That's football. It can be so thrilling but it can also be as brutal as it was for FC Bayern on Wednesday evening at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The 2-1 defeat in the Champions League semi-final return leg was a bitter pill to swallow. Now, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will compete in the final at Wembley on 1 June. For Bayern, this comes as quite a blow.
This was evident in the faces of the players as they walked over to the away fans to thank them for yet another display of outstanding support. And the fans reciprocated with a warm round of applause. The togetherness and the unconditional support for Bayern in both legs of this semi-final are just some of the positives the Reds can take away from this Champions League season.
Only a few minutes away
In the end, the Reds were only a few minutes away from the final. "When you're a goal up you feel good. Usually, it's mistakes that decide games. We're very disappointed. We invested so much. it's tough," Thomas Müller summarised the evening's events.
Alphonso Davies had scored the lead for Bayern Munich (68') before Joselu struck with a brace in the final minutes of the game. To argue which team deserved to progress following the 2-2 draw in the first leg is pointless now, but one thing is for sure: Our team gave everything to achieve the dream.
"We have no regrets because we left everything on the pitch," Thomas Tuchel clarified.
Tuchel wasn't the only one struggling to come to terms with one of the last scenes of the game. Seconds before the end, referee Szymon Marciniak had blown his whistle because Thomas Müller had allegedly been caught offside before assisting de Ligt. Surprisingly, Marciniak hadn't let the situation play out.
Neuer calls it "extremely bitter"
However, there were several reasons why Bayern exited the competition. Serge Gnabry had sustained another injury, his colleagues all went to the limit and occasionally beyond. "And then Manuel made a mistake he usually wouldn't make in a 100 years," explained Tuchel.
While Manuel Neuer proved once more why he is considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he was unable to hold on to a shot by Vinicius Junior preceding the equaliser. "It's extremely bitter for me. I expected the ball to be lower but suddenly it bounced. Everyone who plays football knows how this feels. To go out like this when you're leading so close to the end is extremely bitter. We had one foot in London and could picture ourselves in the final already. I'm at a loss for words," the keeper commented.
So many positives had kept Bayern's hopes alive throughout this encounter with Real Madrid. The defence showed a compact performance, the players worked hard together, supported and encouraged each other following successful moments. While Real remained a constant threat, the Reds were able to stand their ground. Bayern's match plan was based on patience and a strong belief in the team's strength.
The Reds had won 52.6 percent of one-on-ones and outperformed Real with 12 successful tackles to five. Bayern had shown the right spirit and great character. "The team played a very good Champions League season," praised Board Member for Sport Max Eberl.
We'll be back
Even if Bayern's trophy cabinet will have to do without a further addition this season, there are many positives to build on.
Today, football was brutal. It's going to take some days to digest this bitter pill from the Bernabéu.
But Bayern's determination to thrill their fans in the future remains unbroken.
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