First win since 2012
La Bestia Negra once again – Bayern Munich finally exercise their demons against Real Madrid
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Bayern Munich have done it. Despite going down three times, the Bundesliga giants beat Real Madrid4-3 (6-4 on aggregate) on Wednesday to advance to the UEFA Champions League semifinals, where they will meet Paris Saint-Germain. Despite their 2-1 lead from the first leg, Bayern, or rather Manuel Neuer, made this game more interesting than it needed to be. Twice, Neuer gifted Arda Güler a goal, first in the opening seconds and then once again in the 29th minute when he allowed a free kick to slip through his hands.
Club Comparison
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid
Bundesliga
LaLiga
€965.95m
Market Value
€1.34bn
First Tier
League Level
First Tier
€88.80m
Expenditures 25/26
€167.50m
Vincent Kompany
Managers
Álvaro Arbeloa
Full Club Comparison
Indeed, it wasn’t just Neuer who struggled. Bayern showed defensive vulnerabilities throughout the match. After Aleksandar Pavlović (6’) and Harry Kane (38’) responded to make it 2-2, Bayern allowed Kylian Mbappé (42’) to slip through their defense just before halftime. The Frenchman made it 3-2 Real, and 4-4 on aggregate. It was only in the second half that Bayern finally started to maintain control over proceedings, and after Eduardo Camavinga was sent off for dissent, Luis Díaz (89’) and Michael Olise (90+4’) secured Bayern’s victory.
And it is a massive victory for Bayern. Known as La Bestia Negra in Madrid in the 1990s and 2000s for their record against Real, Bayern haven’t beaten the Spanish giants since 2012. Bayern lost to Real Madrid in the 2013/14 Champions League semifinals; one year later, in the 2016/17 quarterfinals, they were beaten again in the semifinals, before once again falling to them in the 2023/24 semifinals. That poor run has now come to an end, and the two victories over Real Madrid also mean that Bayern once again have a winning record against the Spanish giants (14 wins, 4 draws, 12 defeats).
Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid – Record
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Best coaches in Champions League – Vincent Kompany now 2nd
It is also a big win for Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany. Although his side have played fantastic football this season, success at Bayern is always determined by what happens in the Champions League. Although winning the title remains the goal, beating Real twice will have certainly put to bed some doubters on whether his football was sustainable. The minimum goal this season was the semifinals; Kompany has now gotten his team to that stage. The result also means he is now averaging 2.27 points per game. That’s the second-best record of any Champions League coach; only former Bayern head coach Hansi Flick (2.3) is better. But the German is out, as his Barça side were eliminated yesterday.
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