On this evening, two very big names said goodbye to the international stage. On 18 April 2017, FC Bayern travelled to Real Madrid for the return second leg in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It was a gripping and thrilling match-up between two top teams. In the end, the men from Munich were defeated in extra time after a mammoth effort. For Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso, who ended their footballing careers that summer, it was to be their last appearance on the international stage.
Bayern entered the game in a difficult situation, having lost the first leg in Munich 2-1. Madrid started positively in the second leg at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and created many chances, but Manuel Neuer kept everything out, making sure his Bayern side were still in the game. The Munich team got off to the better start after the break, and Robert Lewandowski scored a penalty to make it 1-0, before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised for Real after 76 minutes. But FCB were not deterred by this and just two minutes later, an own goal by Sergio Ramos (78) levelled the scores on aggregate.
Bayern lose in extra time
Six minutes before the end of normal time, Arturo Vidal received a dubious second yellow card and was dismissed. Nonetheless, FCB forced the men from Madrid into extra time. It was during this period, however, that Bayern had to concede defeat; two more goals from Ronaldo and a goal from Marco Asensio ensured the tie finished in a 4-2 loss on the night.
It was a disappointing night for the Bavarians, who had fought tirelessly to the end. After the final whistle, Lahm and Alonso fell into each other's arms. For both of them, the moment marked the end of their extraordinarily successful careers on the international stage. Two World Cups and two European championships, three Champions League and UEFA Supercup trophy wins and a Club World Cup was the pair's combined trophy haul over the course of their extraordinary careers - and now, together, they bade farewell to Europe's premier club competition.
Relive FC Bayern's most enthralling knock-out games between 2016 and 2020 here:
