Real Madrid scored two late goals to stun Bayern Munich (Picture: Getty)
Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final after staging a late comeback to battle past Bayern Munich at an electric Bernabeu.
With the tie poised at 2-2 after the first leg, Madrid – who knocked out holders Manchester City in the quarter-finals – created a number of chances but were initially frustrated by a brilliant display from Manuel Neuer.
Alphonso Davies stunned the Bernabeu into near silence when he rifled a superb strike into the top corner to give Bayern the lead against the run of play on 68 minutes.
But the hosts, chasing a record-extending 15th European Cup, kept pushing and were gifted a late equaliser as Neuer uncharacteristically spilled a simple save and Joselu pounced.
Extra-time was beckoning but Real Madrid did not need it as former Stoke City striker Joselu scored again, just two minutes later, to send the La Liga champions into yet another Champions League final.
There was more drama in the dying seconds when Bayern Munich had the ball in the back of the net for a possible equaliser but the referee had already blown for offside, which appeared to be the incorrect decision.
Little could separate the sides in the first leg at the Allianz Arena and that theme continued this evening, with early crosses from Dani Carvajal and Serge Gnabry just missing their mark.
Alphonso Davies opened the scoring at the Bernabeu (Picture: Getty)
Real Madrid, who clinched the La Liga title at the weekend, came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Vinicius Junior struck the inside of the post, with the rebound falling to Rodrygo who was denied by Neuer.
England captain Harry Kane was lively as ever on the back of a sensational debut season for Bayern, his volley from the edge of the box tipped wide by Andriy Lunin.
Real Madrid almost went ahead before half-time – a diving Neuer keeping out Vinicius’ inswinging cross – but Bayern threatened after the break, Davies’ deflected effort almost sneaking into the top corner.
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The visitors had their backs to the wall for the next 20 minutes, Neuer denying Vinicius with more than one superb save and frustrating Rodrygo, first from open play and then from the Brazilian’s stinging free-kick.
Kane was denied at the near post in-between Real Madrid’s flurry of chances and Bayern showed their threat once more when Jamal Musiala saw a powerful strike pushed over by Lunin.
And it was Bayern Munich who scored the crucial opener, Davies – introduced in the first half for the injured Gnabry – cutting inside after latching onto Kane’s long ball and drilling an effort into the top corner.
Madrid celebrate a dramatic Champions League victory (Picture: Getty)
It looked as though Bayern’s lead would last just a couple of minutes as Real Madrid had the ball in the back of the net from a corner, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review for Nacho’s push in the face of Joshua Kimmich.
Bayern’s opener understandably rocked Real Madrid, who almost conceded again when Kane hit the side netting from a tight angle, although Vinicius had a chance to equalise only to fire over on the half-volley from Antonio Rudiger’s long ball.
The 14-time winners looked almost out of ideas when Neuer gifted Madrid an equaliser, spilling Vinicius’ tame strike and allowing Joselu to pounce and level the tie once more.
Borussia Dortmund beat PSG in the other semi-final (Picture: Getty)
It appeared as though extra-time would be needed to separate these two European giants but Joselu scored again from Antonio Rudiger’s cross in injury-time to send Real Madrid through and leave the Bayern players crestfallen.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside but a VAR check proved it to be legitimate, with the entire Real Madrid benching sprinting onto the pitch to celebrate a late and dramatic winner.
Bayern did have the ball in the back of the net in the final few seconds but the referee had already controversially blown for a tight offside.
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