In the area: how Real Madrid achieved its surprising victory against Bayern | UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid made another of their remarkable comebacks against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night to reach their 18th European Cup final.

In this article presented by FedEx, UEFA’s performance analysis unit, in collaboration with UEFA’s technical observer, sheds light on the key tactical features of a dramatic semi-final second leg against Bayern at the Santiago Bernabéu.

team formations

Characteristics

Threat from Vinícius Júnior

The first aspect under the microscope is the mobility of the Madrid trident formed by Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior. If substitute Joselu became the latest hero, it was Vinícius Júnior who took home the Man of the Match award. “Every time he had the ball he didn’t even think, he just went straight to face his man,” the match observer said. “His direct play was a constant threat that made Madrid believe in victory. His approach to the game was contagious and his numerous one-on-one situations helped create the all-important first goal for the home team.”

The first clip of the video above shows the movement of the three forward players, starting with a penetrating run by Bellingham. As the sequence unfolds, we see the three occupying positions close together, towards the left side of the field. The observer noted their exchanges as they sought to receive the ball in the half-spaces on the left side.

From this first example, it is also worth highlighting how Toni Kroos drops deep on the left, while Dani Carvajal advances on the right to launch a dangerous ball that Rodrygo narrowly misses.

Vinícius Júnior is the focus of the second and third clips, which illustrate his candor. In the second video we see him unfazed by the three Bayern defenders drawn towards him to try to block his path to the area; With his speed and guile, he still creates opportunities for Rodrygo.

Clip three shows another of the Brazilian’s inside surges from the left that ends with a brilliant save from Manuel Neuer. Statistics underline its impact: 12 acquisitions (seven successful); seven carries of the ball after a 1v1; and six centers in open play. To compare with other attacking players, the next highest number of attacks was four, made by his team-mate Rodrygo and Bayern’s Alphonso Davies.

Bayern’s extra man in the middle

To focus attention on Bayern, they questioned Madrid about their ability to find the free man in the center of the field. As identified by the match observer, they managed to create overloads behind the Madrid forwards, with Jamal Musiala dropping back to join up with midfielders Konrad Laimer and Aleksandar Pavlović, as we see in the first clip that ends with a ball crossed over the goal of Serge Gnabry. . “When Laimer and Pavlović had the ball, they had periods of possession because they found the free man,” the observer said.

Musiala dropping the ball and driving it forward has been a feature of Bayern’s campaign and his role is highlighted again in the second clip when he appears in the space between Madrid’s front and back lines. “Every time the substitute midfielder appears, we must highlight Real Madrid’s defensive line, which is quite deep and gives a lot of space,” added the observer.

Specifically in clip two, we see Aurélien Tchouameni and Kroos drawn in by the two midfielders and Musiala dropping deep again. The observer explained that Madrid’s strategy involved Rodrygo coming down to support the two in midfield but, as the video illustrates, this did not always happen. “In that central area Musiala was very clever to get the space,” he added, “and it was he who turned to start the counterattack towards the goal.”

Bayern’s threat in transitions

“They’re a really tough team to play against. They were really good in transition.” This was Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti’s verdict on Bayern and with this third video we explore the threat of the German team on the counterattack.

Thomas Tuchel’s men reacted quickly after recoveries from deep with the two forwards and the wingers threatening Madrid with their attacking waves. The first clip of the first half shows Bayern’s four men breaking through, and the speed of Davies, running down the left, is particularly striking.

The second clip shows the breakaway that was the Bayern goal from Davies, who had replaced the injured Gnabry before the break. As the technical observer reflected, Bayern had several similar moments where the final pass was not there but this time they made it count. Musiala carries the ball forward before feeding Kane, who finds Davies with the pass, creating a 1v1 situation which the Canadian exploits magnificently. “Musiala was able to find a bit of space and Kane fell and Davies came in behind with a great shot,” the technical observer said. “Davies was really good coming in and getting into the rhythm straight away. He defended really well and was very disciplined and the finish is fantastic.”

Tuchel later praised Davies, normally a full-back, for the way he defended Carvajal in addition to his offensive contribution. “It is the first game in which Alphonso Davies plays as a left winger because Kingsley Coman is not there,” added the Bayern coach, who also regretted the missed opportunities and the decrease in his attacking options during the game. “We weren’t clinical enough in our counterattacks,” he reflected. “If we had been more precise and calmer in the opponent’s half, we could have created a decisive chance for the second goal.”

Madrid’s aggressive pressure on goal kicks

The last characteristic identified by the technical observer is Madrid’s aggressiveness in Bayern’s goal kicks. “You had six players up front, ready to enter Bayern’s defensive third,” the observer said. This was a brave approach, however, with Madrid’s players going 1v1 on the pitch, one of the reasons for the concentration of numbers on the pitch may have been the fact that Bayern’s two midfielders were falling towards their own penalty area.

In this final video, we have highlighted not only the numbers at the top of the field, but also the way in which Carvajal followed Musiala in depth, entering and exchanging tasks with Antonio Rüdiger to prevent the centre-back from leaving his position.

Clip two shows the same two players and once again that strip of space between the midline and Madrid’s forwards is evident, hence Carvajal’s efforts to get closer to Musiala to prevent him from connecting with Kane and advancing the ball . And did Madrid’s ploy work? In the observer’s opinion, this was effective in preventing Bayern from advancing and making comebacks. “I remember a moment when Kane receives the ball and changes the play and Alphonso Davies is alone, but in general they recovered the ball many times,” added the observer.

And finally… the Bernabéu factor

Those who say that lightning does not strike twice have obviously never spent an evening at the Santiago Bernabéu. After all, the form of Madrid’s late comeback (with those Joselu goals in the 88th and 91st minutes) had clear echoes of Rodrygo’s last-gasp brace against Manchester City in the semi-finals two years ago. As Ancelotti reflected afterwards: “It’s happened again… a crowd that pushes, a stadium that helps, a fantastic atmosphere and players who don’t stop believing it can be. It’s something magical.”

Madrid had started this season’s home program in this competition with an injury-time win against another German team, Union Berlin, and their track record of comebacks means the home crowd will never stop believing. According to the technical observer, “from a technical, tactical and physical point of view, there is no rational reason why Real Madrid in the last Champions League did incredible things in the last ten minutes at home.

“That is the madness of the Bernabéu and it is incredible how the psychological aspect in football is so important,” he added, highlighting how such an atmosphere can take players “out of their comfort zone” and lead to a situation in which ” one of the most experienced goalkeeper makes a mistake”, as happened to the until then outstanding Manuel Neuer, Bayern’s best player according to Tuchel, in Joselu’s equalizer. Suddenly, a match “well controlled by Bayern” took a turn.

Hence Tuchel’s sad joke at the end: “You have to be in the shower to be sure to beat them.”