Real Madrid shared the spoils with Bayern Munich at 2-2 after Vinicius Junior's brace in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
BERLIN, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Vinicius Junior's brace and late equalizer helped Real Madrid secure a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals on Tuesday.
Bayern assumed control from the start and pressed Real Madrid onto the back foot as Leroy Sane tested Andriy Lunin from close range early on.
Bayern came to another promising chance in the 12th minute when Jamal Musiala shot over the target from inside the box.
Real Madrid needed some time to gain a foothold, but shocked Bayern with its first chance in the 24th minute after Toni Kroos' perfectly timed through ball allowed Vinicius Junior to break the deadlock.
Thomas Tuchel's men had to wait until the closing stages of the first half when Harry Kane missed narrowly wide from 20 meters.
Real Madrid started brightly into the second half and nearly made it 2-0, but Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was on guard and denied Kroos' dangerous shot from the edge of the box.
The hosts restored parity against the flow of the game as Konrad Laimer's deep ball found Sane, who drilled the ball into the near bottom corner in the 53rd minute.
Bayern gained momentum and turned the tide four minutes later as Lucas Vazquez fouled Musiala inside the box. Kane stepped up and converted the subsequent penalty, making it 2-1 on the scoreboards.
The German giants remained on the front foot, but neither Eric Dier nor Kane was able to extend the lead despite presentable opportunities.
Real Madrid grew into the game and reaped a late draw as Kim Min-jae felled Rodrygo in the penalty area, allowing Vinicius Junior to secure the equalizer from the spot in the 83rd minute.
"The initial feeling is of course disappointment. We didn't exploit the momentum when we were 2-1 up. We had two or three chances and the third goal would have been important," said Kane.
"We must be ready for the next week. There is a lot of positive we can take from today's game. It is going to be though. In the biggest games you must be ruthless with your chances and today we weren't quite ruthless," he added.
"We have seen different phases throughout the game. Most of the goals were scored against the run of the game. It is a deserved draw, but we are of course convinced that at home we will seal our progression," commented Kroos. ■
