Agency :
Real Madrid showed they remain Europe’s comeback kings as Joselu’s late double rescued them from the brink of elimination to reach the Champions League (CL) final with a dramatic 2-1 second-leg win over Bayern Munich at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
A 4-3 aggregate victory sealed Real’s progress to a remarkable sixth Champions League final in 10 years and they will bid for a record-extending 15th title against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1.
In a repeat of their spectacular semi-final comeback win over Manchester City two years ago, they saw their opponents take the lead after Bayern substitute Alphonso Davies fired home a stunning strike from a counter attack in the 68th minute.
But Joselu climbed off the bench to equalize following a calamitous error from Manuel Neuer in the 88th minute and, two minutes later, he shinned a second into the Bayern goal from a cross by Antonio Ruediger.
The effort was first ruled out for an apparent offside, but the goal was given following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check.
“We’ve seen it a lot of times this season when it looked as though we’re dead and buried … it doesn’t matter who scores the goals but someone always manages it… that mentality of never say die,” Jude Bellingham, who will play against his former club in the final, told TNT Sports.
Real dominated proceedings, but misfired with several chances as a gritty Bayern put their domestic woes aside to almost eliminate the Spaniards in their own back yard.
Davies, who came off the bench early in the first half in place of injured Serge Gnabry, opened the scoring in spectacular fashion, cutting back on his right foot and curling an unstoppable bullet of a shot into the far corner on a counter-attack.
But Real, who were the better side throughout the game, piled on the pressure with Vinicius Jr tormenting the visitors down the left channel.
The Brazilian glided past Matthijs De Ligt and Joshua Kimmich effortlessly and created a number chances for himself and his team mates, who were denied several times by an inspired Neuer.
