Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich: Champions League talking points as Thomas Tuchel fumes at Matthijs de Ligt’s phantom offside goal | football news

May 9, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

Is Tuchel right to feel ‘betrayed’ by offside?

Thomas Tuchel was angered by a late offside against his Bayern Munich team.
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Thomas Tuchel was angered by a late offside against his Bayern Munich team.

“It’s a disastrous decision by the linesman and the referee. It feels almost like a betrayal.”

Thomas Tuchel was quick to bring up the elephant in the room in his post-match interview. The Bayern Munich boss clearly felt that Matthijs de Ligt’s last-minute equalizer that cost his team their Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid should have stood after the referees flagged offside too far. soon.

Why were Bayern Munich upset?

Matthijs De Light scored late for Bayern Munich, which would have surely taken the game into extra time.

However, a few seconds before De Ligt’s shot, referee Szymon Marciniak had already whistled for offside against Noussair Mazraoui.

But replays showed that the Bayern defender was in play, and the assistant, who is ordered to keep his flag down in difficult situations so that the VAR can review the decision, made a clear mistake by raising his flag and causing the referee whistles.

It is open to debate whether Real’s players would have prevented De Ligt from scoring if the whistle had not blown, but it was a serious mistake by the referees at a critical moment.

There is no doubt that linesman and referee Szymon Marciniak should have waited to call the offside and let the game develop to allow the VAR to check everything. It was a clear mistake and both referees apologized to Tuchel and the Bayern players.

But doubts remain over whether the opening whistle actually stopped a clear goal. Two Real Madrid defenders stopped after the whistle, allowing Thomas Müller to head towards De Ligt. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin also did not try to stop De Ligt’s shot once the whistle blew.

Bayern were furious at not getting a last-minute equalizer
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Bayern were furious at not getting a last-minute equalizer

Yes, Bayern were denied a clear shot on goal, but would Real Madrid have successfully defended that entire opportunity if the whistle hadn’t blown?

Either way, this is a debate that will go far beyond Wednesday night’s final whistle.
Sam Blitz

Joselu’s heroics summarize Real’s relationship with the Champions League

Joselu scored two goals in three minutes to send Real Madrid to the Champions League final
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Joselu scored two goals in three minutes to send Real Madrid to the Champions League final

Eight years ago this week, Joselu remained unused on the substitutes’ bench at Selhurst Park, not even considered good enough to salvage a result for Stoke, who ended up losing 2-1 to Crystal Palace.

Nobody would have backed the Spanish striker to send Real Madrid to the Champions League final with two goals against Bayern Munich. But that’s how football works sometimes.

In fact, this is how Real Madrid operates. The Spanish team has won four games despite conceding the first goal in the UEFA Champions League this season, the most since (yes, you guessed it) Real Madrid in the 2016-17 season.

Add Joselu to a long list of heroes of Real’s comeback. Rodrygo took down Chelsea and Manchester City with multiple late goals on his way to victory in 2022. Cristiano Ronaldo used the Champions League comebacks at the Santiago Bernabeu as if it were his game in his prime.

Real has regained its Champions League charm. And it will take some muscle in Dortmund to stop them at Wembley in June.
Sam Blitz

Sancho does the dirty work to suffocate Mbappé

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Jadon Sancho and his Borussia Dortmund teammates celebrate their arrival in the Champions League final

Not many people would have imagined that Jadon Sancho would be Dortmund’s key defender to stifle Kylian Mbappé.

In the first leg in Dortmund, Sancho was the key offensive spark on the pitch and could have finished with a hat-trick of assists. In the second leg in Paris he had a different role.

Mats Hummels and Jadon Sancho celebrate reaching the Champions League final
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Mats Hummels and Jadon Sancho celebrate reaching the Champions League final

The English winger doubled up with right-back Julian Ryerson to stop PSG’s dynamic number 7. It ended up being a brilliant defensive performance that left Sancho with seven ball recoveries, with six possessions won in the defensive and middle thirds. Mbappé, for his part, only fired five shots.

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The Athletic’s David Ornstein and the Mirror’s John Cross analyze Dortmund’s 2-0 aggregate win over PSG

Sancho also finished with a forward passing percentage of 63.64 percent, the highest on the field. When Dortmund needed to get on the pitch and relieve pressure at the back, Sancho was their calm and effective figure.

So Sancho can show offensive talent and do the dirty work. He would be a golden addition to any team in Europe. Are you looking, Erik?
Sam Blitz

Mbappé becomes anonymous

Kylian Mbappé was disappointed by PSG's exit from the Champions League last season
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Kylian Mbappé will be disappointed by his exit from the Champions League in his last season at PSG

This is not the Kylian Mbappé we have become accustomed to, the one who so often rises to the occasion.

This is a player with 48 goals in the Champions League. He has scored the most goals in World Cup finals. He is right up there with the world-renowned best.

None of that was shown against Dortmund. The German side taught him. Throughout 180 minutes of football, Mbappé remained virtually anonymous. Simply removed from the game.

Credit must be given to Dortmund’s dynamic defensive pairing, Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck, but questions must also be asked of PSG’s number 7, who leaves the Parc des Princes at the end of this season without so much as a sniff of the Champions League. The league title that his club longs for and the silverware that he had to deliver personally.

Submissive and indecisive, as well as wasteful, Mbappé lost possession 18 times on Tuesday night. Of the 12 touches he had in the rival area, three ended in shots on goal, but none of them bothered Gregor Kobel.

“Football is very unfair,” coach Luis Enrique complained after the game. That is often true. But not here. PSG’s stars were in a bad mood, while the entire Dortmund contingent showed how rewarding a cohesive game plan, carried out with unwavering commitment, can be.
Laura Cazador

Dortmund defenders form the Yellow Wall

Dortmund would not move in Paris
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Dortmund would not move in Paris

They say you earn your luck. Well, Dortmund’s defenders certainly did that at PSG.

Luis Enrique pointed out that PSG hit the woodwork six times over the course of the two games and explained why they deserved to go to the Wembley final at the expense of Dortmund. But Dortmund’s defense did not deserve to lose either.

The back four of Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck and Ian Maatsen (the latter formerly of Burnley and Coventry) managed a combined 36 clearances at the Parc des Princes, 12 of them headed, and won 24 duels. Everyone will sleep well tonight, if they can amidst the celebrations.

Dortmund will now bring the yellow wall to Wembley, but there will be a second, smaller wall in front of the goal. Whoever plays in attack against them in the Champions League final will not want to face this quartet.
Sam Blitz