Bayern Munich Player Ratings vs. Real Madrid: Luis Diaz Vanquishes Bayern’s European Ghosts

In an absolute spectacle of a European Classic, Bayern Munich scored twice in the dying minutes to defeat Real Madrid 4–3 and advance to the Champions League semifinals with a 6–4 aggregate score.

In arguably the best 45 minutes of the season, Bayern’s first leg advantage disappeared inside 30 seconds when Arda Güler capitalized on an egregious mistake from Manuel Neuer. The hosts responded through Aleksandar Pavlović and Harry Kane, Güler completed his brace and Kylian Mbappé sent the tie even at four each to halftime.

Bayern controlled possession after the break but it was Real Madrid who had the best scoring opportunities, until the game completely changed following Eduardo Camavinga’s red card.

In the 89th minute, Luis Díaz delivered when needed most to give restore Bayern’s tie advantage and Michael Olise added a fourth with the final kick of the game to emphatically seal the tie.

Vincent Kompany’s side finally avenged the pain of four straight Champions League knockout round eliminations at the hands of Real Madrid and will be confident in their ability to dethrone Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.

Heroes and Villains

Heroes

On a night where it seemed like nothing went Luis Díaz’s way, wasting chances and missing routine passes, the unfazed Colombia international never gave up and delivered the most important kick of the game. With extra time on the horizon, Díaz put on the Superman cape and fired a shot from distance that Andriy Lunin couldn’t contain, sending Bayern Munich to the semifinals.

The midfield duo of Aleksandar Pavlović and Joshua Kimmich were at the heart of everything that went right for Bayern on Wednesday night. Madrid tried to make the game a track race and although they managed it at times, Bayern’s midfield duo constantly tried to slow down the rhythm and that’s where the hosts looked at their best. Pavlović also turned a Kimmich delivery into Bayern’s first.

Kane and Dayot Upamecano deserve an honorable mention here for their brilliant combination for Bayern’s second, but we’ll touch on them again later on.

Villains

Less than a month after turning 40 and a week after a sublime performance, Manuel Neuer was horrific in the second leg. The legendary German flat-out threw away Bayern’s advantage inside the first minute with a gift for Güler’s first and then appeared scared of crashing into the post when attempting to save Güler’s free-kick. A nightmare night where Neuer looked nothing if not old.

Again, Kane and Upamecano deserve an honorable mention here. The striker’s apathetic attempt at controlling the ball started the action of Madrid’s third, which was completed by Mbappé, who Upamecano let run by him with incredible ease.

Bayern Munich Player Ratings vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1)

Harry Kane remains inevitable. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Manuel Neuer—5.0: Not the best time for the all-time great goalkeeper to produce one of the most egregious performances of his illustrious career. Bailed out by his teammates.

RB: Josip Stanišić—6.2: Had a rather uneventful first half until he seemingly got injured in an uncalled fouled in the action of Madrid’s first. He didn’t return for the second half.

CB: Dayot Upamecano—7.8: Particularly stout against Vinicius Junior and looked like a natural No. 10 with a brilliant assist for Kane’s strike. His inconsistent nature then came to light when he failed to track Mbappé’s run for Madrid’s third.

CB: Jonathan Tah—5.9: Struggled massively against the quality and speed of Madrid’s attackers. He looked overwhelmed from the jump. Settled considerably after the break.

LB: Konrad Laimer—6.1: Did brilliantly to block Mbappé from close range in what looked certain to be Madrid’s second. But he then made an unnecessary challenge that led to Güler’s brace.

DM: Joshua Kimmich—8.3: Bayern looked at their best with the ball at Kimmich’s feet. The experienced German dominated in the second half.

DM: Aleksandar Pavlović—7.8: Accurate and productive in possession and decided to open his Champions League account with a clutch goal to restore Bayern’s advantage.

RW: Michael Olise—8.4: He’ll be disappointed he didn’t get another go at Álvaro Carreras given he was nowhere near as influential facing Ferland Mendy in the opening exchanges. The Frenchman woke up after the interval and started commanding Bayern’s attack, scoring the dagger.

AM: Serge Gnabry—6.6: A non-factor in Bayern Munich’s attack, disappearing for long stretches and offering next to nothing in the final third.

LW: Luis Díaz—7.9: Had been rather awful all night, but credit to him, he never stopped trying and he was rewarded with the goal that sent Bayern to the semifinals.

ST: Harry Kane—8.7: Had been kept quiet for much of the game, but it took just one action for Kane to once again exhibit his devastating nature with an emphatic finish. He then assisted Olise’s goal and completed another fine showing in the final third.

SUB: Alphonso Davies (46’ for Stanišić)—6.9: Supplied width and depth to Bayern’s attack and handled his defensive duties well.

SUB: Jamal Musiala (61’ for Gnabry)—6.9: Looked back to his best, significantly improved on what Gnabry offered and assisted Diaz’s winner.

Subs not used: Jonas Urbig (GK), Leonard Prescott (GK), Hiroki Ito, Kim Min-jae, Raphaël Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson

What the Ratings Tell Us

Bayern Munich — The same XI that started the first leg repeated on Wednesday night. | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Serge Gnabry hasn’t enjoyed the same level of productivity this season as the rest of Bayern’s attackers and that continued on Wednesday. The former Arsenal man didn’t contribute in the slightest and Jamal Musiala’s return to top form is desperately needed.
After timid first-half performances, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise stepped up when it truly mattered, leaving no doubt about why they’ve become crucial to one of if not the best attack in Europe.
Harry Kane’s incredible season continued under the brightest lights. There’s no denying that at this point—the Englishman would be a worthy Ballon d’Or winner.

The Numbers That Explain Bayern’s Dramatic Victory

Bayern Munich players celebrating. — Celebrations will go deep into the Bavarian night. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Bayern Munich allowed Real Madrid to score with their first three shots on goal of the game, highlighting Neuer’s woes and how little it took for Los Blancos to harm the hosts.
Despite Bayern having 21 total shots to Real Madrid’s 12, the hosts had to withstand adversity, evidenced by the visitors edging the Bavarians in xG with 2.27 vs. 2.09.
Diaz’s heroic match-winner had an xG of only 0.04. Simply mental.

Statistic	Bayern Munich	Real Madrid
Possession	69%	31%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.09	2.27
Total Shots	21	12
Shots on Target	9	5
Big Chances	2	3
Pass Accuracy	88%	78%
Fouls	10	12
Corners	9	2

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