First-class CL night

“The dead live longer” and Real “never die”

FC Bayern showed courage and strength.

(Bild: APA/AFP/IKIMAGES/Ian Kington)

The goal festivals in the two quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday produced two draws and yet also two winners. Bayern, who are struggling in the Bundesliga, showed with a 2-2 draw at Arsenal that "the dead live longer", as CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen emphasized. And Real Madrid fought back from 3-2 down to draw 3-3 at home against Manchester City, or in the words of Marca: "Real Madrid never dies".

"I can imagine the crowd had a good time when there's a game with six goals," joked City coach Pep Guardiola afterwards. "We know that against Madrid in this stadium, the game is never over." City had led twice in a high-class anticipated final, Real, again without the injured David Alaba, only once, and in the end it was a draw.

Pep Guardiola

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Third duel in three years
"We'll take the result. But I can't say whether we're favorites now. Our fans will certainly be an advantage," Guardiola speculated ahead of the second leg on Wednesday next week. He and his squad will face Real in the CL knockout phase for the third year in a row. The Whites knocked City out of the competition in the semi-finals in 2022, and it was the other way around in the 2023 semi-finals. The respective winners went on to win the title.

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti was "satisfied. We fought, and if we do the same in the second leg, we can progress," said the Italian, who emphasized the "courage and character of his team in the face of an early 1-0 deficit after just two minutes. At the same time, however, he also wept for a possible victory. "We could have won, we had the chance to make it 3:1."

"Coach and team fit together"
Bayern, with ÖFB team player Konrad Laimer, were certainly allowed to leave the Emirates Stadium as perceived winners. Despite trailing early on, the underdogs were in front until the 76th minute and, despite all the prophecies of doom, showed that "coach and team fit together", as sporting director Max Eberl put it. The decision to part ways with coach Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season has been a done deal for some time. "If I'm honest, it's a bit strange," said Harry Kane, the scorer of the 2:1 penalty, describing the situation surrounding Tuchel. "All I can say is that he gives everything in every training session."

Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel

(Bild: SID)

The "good energy" that Eberl claimed to have sensed in the team before the game was very clear to see in comparison to the Bundesliga defeats against Borussia Dortmund (0:2) and in Heidenheim (2:3) against Arsenal. "We need the passion and commitment of today next week," demanded Tuchel. "You can have regrets, you can also be a bit happy," said Thomas Müller. "The game leaves room for interpretation in all directions."

I don't think the referee is allowed to disregard the law.

Thomas Müller

Bild: APA/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe

The protagonists from Munich, on the other hand, saw no room for interpretation in a curious scene involving Arsenal's David Raya in the second half. The goalkeeper played a kick to Gabriel, who was positioned in the five-yard box. The Brazilian picked up the ball with his hand, put it back on the turf and played it back to Raya - the previously cleared play continued: no penalty. Tuchel reported that the referee told the players that it was a "kid's mistake" and that he wouldn't call it in a Champions League quarter-final.

"I don't think the referee is allowed to disregard the law," complained Müller. For Kane, it was "the clearest penalty". However, the 30-year-old conceded that Arsenal could also have been awarded a penalty after contact between Neuer and Saka in stoppage time.