How good are Bayern? Real defeat poses serious questions
April 26, 2018
Wednesday's Champions League semifinal first leg against Real Madrid was a rare chance for Bayern Munich to measure themselves against Europe's very best. But the 2-1 defeat still leaves many questions unanswered.
Image: Reuters/M. Dalder
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Over the course of their 23 meetings in European competition, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have become barometers for each other's success, and the fixture's rich history has given rise to huge mutual respect.
In Germany, Real are deferentially known as "die Königlichen" – the Royals. In Spain, they refer to the German giants as the "Bestia Negra" – the Black Beast.
"Going into the game, I didn't think we would have so many clear-cut opportunities," said goal-scorer Joshua Kimmich. "But we were too naïve, whereas Real were clinical."
There was nothing naïve about Kimmich's own finish, catching out Keylor Navas at his near post to give the hosts the lead, but Bayern failed to kill the game off. Twice, Franck Ribéry found himself in promising positions in front of goal but stumbled in the first half and shot straight at Navas in the second.
"We needed to be more cold-blooded," said Thomas Müller. "We needed a killer instinct, but we showed too much respect and left them alive."
In contrast, Real were ruthless in capitalizing on Bayern's mistakes.
If Javi Martinez could be forgiven for taking his eyes off Marcelo as Cristiano Ronaldo weighed up another spectacular over-head kick, leaving the Brazilian to fire home the equalizer unmarked, there can be no explanation for Rafinha's suicidal pass to Marco Asensio which led to the winner.
And yet, perhaps most worryingly for Bayern, and for the Bundesliga as a whole, this was far from a vintage performance from the reigning European champions, and far from the highest quality semifinal we have seen in this competition in recent years. Both teams were lethargic, slow and nervous for long periods, Cristiano Ronaldo was quiet, and the atmosphere was flat throughout.
Every football club needs a rival. Every club needs a sporting equal against which a team can measure their own abilities.
In the absence of genuine domestic competition in the Bundesliga, Bayern have never been in greater need of an external examination, but Wednesday night left more questions than answers.
How good are Bayern Munich really? We'll find out in the Santiago Bernabeu next week.
The Champions League's greatest rivalry: Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid
Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid has proven one of the great Champions League rivalries. From scoring heroics to memorable comebacks, the tie has had its fair share of classic clashes.
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1975-76: Müller mauls Madrid
Bayern Munich got the better of Real Madrid the first time these two sides met. Gerd Müller (left) scored three goals in the two legs as Bayern topped Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the 1976 semifinals. The Bavarias went on to defeat Saint Etienne in the final to lift their third straight European Cup.
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1986-87: Juanito stamps Matthäus' face
After Lothar Matthäus and Chendo got involved in a scrap in the 1987 semifinal, Juanito (far left) stormed through the ruckus to plant his foot into the German midfielder's torso. He then connected with Matthäus' face and was duly sent off. Bayern won the match 4-1 to progress, but they lost to Porto. Juanito's Madrid career ended in disgrace as he was banned for five years from UEFA competitions.
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1987-88: Real's revenge
Bayern were cruising to yet another victory over Real Madrid after storming to a 3-0 lead in the first leg of the quarterfinals. But the match ended 3-2 after Madrid scored two goals in six minutes, and Real finished the job with a 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu.
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1999-2000: A rivalry is born
The Bayern-Real rivalry intensified in the 1999-2000 Champions League as the two sides squared off four times in the rebranded competition. Bayern earned the nickname "La Bestia Negra" — or "The Black Beast" — after twice demolishing Madrid 4-2 in the second group stage. But Madrid had the last laugh, downing Bayern 3-2 on aggregate in the semifinals before eventually win the title.
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2000-01: Bayern back with a bang
Giovane Elber scored in both legs as Bayern defeated Real 3-1 on aggregate in their semifinal rematch in 2001. The German club then defeated Valencia 5-4 on penalties in the final, ending a 25-year drought in Europe's premier competition.
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2001-02: Madrid prevail despite late heroics
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Bayern salvaged the first leg of the semifinals with two late goals from Steffen Effenberg and Claudio Pizarro. But the Bavarians couldn't build on their late heroics in Madrid, dropping the second leg 2-0 and losing 3-1 on aggregate. Real Madrid topped another German opponent in the final, defeating Leverkusen 2-1 to lift their sixth title.
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2003-04: Zizou strikes
The Round of 16 tie was in the balance after a 1-1 draw in Munich, but Zinedine Zidane stole the show with the decisive strike in a 1-0 victory. The consolation for Bayern? A fresh-faced 19-year-old named Bastian Schweinsteiger got his first taste of European football.
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2006-07: Lightning Makaay
After Madrid won the first leg 3-2, Bayern's Dutch maestro Roy Makaay scored the Champions League's fastest ever goal — 10.2 seconds after kickoff — to help Bayern to a dramatic victory over Madrid in the Round of 16 second leg. Bayern went through on away goals after winning the return leg in Munich 2-1.
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2011-12: Neuer the wall
Manuel Neuer celebrated his first season at Bayern Munich with a monstrous display in the Champions League semifinals. The tie went to penalties after both legs ending 2-1, and Neuer saved spot kicks from Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka before Bastian Schweinsteiger converted the winning strike. But Bayern would lose the final, which was in their home stadium, to Chelsea, also on penalties.
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2013-14: Embarrassed Bayern hit for five
Pep Guardiola's Bayern were totally outclassed in the Champions League semifinals as Ronaldo and co. hammered the Bavarians 5-0 on aggregate. The rout included a 4-0 second-leg defeat in Munich — Bayern's worst home loss in the competition. Real, under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, went on to defeat Atletico Madrid in the final to clinch the coveted "La Decima" — their 10th title.
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2016-17: Ronaldo's extra-time controversy
After losing 2-1 the first leg of the quarterfinals at home, Bayern fought back to force the second leg into extra-time. But the comeback was short-lived as Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice. Both goals, however, appeared to be offside, while Arturo Vidal was shown a controversial red card. Ronaldo scored five in the 6-3 aggregate win and Madrid won their second consecutive title.
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2017-2018: Kimmich goals not enough
The last time the two met was the semifinals of the 2017-18 season. Bayern took the lead at home in the first leg, but ended up losing 2-1 after a Real Madrid fightback. In the second leg, Joshua Kimmich scored the opener again but again Bayern couldn't hold on as Karim Benzema's brace helped Madrid turn the tide. The Spanish side would go on to win it all, sealing their third straight title.
