds of performances,” said Bayern manager Vincent Kompany of his keeper. Big trophies are rarely won without great goalkeepers and Neuer continues to play like an all-time great. Bayern’s second goal was a trademark finish from Harry Kane, who made the difficult look easy.
The goal will also have calmed England fans’ fears that their captain will arrive at the World Cup suffering from his usual summer malaise. A word too for Luis Díaz and Michael Olise, Bayern’s brilliant wingers whose performances brought back memories of the club’s modern greats Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben. Kompany’s team were commanding in Madrid, but may fear the backlash from the 15-times champions, the kings of comebacks.
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