Real Madrid reach Champions League final

Sports Desk: For the third straight year, Real Madrid is headed to the Champions League final. On Tuesday, Real drew Bayern Munich 2-2 in their semifinal second leg to advance 4-3 on aggregate to the final later this month, where they will play either Liverpool or Roma who will play their second leg on Wednesday.

It was a match filled with chances for both, and plenty of opportunities for Bayern to go through, but the difference ended up being an unbelievable gaffe by goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.

Bayern knew it had to score a least two goals to have a chance, and they got one just three minutes in. Joshua Kimmich, who scored in the first leg, did it again here with a little finish from in front of goal.

Bayern was sitting pretty there with 87 more minutes to get another goal as long as it didn't concede more than one. Yeah, they didn't build off of this goal.

It's been a rough season for Karim Benzema, but he's been coming up big. He got a goal 11 minutes in with a free header at the back post to give Real a little room to breathe.

Bayern players then seemed to take their scoring boots off, because they were awful for much of the next hour. James Rodriguez, facing his former team (Real Madrid still owns his rights), missed this sitter just after the half-hour mark.

Then there was a Marcelo handball in the box that could have been called a penalty kick, but no.

It all proceeded to come crashing down for Bayern just after half time. Ulreich's gaffe gave Real another huge boost and left him a spot in the cup's all-time bloopers.

Would this have even happened had Manuel Neuer, Bayern's injured star goalkeeper, been in goal? Probably not. He's still recovering from a foot fracture, so Ulreich was the man and didn't deliver.

Rodriguez would later score against his former club to pull Bayern within one, but it was as close as they would get.

And that would do it. A late push from Bayern for the winning goal yielded golden chances but none of which Bayern would convert, as an inspired Keylor Navas in goal came up big.

The win means Real Madrid is potentially just 90 minutes away from a Champions League three-peat, which has not been done since Bayern Munich did it in the mid 70s.

Source: CBS Sports


risingbd/Dhaka/May 2, 2018/AI