It only took Bayern Munich two-thirds of the first half to replace two key players, Arjen Robben and Jerome Boateng, due to injury. The absence of a spearhead in attack and a corner stone in defense is a harbinger of a bad day for the "Gray Tigers" right at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern were the better attacking team in the first 45 minutes. The ball intertwined right in front of Keylor Navas' goal made those who loved Real Madrid feel heartbroken. However, on a day when home team attacking stars like Lewandowski and Muller could not score, another defender did so on their behalf.
With a delicate pass from James Rodriguez, Josh Kimmich rushed up and finished bravely. The defender's right-footed double-edged collapse in the 28th minute reminded him of Maicon's classic goal in the Brazilian national team in 2010 against the DPRK.
Bayern still attack but the efforts of each individual, typically ribery, cannot defeat Real's defense. When everyone thought about a draw in the first half, Marcelo shined in an unexpected way. Receiving a cross from Carvajal from the right wing, the Brazilian defender volleyed perfectly, the ball went low and dangerously, leaving goalkeeper Ulreich helpless.
With Boateng absent, Bayern's defensive strength has decreased significantly. The confusion of the remaining factors directly harmed the home team. Rafinha had a cramped counter-attack in the 57th minute, the ball passed from Ronaldo's feet to Asensio. With just a simple press, Ulrich had to go into the net to pick the ball up once more.
Overall, Real's tactics in this match were not outstanding, but Zidane's "difficult" substitution made Bayern unable to manage. When Carvajal was injured and out, the French coach replaced him with a striker, Benzema. Real did not press the field but determined not to "fight". Since then, Bayern have hesitated to focus all their efforts to regain the advantage right at home.
Bayern's disappointing match ended with an unbelievable miss by Lewandowski when facing Navas. The Polish striker bowed his head after the amateur situation, which was also the common image of the "Gray Tigers" in this match.
With a 2-1 win in the end, although not playing better, Real Madrid has a huge advantage before the return match at Bernabeu a week later.
