Vinicius Junior showcased his prowess with a brace as Real Madrid secured a hard-fought draw against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final encounter.
The Brazilian forward capitalized on two defensive lapses from Bayern’s Kim Min-jae, outpacing him to find the net for the opener and then converting a penalty after the South Korean fouled Rodrygo in the box.
England’s national team leader, Harry Kane, also made his mark, converting a penalty past goalkeeper Andriy Lunin early in the second half following a foul by Lucas Vazquez on Jamal Musiala.
Just moments before Kane’s strike, Leroy Sane unleashed a powerful shot inside the near post, leveling the scoreline after Vinicius’ initial goal.
The momentum of the game swung back and forth, with Bayern unable to capitalize on their early dominance despite registering six shots and enjoying over 60% possession in the first 20 minutes. Key opportunities, notably for Sane and Kane, went begging as Real Madrid found themselves ahead against the run of play.
However, Bayern’s fortunes changed dramatically in the second half with a relentless four-minute surge, during which they regained control and applied immense pressure on the Real Madrid defense.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to extend their lead, and a pivotal mistake by Kim Min-jae, who conceded a penalty by pulling Rodrygo’s shirt in the 83rd minute, allowed Real Madrid to claw their way back into the game.
Source – Real Madrid holds Bayern Munich in Champions League thriller (mundodeportivo.com)
