At a glance
- Real Madrid lost to Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Bernabeu in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final tie.
- Goals on either side of half-time by Luis Diaz and Harry Kane put Bayern 2-0 up, before Kylian Mbappe pulled one back.
- Madrid travel to Munich next Wednesday for the second leg with a comeback required to advance.
Real Madrid lost the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern Munich 2-1.
Luis Diaz and Harry Kane found the back of the net for the Germans. Kylian Mbappe scored the solitary goal for the Whites, in a match that was end-to-end.
Bayern stayed on top for much of the first half. They’ll feel they should have killed the tie here and now.
Los Blancos had a number of chances to level and potentially win. Yet MVP Manuel Neuer denied them nine times.
Madrid are now on the brink of UCL elimination and travel to the Allianz Arena next week seeking a remontada.
Prior to that fixture, here’s a look at the three talking points from the team’s first leg defeat.
Mbappe Keeps Real Madrid Alive
Kylian Mbappe’s strike in the second half means Real Madrid head away to Bayern Munich with only one goal to chase.
In a match where the Bundesliga giants could have run away with a huge advantage, especially owing to chances early in the first half, Los Blancos might be the happier of the two sides.
The Frenchman’s 14th goal in Europe this season was a close-range finish off Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s brilliant cross across the box.
If the 15-time continental champions are to pull off a favourable result next Wednesday, Mbappe needs to have his shooting boots on.
Changes Needed in the Second Leg
Real Madrid need some major changes in the second leg of the quarter-final. Eder Militao is expected to come in after making a strong return from injury, whereas Ferland Mendy might also return to the side at Alvaro Carreras’ expense after the Spaniard’s underwhelming performance at left back yesterday.
Jude Bellingham will likely have a place in the starting eleven as well after adding some much-needed creativity and intensity to the engine room.
With a significantly stronger and more experienced side on paper compared to the first leg, Los Blancos will fancy their chances of hurting Bayern offensively.
Camavinga Could be Playing for His Real Madrid Career
Aurelien Tchouameni is suspended for the second leg after his yellow card last evening, and with Thiago Pitarch not looking at his best, Eduardo Camavinga could be entrusted as the defensive midfielder.
The Frenchman’s dribbling to progress the ball into the final third will be a key attribute for Real Madrid.
With talks surrounding his future at the Bernabeu amidst substandard performances over the last few months, Camavinga could have a golden chance to salvage his Real Madrid career.
How he performs will go a long way in influencing whether Real Madrid are able to comeback in the second leg.
