Two late goals and fourteen-time European champions Real Madrid dramatically secured a place in the 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League final. But until the 88th minute of the match, the football world was preparing for an all-German title battle in Europe's most elite club football competition. Bayern Munich had one leg in the final and led the scoreboard until the 88th minute when Joselu, a former striker for Stoke City, Newcastle United and Espanyol, stepped up to bring his team level, thanks to a mistake by Manuel Neuer, one of the best goalkeepers of all time. A few minutes later, Real Madrid struck again through Joselu, making it 2-1 and turning the semi-final on its head, as they have done time and time again. A repeat of the 2013 Champions League final, between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, was planned, but within minutes Real Madrid arrived.
Gone are the days when Sergio Ramos took the lead in stoppage time and went home the winner for Real Madrid in the Champions League. Los Blancos can't even count on the services of talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo to create those moments that gave them 14 Champions League titles, seven more than second-placed AC Milan and eight more than their opponents on the day. Bayern Munich.
Yet Real Madrid, arguably the most powerful football club in the world, have found a way to pull the rabbit out of the hat, with their former youth star Joselu making two appearances within minutes to almost seal a place in the Champions League. League final for his team. “Real Madrid created a Real Madrid” would be the headlines the next day. But the script had a final twist in store. Well almost.
Just a minute before the whistle was due to blow, Bayern Munich found themselves in a promising position, with Thomas Müller, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt looking to test Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin one last time in the search for an equalizer, but to the surprise the linesman raised the offside flag for everyone, after which referee Szymon Marciniak blew his whistle just before De Ligt could test Lunin with his shot.
The moment that could have changed everything…
The VAR could not assess the offside call against De Ligt after the referee had already blown his whistle pic.twitter.com/PyMp4Jg1j1
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What do the rules say?
The Bayern defender continued with his plan and found the back of the net, but the goal did not count because the referee had blown his whistle. But was that in accordance with the rules? Well not really.
According to the latest instructions given to the match officials, the assistants are told to keep the flag low on close-off sides, raising it only when a goal is scored or at the end of the attacking move. But that didn't happen in the match. Bayern's players had a right to be angry, and even their head coach Thomas Tuchel went berserk on the touchline and explained the same to the match officials. But to no avail.
VAR could not be called into use in this particular case because the referee's whistle blew, prompting some to suggest that Real Madrid players stopped competing when they heard that whistle. But images later in the match did suggest that Bayern right-back Mazraoui was marginally onside in that piece of action.
Tuchel “This mistake by the referee would not have happened on Real Madrid's side”
Müller: 'I saw Cristiano Ronaldo score offside goals seven years ago, but this time it happened in the presence of the VAR'
De Ligt: “The referee said to me: Sorry I made a mistake”
Horrible pic.twitter.com/GVEVzIlC51
— ACE (fan) (@FCB_ACEE) May 9, 2024
Had the match continued, Bayern might have scored a legitimate goal and made it 1-1. But the refereeing error robbed them of the opportunity to do that.
After the match, De Ligt revealed that the linesman apologized to him for the decision and admitted his mistake. But not much could be done. A number of Bayern stars, as well as their manager, went on a rant after the match, explaining how the German giants were robbed again in the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.
Thomas Muller:“The referee's decision was strange. This often happens in Madrid, and it has happened to me before with two offside goals from Ronaldo. No one can explain this.”
“I don't want to say that Real Madrid always has the referees with them, but that made the difference today.”
Matthijs de Ligt:“Really, if you think they're dead, take one last breath… that's why they have 14 Champions Leagues. The linesman said to me: sorry, I made a mistake. It was a shame.”
“It was a disaster. An absolute disaster and it is a clear violation of the rules.”
Thomas Tuchel:“The clear rule is that the scene must continue. The first error was made by the linesman, the second by the referee.”
“This would not have happened on Real Madrid's side.”
Max Eberl, Bayern director:“We were all for a German final. Everyone except the Polish referees!”
It is not the first time that Bayern Munich have been on the receiving end of some questionable decisions in a Champions League match against Real Madrid.
A furious Thomas Tuchel asked if he accepted the referee's apology: “Very difficult. This is a semi-final, it is not the time for apologies. No way. It is not the time for two huge violations of the rules and then a apology. We all have to go to the extreme, we all have to suffer,… pic.twitter.com/c50SEhaINR
— Bavaria and Germany (@iMiaSanMia) May 8, 2024
In 2017, a number of controversial decisions by referee Viktor Kassai appeared to have 'robbed' the German side of their chance to reach the semi-finals. The referee's decision not to book Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro and send off Bayern's Arturo Vidal worked well in Los Blancos' favor, leaving the Bundesliga giants fuming.
In an interview, former Real Madrid defender Marcelo admitted that the referee failed to commit a handball violation against his team in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern. The decision ultimately resulted in Bayern's elimination in 2018.
It was not the first time that Bayern Munich had to fight an 'uneven battle' against Real Madrid, it could not be the last time either.
It could all have been an all-German UEFA Champions League final, with Borussia Dortmund already through, but 'Real Madrid happened'.
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