There was great applause. It was honest and it came from the heart. It came from the stands and it came from the team to thank the fans. When the players stood in front of the Allianz Arena's south late in the evening, everyone in red knew it had been a unique night of football at the Allianz Arena. An extraordinary atmosphere, a nerve-wracking duel, much excitement and a result that offers all possibilities for the second leg.
We are FC Bayern. What our club represents nationally and internationally became apparent once more against Real Madrid. We don't give up, we believe in our strength and we never lose sight of our goals.
"What the fans did prior to the game was truly extraordinary. I've rarely experienced anything like it although I've competed in a few games before," said an astonished Thomas Müller.
We'll make it together!
It had been a strong performance in the Champions League semi-final first leg. Following the 2-2 draw against Real, the goal of making it to the final at Wembley on 1 June remains realistic.
"The situation is very clear now. We need to win to make it to Wembley," Thomas Tuchel summarised the outcome. Captain Manuel Neuer added: "We had massive support and could feel the euphoria. Thank you to our fans for the great support! Obviously, we would have loved to win and we would have deserved to. Now, we're looking towards next week. It's good to still have everything in our own hands. We want to make it to the final at Wembley."
Real, however, will always be tough opponents. The goals by Vinicius Junior (24', 83', penalty) proved once more that Real Madrid can strike at any time. For Bayern it will be necessary to find the right answer or to determine the script.
Praise from Robben for Sané
A great example was Leroy Sané's equaliser after 53 minutes with which he rewarded himself for a strong performance. His emotional celebration said it all. Sané confidently began to dribble, accelerated and delivered a precise shot with his left foot in a scene which was reminiscent of a certain Arjen Robben. And Bayern's Mr Wembley didn't hold back the praise. "That was perfect from Leroy. A super goal."
Harry Kane scored yet another goal, this time from a penalty (57'). It was already his eighth goal in the competition, a personal best. "What's more important for me is the team performance," Kane emphasised and immediately looked towards next week: "Obviously, it's going to be tough in Madrid but we will be ready."
Bayern played 138 passes in the final third, 40 more than Real. Additionally, the Reds had possession in the opposition box 32 times, the away side only 21. If Bayern can put similar levels of pressure on Real at the Bernabeu next Wednesday, anything should be possible.
"We know what we're capable of, but we have to do even better in Madrid. If you're in the semis you want to make it to the final," said Konrad Laimer, who had convinced with an inexhaustible fighting performance in midfield. The Austrian had won possession seven times for his team, more than any other player on the pitch.
Build on the positives
Overall, Bayern had shown great passion in one-on-ones. Carried by their fans, the Reds had managed to turn a deficit into a lead while remaining calm and controlled. They had shown the right reaction and calmly moved forward in an attempt to create chances.
"With a bit of luck we could have scored the third goal. Obviously, that would have been important," said Harry Kane, expressing his initial disappointment with the way the game had progressed.
Now, Bayern need to take the positives to Madrid. "We saw today that we can do more than just keep up with them. We had stretches in the game during which we were in control and created chances. We will also be able to do that next week. Everything is open. The winner takes the cake," commented Joshua Kimmich.
Bayern's hunger for success remains as strong as ever.
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