Five Observations from Bayern Munich’s 4-3 win against Real Madrid

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 07: Harry Kane of FC Bayern Munich celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern München at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 07, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) | Getty Images BAYERN MUNICH ARE IN THE SEMIFINALS. Before we get into the game proper, I just want to remind all that we just watched Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid fair and square after a decade of heartbreak.

And that is something to celebrate. While the high from the win looms, let’s look back at the game and see what exactly Vincent Kompany and co. did right (and wrong).

Chess and checkers Checkers While at Bayern we are used to sophistication and thought-out tactics, at Madrid, things are a lot simpler. Álvaro Arbeloa does not bother himself with playing chess just because Vincent Kompany does and opts to go down the checkers route. At no point in the game was the Madrid side trying to control the flow of the game, they simply decided to disrupt the flow of Bayern when they saw mistakes.

Notice how it was always a misplaced or an intercepted pass that led to what Madrid did. It never came from possession, buildup, overloads, none of that. These intercepted passes would be relayed as line-breaking long vertical passes that would find the Madrid attackers sat the halfway line.