An act of faith does not heed reason or reality. Madrid is a unique entity, so often resurrected that not believing is a sin among its people. Anathema. Now it needs it more than ever, after suffering the opponent's power and their own impotence. The result is bad, very bad, against a rival that is part of the same aristocracy as Madrid. However, the reality is that it could have been worse, much worse, and Bayern missed the opportunity to seal their rival's fate at the Bernabéu. Mbappé's goal, on the other hand, came like a breath of assisted respiration. In Munich next week, they will need more than the miracle of resurrection, also all the loaves and fishes they did not find on the Bernabéu grass.
Losing and not feeling lost sums up Madrid's feelings, as vulnerable as they are powerful in their reaction. It is the intangibles they must cling to because they are what Bayern fears. The tangible, the result, is a burden against an opponent who won and calculated, supported by an arsenal that Madrid lacks today. It is tough to say, but it is the truth. Bayern must make a decision at the Allianz. Their trap may lie in the calculation. Madrid has nothing left to think about, only to believe. Faith is their argument today.
There was a difference between the men and their intentions. Kompany gave his all, but they did not align as usual. Bayern came out to dominate, with long possessions, as if the ball were traversing the corridors of a labyrinth. However, they did not come out blazing, with the verticality that tilts German stadiums until Madrid, wounded, left a trail of blood on the grass. It was not out of respect or the weight of the stage. It was the fear of facing Vinicius and Mbappé in the middle of the field, like cheetahs. Especially the former, of whom they do not have fond memories since he tore them apart at the Allianz. Madrid must hold onto that memory. Mbappé is the goal, undoubtedly, but the imbalance is Vinicius. The issue is that he is as capable of unbalancing outward as he is of losing balance inward. These days, he should sit on Arbeloa's gray armchair.
Bayern has their Vinicius in Olise. The 24-year-old Frenchman is a player who has been awaited for a long time. He advances like a whip unfurling. His teammates constantly sought him out, facing a crucial duel against Carreras. One defender is not enough against such a player. Help is needed, as with Vinicius.
Olise, at the Bernabéu.OSCAR DEL POZOAFP
Madrid detected the danger, but Bayern is like a deck of marked cards. Neither Kane nor Luis Díaz had been much in the game, but they appeared like in a masquerade after a mistake by Vinicius in a pass. Kane and Gnabry combined to set up Luis Díaz, who slotted past Lunin.
The error that Bayern wanted to avoid so much, the deadly losses, was committed by Madrid against an opponent that resembles the white team but in a very mature project, not improvised. The Kompany era and Arbeloa's mine have nothing in common, and the difference is not only in the dugouts but also in the boardroom.
One error was followed by another, this time by Carreras, surprised by Pavlovic, and the rest was too easy against an unprotected defense. Olise had time to control and place the ball where he wanted. A particularly serious incident since it came immediately after halftime, when Arbeloa was supposed to tighten his team. On the contrary, Vinicius did not take advantage of Upamecano's gift.
Initially, the Madrid coach made consistent decisions, such as benching Bellingham to keep Thiago Pitarch and Güler. The Englishman was not in the required form, although some things are hard to argue with so much opposition, today a storm. When Bellingham replaced the academy player, who was singled out for an early mistake in the area, Bayern was on the prowl with an already standout Olise. The Englishman came on during the effervescence and set up Mbappé, who crossed to force Neuer's best intervention.
It was not the only one. At 40 years old, and despite recent inactivity, the German goalkeeper unfolded like two 20-year-olds, a couple of times against shots from the Frenchman and in a one-on-one won against Vinicius. Only once could Mbappé beat him, thanks to those precise passes from Trent. A breath of life, and as long as there is life, what comes next is more certain, especially when it comes to Madrid.