Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich: Thomas Tuchel furious at Matthijs de Ligt’s offside phantom goal becomes Champions League talking point Football News

Is Tuchel right to feel “betrayed” by offside?

“This decision by the linesman and referee is disastrous. It feels like a betrayal.”

Thomas Tuchel didn’t hesitate to mention the elephant in the room in his post-match interview. The Bayern Munich boss apparently believes De Ligt’s last-minute equalizer, which sealed his side’s Champions League semi-final loss to Real Madrid, should have been preserved after the referee prematurely declared it offside.

There is no doubt that linesman and referee Simone Marciniak should have waited for the offside call and let play proceed so that everything could be checked by VAR. It was a clear mistake and both officials apologized to Tuchel and the Bayern players.

But questions remain over whether the early whistle actually prevented a clear-cut goal. After the whistle, two Real Madrid defenders stopped and Thomas Muller was able to rush towards De Ligt. Goalkeeper Andrei Lunin also made no attempt to save De Ligt’s shot after the whistle.

Yes, Bayern had an obvious shot blocked, but would Real Madrid have managed to hold on to the entire opportunity had the whistle not gone?

Either way, the debate will go far beyond Wednesday night’s full-time whistle.
blitzkrieg himself

Joselu’s heroics sum up Real Madrid’s relationship with Champions League

Eight years ago this week, Joselu was idle on the bench at Selhurst Park and was not even considered good enough to save a result for Stoke City, who ultimately lost 2-1. Gave it to Crystal Palace.

No one would have backed the Spanish striker to finally lead Real Madrid into the Champions League final with a brace against Bayern Munich. But that’s how football works sometimes.

In fact, this is how Real Madrid works. Despite conceding their first goal in this season’s Champions League, the Spanish side have won four games, conceding the most since Real Madrid in 2016-17.

Add Joselu to Real Madrid’s long list of comeback heroes. Rodrygo has beaten Chelsea and Manchester City with multiple late goals on his way to the 2022 title.

Real Madrid have restored their Champions League magic. Dortmund will need some strength to stop them at Wembley in June.
blitzkrieg himself

Sancho did the dirty work of smothering Mbappe

Not many would have imagined that Jadon Sancho would become Dortmund’s key defender in suppressing Kylian Mbappe.

In the first leg against Dortmund, Sancho was the key spark in the attack and could have scored a hat-trick of assists. On his return trip to Paris, he played a different role.

The England winger doubled up with right-back Julian Ryerson to thwart PSG’s dynamic No.7. The field won 6 rounds. Mbappe, meanwhile, had just five shots on goal.

Sancho’s forward pass success rate also reached a game-high 63.64%. When Dortmund need to step up and relieve pressure on their defence, Sancho is their calm and effective figure.

So Sancho can flex his attacking flair and do the dirty work. He would be a golden addition to any team in Europe. Are you watching, Eric?
blitzkrieg himself

Mbappe anonymous

This is not the Kylian Mbappe we are used to who often steps up in big situations.

This is a player with 48 Champions League goals. He is the player with the most goals in the World Cup finals. He is right up there with the best players the world has ever known.

None of this showed against Dortmund. The German side educated him. For 180 minutes of football, Mbappe is virtually unknown. Simply mark it out of the game.

Credit must be given to Dortmund’s dynamic defensive pairing – Mats Hummels and Nico Schloterback – but questions must also be raised about PSG’s number seven, who is set to leave the Prince at the end of the season The Park Course didn’t even smell like a championship.

On Tuesday night, Mbappe lost possession 18 times, was withdrawn, indecisive and wasted resources. He touched the ball 12 times in the opposition penalty area and had three shots on target, none of which troubled Gregor Kerber.

“Football is so unfair,” coach Luis Enrique complained after the game. Often this is true. But not here. PSG’s stars struggled, while the entire Dortmund squad showed how rewarding a cohesive game plan – executed with unwavering commitment – can be.
Laura Hunter

Dortmund defenders form yellow wall

They say you earn your luck. Well, the Dortmund defender certainly did that at Paris Saint-Germain.

Luis Enrique pointed to PSG hitting the woodwork six times over two legs to explain why they deserved to reach the Wembley final at the expense of Borussia Dortmund. But Dortmund’s defense doesn’t deserve to lose either.

Julian Ryerson, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck and Ian Maatsen (the latter played The four defenders (Burnley and Coventry) made a total of 36 clearances at the Parc des Princes, 12 of which were with their heads, and won 24 duels. If they could, they would all sleep well tonight during the festivities.

Dortmund will now bring the Yellow Wall to Wembley, but there will be a second, smaller wall in front of the goal. Whoever faces them in the Champions League final will not want to face this quartet.
blitzkrieg himself