Reversed at the last moment by Real Madrid (2-1), Bayern Munich’s Champions League journey has come to an end just shy of the final. Adding to the frustration, a controversial decision by referee Szymon Marciniak continues to irk the Munich side…
Bayern Munich has fallen hard. After a draw in the first leg at the Allianz Arena against Real Madrid (2-2), the Bavarian club still had a strong hand to play in the return leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Eliminated early in the German Cup and having lost their league crown to Bayer Leverkusen, the team travelled to Santiago Bernabéu with a firm intention to thwart Madrid’s plans and avoid a trophyless season. Struggling for over an hour, the Munich team relied heavily on Manuel Neuer’s formidable goalkeeping to keep them in the game, as he repeatedly frustrated the Merengues.
On the brink of defeat, Bayern Munich finally took the lead through a brilliant strike by Alphonso Davies in the 68th minute. Just when the Rekordmeister thought they had achieved a feat on Spanish soil, Real Madrid turned the game on its head in the dying moments. Led by substitute Joselu, who scored a vital double within three minutes (88th, 90+1), Real Madrid snatched victory on yet another thrilling night, securing their place in their 18th Champions League final. Understandably frustrated by the turn of events given this dramatic scenario, Thomas Müller also focused on a pivotal refereeing decision that greatly affected his team. Bayern Munich is irate with Szymon Marciniak!
In the final Munich offensive, the match referee Mr Szymon Marciniak called a dubious offside without letting the play finish, just as Matthijs De Ligt was about to score into the goal left unguarded by Andriy Lunin after a poor defensive clearance by Madrid. This incident sparked anger among the Bavarian staff and the indignation of Thomas Müller at the final whistle. “The referee didn’t check the video, which is really odd because the decision was made very quickly. These kinds of scenarios happen fast and it’s very common in Madrid. I’ve experienced it before, it reminds me of two goals by Cristiano Ronaldo. But that was before VAR,” lamented the German midfielder.
Echoing his teammate’s sentiments, Matthijs De Ligt also expressed his frustration without undermining Real Madrid’s resilience, which was evident once again. “Not very good emotions, we were very close. You go from victory to defeat in ten minutes, it’s a very bad evening. We were very close, they pressed, they pressed… and Madrid, just when you think they are down, they always have one last breath, that’s why they’ve won the Champions League 14 times.
I think we all know the rules, if it’s not clear there’s an offside, you should let the play continue. It’s a shame, on Joselu’s goal there was an offside and he let the play go on, why not us? It’s easy to talk about the referee, but they deserved it,” stated the Dutchman, followed by his coach, Thomas Tuchel: “The referees? They denied us a goal.” It seems the pill will be tough to swallow for Bayern Munich, who will finish the season without a title for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.
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