MADRID, May 8 (Xinhua) — Two late goals from Real Madrid substitute Joselu overturned a 1-0 deficit to Bayern Munich to book the Spanish side a place in the Champions League final on Wednesday.

Bayern were leading 1-0 in the 88th minute thanks to a goal from substitute Alphonso Davis when keeper Manuel Neuer inexplicably spilled a tame effort from Vinicius Jr that he would normally have clutched to his chest, allowing Joselu to poke home from close range.

Two minutes later Joselu netted his second after Bayern failed to clear a corner and Antonio Rudiger crossed for him to put the empty net, and give his side a 2-1 win on the night and a 4-3 triumph on aggregate.

From the start it was clear it would be a different game from the first leg in Munich a week ago, because rather than looking to energetically pressure their rivals high up the field, Bayern sat back, with three organized lines willing to soak up Real Madrid’s pressure.

That allowed Madrid more of the ball, but fewer spaces for Rodrygo and Vinicius to exploit, although Rodrygo was close to getting a touch on Dani Carvajal’s low cross in the sixth minute.

Vinicius should have put his side ahead in the 13th minute when the attack-minded Carvajal picked him in space and his shot bounced back off the post, with the forward hitting the rebound at Neuer.

Serge Gnabry suffered a relapse of his muscle problems in the 26th minute and was replaced by Alphonso Davis, before Harry Kane tested Andriy Lunin with a shot on the turn a minute later.

Real Madrid were doing most of the attacking however, and Neuer had to be alert to tip Vinicius’ in-swinging cross out for a corner after it threatened to evade everyone and end up in the net.

The second half began with Vinicius’ electric run and cross blocked at the last moment, before Davis saw a shot deflected for a corner at the other end.

Vinicius was giving Bayern right back Joshua Kimmich a torrid night, beating him time after time, with one run setting up Rodrygo to fire just wide and another drawing a flying save from Neuer.

Neuer also got across to block a Rodrygo free kick as Madrid continued to dominate, although Kane and Jamal Musiala both drew saves from Lunin.

Davis stunned the Bernabeu in the 68th minute when he collected a pass from Kane, cut inside and beat Lunin with a powerful shot into the far corner of the net.

Bayern seemed to be closing in on a famous win but Joselu was brought on and changed the game. Real Madrid will now face Borussia Dortmund looking for their 15th Champions League title.

Source(s): Xinhua

MADRID, May 7 (Xinhua) — Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was optimistic, but cautious when he spoke to the press ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League semifinal return leg at home to Bayern Munich.

A 2-2 draw in Munich a week ago means Ancelotti’s side goes into the game as favorites, but although the coach said it could be a “magical night” for the club, he advised his players were also “aware of the difficulties we may find.”

“We need to play an intense game both in attack and defense,” he commented, adding that his side could have defended better in the first leg.

“We have to try to be at our best. We’re excited because we’ve got a great opportunity to make it to the final again. We’re in good shape, highly motivated, and we’ll try to do our best,” advised Ancelotti.

Real Madrid goes into the game after assuring their 36th La Liga title with a 3-0 win at home to Cadiz on Saturday, and the coach said he backed his players to continue with their excellent form.

“We have this squad, which has done very well this season, and I’m confident the fans will get behind us. We are in a good position,” insisted Ancelotti.

Ancelotti, who coached Bayern between 2016 and 2017, said the German powerhouse and Real Madrid were “similar clubs,” with a “great tradition and history in the European Cup.”

“We respect them and they were the better side in the first leg,” he advised, before confirming that Andriy Lunin would start in goal, despite Thibaut Courtois’ return from injury at the weekend.

Source(s): Xinhua

PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) — Borussia Dortmund reached their first Champions League final since 2013, outplaying Paris Saint-Germain in a 1-0 victory on Tuesday, despite a lackluster domestic season.

Dortmund secured their spot with an aggregate score of 2-0, having won the first leg by the same margin.

The crucial goal came in the second half when Mats Hummels headed in from a Julian Brandt corner. Moments earlier, PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery narrowly missed a golden opportunity, volleying against the post from close range.

Despite the French giants dominating possession and amassing 30 shots to Dortmund’s seven, they were thwarted repeatedly, hitting the woodwork four times in the second half alone.

Kylian Mbappe expressed his disappointment post-match, stating, “We always want to win at PSG, we feel sad.”

“We should have scored. We had the chances to score (and) when you don’t, when you’re not efficient at both ends, it’s difficult to go through,” Mbappe said after Tuesday’s defeat.

At the start of the season, no one could have expected Dortmund to be in the final of the Champions League after they were drawn in a tough group alongside PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle.

But Edin Terzic’s side finished top before they got past PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 and then knocked out Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals.

“The belief was there. We spoke about the game against Eindhoven (Dortmund’s last-16 tie) how short the road to London is. It’ll take us a bit of time to realize that, but we’re looking forward to it very much.”

The other semifinal pits Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich against Real Madrid, with their first leg ending in a 2-2 draw in Munich.

The Champions League final is set to be held at Wembley Stadium in London on June 1.

Source(s): Xinhua