Be real – Harry Kane’s trophy curse had no chance against Real Madrid’s Champions League voodoo: Winners & losers as Joselu’s barely-believable late show turns semi-final on its head to send Los Blancos to Wembley

Who needs Kylian Mbappe?… When Madrid lost Karim Benzema last summer, it was widely assumed that they would bring in an elite striker to replace him. Instead, enter Joselu; a 34-year-old who flopped in the Premier League at Newcastle and Stoke City.

But the big man has earned his minutes this year, and scored a number of timely goals for Los Blancos. Wednesday, though, was his biggest triumph – and surely the defining moment of his journeyman career.

Joselu scored twice – his 15th and 16th goals of the season – in the space of three minutes to send Madrid to the Champions League final, etching his name into club folklore, and setting up what could be a 15th European Cup for the continent’s most successful club side.

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  LOSER: Harry Kane

  Harry Kane’s work appeared to be done. When he came off with six minutes of normal time remaining, Bayern were a goal to the good while Madrid were running out of ideas. Better still, Kane had played his part in putting his team on the way to Wembley with a characteristically brilliant bit of hold-up play that saw him break free of his marker before releasing Alphonso Davies with an excellent cross-field ball before the Canadian cut inside and lashed into the top corner.

  However, the England international then suffered the agony of having to watch on helplessly from the bench as Bayern imploded, evoking memories of a forlorn Lothar Matthaus being left dumbstruck by Manchester United’s incredible comeback in the 1999 Champions League final. Matthaus’ career would end without him ever winning the European Cup – but he could at least take comfort in the fact that he’d already lifted numerous major titles, including the World Cup.

  As it stands, Kane has yet to claim a single piece of silverware, and this latest devastating setback will be particularly hard to take. It was just so very ‘Spursy’.

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    WINNER: Vinicius Jr

    Most of the talk around Real Madrid has focused on Jude Bellingham in 2023-24, and rightly so, given the England midfielder has been the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or for a number of months now. On the other hand, Vinicius, who is an equally impactful player on these big stages, gets forgotten about in the conversation around the Golden Ball. That’s likely to change after this performance.

    Vinicius spent 102 minutes torturing Joshua Kimmich and the Bayern backline; a blur of stepovers, cuts and flicks. He completed seven dribbles, put three shots on target, and could have easily scored a hat-trick had Neuer not rolled back the years.

    Bellingham was kept admittedly quiet by the Bavarians, and although Joselu bagged the goals, Vinicius kept Madrid in the game with a truly masterful performance from a world-class player.
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    LOSER: Thomas Tuchel

    Thomas Tuchel was on the verge of making history. Never before had a manager led three different teams to the Champions League final, but the former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach had put Bayern on the verge of a most unexpected appearance at Wembley with what would have been hailed as a managerial masterclass.

    Tuchel had boldly put his faith in Aleksandar Pavlovic, who had been selected to start in midfield ahead of the far more experienced Leon Goretzka, and been rewarded with a staggeringly composed performance from the 20-year-old. The decision to bring on Davies on the left wing also proved a stroke of genius, with the regular left-back breaking the deadlock with a stunning strike with his weaker right foot.

    However, Neuer’s mistake not only changed the game, it also cast Tuchel’s substitutions in a very different light. He may well argue that Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane were tiring and had to come off with just over six minutes to go – but Musiala had grown into the game after a slow start and was causing problems on the break with his dribbling, while Kane was proving a reliable out-ball.

    However, the call that should probably come under most scrutiny was the decision to replace Leroy Sane with Kim Min-jae in the 75th minute. The winger was performing poorly, but sending a centre-back on in his place – rather than another attacker – robbed Bayern of an outlet, changed their shape and invited pressure.

    Tuchel is still unlikely to be short of job offers this summer as he prepares to depart the Allianz Arena, but being the first Bayern manager to oversee a trophy-less season for 12 years will be taken into consideration by his prospective employers.

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      WINNER: Madrid’s voodoo

      It really cannot be described anymore. There is just something about Real Madrid and this competition. Whether it be grit, belief, or sheer quality – it’s probably a mix of all three – Los Blancos never seem to die in the Champions League.

      Historically, it has always been the biggest names who have stepped up. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos – the superstars tend to deliver. This time, though, it was an unheralded, ageing forward whose best days were seemingly behind him.

      If anything, that just strengthens the argument that there is a higher power at play here. Madrid never gave up and never seemed to lack belief, but that is because they know things just happen for them in the Champions League. Until the final whistle blows, they can’t be counted out, and that proved to be the case yet again here.

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      LOSER: Manuel Neuer

      A visiting goalkeeper hasn’t kept a clean sheet at the Bernabeu in a Champions League knockout tie for 13 years. Neuer was just two minutes away from ending that run when he spilled a shot from Vinicius at the feet of Joselu.

      For those that support Bayern, it was a horrible moment, and seriously tough to watch. Neuer is a true legend, one of the game’s greatest sweeper-keepers. Nobody wanted to see him make such a high-profile error at the tail end of a truly remarkable career that has been recently blighted by injury.

      He deserved to lead his team out at Wembley, and not just because of everything he’s been through over the past year or so – but also because he’d been brilliant on the night, making one sensational save after another to keep Madrid at bay.

      In the end, though, Neuer went from hero to villain in a split-second, and while this untimely error certainly won’t affect his legacy, it’s going to take an awfully long time for the 38-year-old to get over.

      Source Goal.com