In another dramatic night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Real Madrid rallied late to defeat Bayern Munich 2-1, securing their spot in the Champions League final for the second time in three seasons.
Joselu was the hero for the 14-time European champions, scoring in the 88th minute and again in stoppage time to help Madrid advance with a 4-3 aggregate victory. They will now face Borussia Dortmund in the final on June 1 in London.
The match saw Bayern Munich take the lead through Canadian star Alphonso Davies, who scored in the 68th minute. Davies, who had come on in the 27th minute to replace the injured Serge Gnabry, beat Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger in a one-on-one duel, then cut back toward the center of the box to strike a right-footed shot into the far corner past Madrid's goalkeeper, Andriy Lunin.
However, Real Madrid's persistence paid off in the final minutes. Joselu's first goal came from a tap-in after Bayern's goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, failed to secure an easy save. His second goal, initially ruled out for offside, was eventually allowed after video review, sending the Madrid fans into raptures.
This victory marks Real Madrid's record-extending 18th European Cup final and the ninth in the Champions League era, further solidifying their status as European royalty. The last time Madrid reached the final was in 2022, where they defeated Liverpool, with late comebacks playing a significant role in their journey.
Bayern Munich, a six-time European champion, was hoping to reach the final for the first time since their triumph in 2019-20, but their dreams were dashed by Madrid's late heroics. The loss also ended the prospect of an all-German final, similar to 2013, when Bayern defeated Dortmund for their fifth European title.
Borussia Dortmund, the 1997 European champion, advanced to the final by eliminating Paris Saint-Germain with a 2-0 aggregate victory earlier in the week.
Throughout the match, Real Madrid created more significant scoring opportunities, but it wasn't until the final moments that they could overcome Neuer's exceptional performance. The turning point came when Neuer dropped a routine save after a shot from Vinicius Junior, allowing Joselu to equalize. Joselu's game-winning goal in stoppage time followed a cross from Rudiger, sending the Bernabeu into a frenzy.
Madrid's win sets the stage for a thrilling Champions League final, where they will aim to add another European title to their storied history.
